3 Months to Go

Hello Fete Warriors!

It’s 3 months to go – We hope you’re still breathing!!! You’re really in power-mode now, and a lot of important work will be done over the coming month to get things organised. Luckily, you don’t have to do it all on your own, and we hope the checklists below help you figure out what to get help in with! It’s a good idea between now and your event to try and keep other forms of fundraising at a minimum, otherwise, parents may feel overloaded.

In case nobody else is saying it to you, you’re doing an awesome job! Hang in there, it will all be worth it!

3 Months to Go –  Countdown!

On this page you will find:

• Checklists for:
  • Convenor
  • Logistics
  • Stalls
  • Marketing
  • Sponsorship
  • Treasurer
  • Entertainment
  • Raffle

What is ‘Fete in a Box’?

Our ‘Fete in a Box’ Countdown is the predecessor to our book: The Practical Fete Handbook for Fundraising Event Organisers! The book contains all of the information in this article and so much more – consolidated in an easy-to-read format, including the bonus: 99 Fete Stall Ideas! You can buy the book in printed form or as an eBook here.

3 Months to Go! It’s time for:

☐ Convenor

• Order Stall/Convenor ID Badges or team T-shirts

☐ Logistics

• Insurance – check when and who needs what
• Confirm External Stall/Food operators and check insurance
• It’s time to organise supplies – Canvas your school community – who has what they can lend – marquees, outdoor furniture for the seating area, etc etc
  • Ask Stall/Activity convenors to return their stall requirement list.
  • If supplies cannot be sourced via donations. Bulk buy where possible
  • Always economise (buy in bulk etc) – the more spent on a stall, the lower the profits!
  • Order all equipment/resources/supplies/consumables required
     
  • In the newsletter, start asking for class donations of goods & services for the stalls
• Book all other requirements necessary (Generators, first aid, sound people, stage, equipment hire etc)
• Sufficient parking available? Sufficient power available? Sufficient Rubbish Bins available? Skip Bin required?
• Call for electrician

☐ Stalls

• Prepare site plan if not done already
• Liquor licence application

☐ Marketing

• Confirm advertising plan – banners, flyers, radio and newspaper, website & Facebook
• Banners up around school fence if not already
• Book radio and newspaper ads if applicable

☐ Sponsorship

• If you can cover the cost of equipment and get donations for food and prizes you will save big $s
• When writing letters for assistance, try to focus on a need for the school that the general community sees achievable and of benefit to the children. Generalised letters do not have the same effect.
• Start putting together prizes for raffle ie: prize wheel/multi-draw.
• Helpful Resource: Sponsorship Kit

☐ Treasurer

• Invoices for sponsorship
• Follow up late stall fee payments
• Organise ATMs EFT machines etc if not done already

☐ Entertainment

• Prepare MC Running Sheet
• School-based performances commit attendances. The more outside groups booked, the more people from the community you draw into the fete

☐ Raffle

• Organise raffle tickets for a smaller raffle
• For a larger raffle, try to organise permission to sell outside local shops

To access all of the great stuff, make sure you're a member of the Fundraising Whisperer's Toolbox - it's free and has 100s of tools, tips and templates so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.