OCT
17

25 Ways to Fund Your Theatre Production

By Raechel Odom 

We get it.  Even with Pioneer’s reasonable prices, putting on a show can be hard to afford, especially when a theatre group doesn’t have a designated funding source.  We hear it time and again when talking to our customers:

“But we’re only a small school, and we don’t have a theatre budget.”

“Our church just wants to put on a Christmas show for the congregation.”

“It’s not like we’re selling tickets or anything.”

Whatever the case, we truly understand that funding your production can be a challenge — especially at a time when budgets are tight and arts are often at the top of the chopping block.  The great thing about theatre, though, is that the funds can be self-perpetuating.  Once you raise enough money for your first production, the proceeds from those performances can pay for your next show, the money from that one can pay for the next, and so on and so forth.

Still, it takes money to get started, so kudos to you for forging ahead despite the challenges!  You understand how enriching the arts are, not just to those involved with the production, but to the community, as well.

This list skips the bake sales and the car washes in favor of unique approaches involving the whole community, including ideas suitable for both traditional and home schools, as well as other community organizations.

It may not be easy, but there are plenty of ways to raise funds for your production.  And while it starts with creativity and initiative, true success relies on your ability to convey to your donors the importance of theatre — both on the stage and in the community.

Talk with local businesses.  Will you be printing any programs for your play?  If so, offer to sell space for advertisement or offer an ad in exchange for goods or services that you can sell.  Maybe there’s a local eatery that can supply a side dish for a dinner theatre production, or a bakery that can provide cookies for a concessions table during intermission at your production.

Sell “Break a Leg!”  ads in the program to parents and other family members.  They needn’t be expensive, but an extra $5 to $10 per ad could be an additional $100 or so for the coffers.

Some restaurants will donate a percentage of their proceeds for one night.  Check out a partial list of potential popular restaurant sponsors here.

Crowdfunding through sites like DonorsChoose.org can help match in-need teachers and organizations with donors. 

Charge an admission fee.  We get it:  you don’t want to charge a student’s family or friends for coming out to support the arts.  But even $2 per ticket could net you a nifty profit.  It adds up quickly!

Put out a donation jar with a suggestion of $1 or $2 per person if you are uncomfortable charging a fee.  Any parent or grandparent who can, will support their child every time!

Have a donation box for clothing and other household items that can be used for costumes or props to lower costs for future productions.  After all, saving money down the road is good, too!

See if a nearby floral shop will donate flowers.  Then sell them to families at the event.

Have your tickets double as raffle tickets for donated items from community members and area businesses, allowing you to increase the ticket price.  And the extra incentive might motivate people to buy more than one ticket.  Themed baskets stuffed with goodies are great for this (baked goods basket, movie night basket, girls’ night basket, etc.).

Host a trivia night.  You can partner with local shops and restaurants, some of which may be willing to contribute part of their proceeds to your club or organization or let you piggyback on a regularly scheduled trivia night.

Offer gift wrapping services for a small fee.  Check with your local mall or area retailers to see if you can get permission to set up on their property.  Even if it’s not the holiday season, a toy store might let you offer to wrap birthday gifts.  And don’t forget the tip jar!

Raffle off the best seat in the house.  Reserve the whole front row while you’re at it — and raffle it all!

Penny drive.  This can get really fun it you make it a competition, like between homerooms or underclassmen vs. upperclassmen.  It can even be something theatre-related, like voting for your favorite musical or movie.  Or, if your production is Peter Pan, you could have one jar for Peter and one for Captain Hook.  The possibilities are endless!

Charity at checkout.  Local shops may be willing to ask customers to round up their final total and donate the proceeds to your organization.

Comedy night.  If your actors are good with improv and comedy, this could be a great way to raise some money in the off-season.  Host it in conjunction with a local coffee shop so you don’t need to supply any concessions.

Fan-o-gram.  Let students purchase messages to send to a student who’s involved in the show.  Beyond notes, you can offer other choices, like a song to be sung to them, a candy-gram, etc.  (See Pioneer Drama author Lorraine Thompson’s article on Fan-o-grams.) 

Character jail.  If the actor is willing, they can be put “in jail” until a certain amount of money is raised.  This would be particularly funny if the actor stays in character and costume.  You can always do this in shifts with a variety of cast members so actors get a break.

Have teachers or administration dress up and perform a skit in front of the students.  Students can vote on the best skit by donating their loose change (like a cool twist on a Penny Drive!).  Do they want to see their fearless leaders act out part of a Shakespeare play and feign battling one another?  Or would they rather see them try to sing along to a musical — and potentially fail miserably?  Absolutely!

Song-a-thon.  Play a really, really annoying song over the speakers until you raise enough money for your materials.  Here are some ideas:  “Bye Bye Bye” by NSync, “MmmBop” by Hanson, “I Want it That Way,” by The Backstreet Boys, “Friday” by Rebecca Black, or “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.

Pie in the face.  Have students pay to “pie” each other or, even better, a teacher.  All you need is whipped cream and the tins.  Kids will absolutely pay $2 to pie their best friend in the face.

Dress-up day.  With approval from your administration, you can establish a “spirit day” and have students pay a buck each to participate in Pajama/Silly Hat/Costume/Formal days.  Or maybe they pay if they don’t participate!

S’mores day or ice cream day.  Put on one of these events in the off-season as a means to raise some additional funds.  Getting the food items in bulk and selling them at a markup can be profitable, and some businesses may even donate goods!  Incorporate this with...

Movie night.  Organize a movie night for students at the school and then sell tickets.  You can have a bake sale, sell s’mores or ice cream (see above), or simply sell concessions for some extra money.

Bingo night.  Keep it easy and inexpensive!  You can have gift baskets or gift certificates donated by local business as prizes, or you can use handmade or baked goods.  The ultimate prize?  Tickets to your upcoming production!

Theme-related activities, concessions, and costume contests.  If you’re putting on a Halloween show, how about having caramel apples, mystery bags of candy, or a paint-a-pumpkin booth?  Annual Christmas production?  Sell peppermint bark and hot cocoa, offer an ornament booth, or have the cast staff a picture booth after the show.  Melodrama?  Sell mini-marshmallows to throw at the villain.  And no matter the occasion, you can always add a themed costume contest and charge a $1 entry fee (on top of the regular ticket cost, of course), helping you raise funds while taking audience participation to a higher level.

And don’t forget to use social media to spread the word and increase your audience size!  Be sure to create events on Facebook to remind the community the day before your fundraiser and, most importantly, the days leading up to your show!  Remember, the bigger your audience, the bigger your support!