4 Months to Go

Tip: Schedule other fundraising away from this time, or else parents may feel overloaded.

4 Months to Go –  Countdown!

On this page you will find:

• Checklists for:
  • Convenor
  • Logistics
  • Stalls
  • Marketing
  • Sponsorship
  • 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.

4 Months to Go! It’s time for:

☐ Convenor

• Book all other requirements necessary (St John’s, sound people, stage, equipment hire, generators etc) With Logistics
• Order all equipment/resources/supplies/consumables required (Our FREE download of Site Convenor Resources would be very useful here)
• 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 Stall/Convenor ID Badges

☐ Logistics

• Logistics security
• Logistics risk – asses plans
• Treasure map organise (find a free download in the Fundraising Whisperer's Toolbox)
• Sufficient parking available? Sufficient power available?
• Sufficient Rubbish Bins available? Skip Bin required?

☐ Stalls

• Convenor forms due
• Confirm External Stall/Food operators and check insurance
• Ask Stall/Activity convenors to return their stall requirement list.

☐ Marketing

• In newsletter, start asking for class donations of goods & services for the stalls
• Book radio and newspaper ads
• Advertise fete in online Special Event Directories
• Send out regular notes to the school community about the fete – via Newsletter, Facebook and website.

☐ Sponsorship

• Flag sponsors, make list what you need, who has bulk purchase plastics
• Donation letters to go out and start canvassing local business for financial and or prize support.
• If you can cover the cost of equipment and get donations for food and prizes you will save big $$$’s.
• If letters do not go out now, the success rate will be lower as other schools will get in ahead of you and bleed the community dry of donations
• 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. Generalized letters do not have the same effect.
•  Offer sponsorship – gold, silver and bronze in return for extra advertising thru school newsletters, Fete Flyers, Fete website, and on the day. Works well at private schools.
• Confirm advertising plan – banners, flyers, radio and newspaper, website & Facebook

☐ Entertainment

• School based performances commit students. The more outside groups booked, the more people from the community you draw into the fete
• Years prep – year 4 usually perform on the day – make these perform early in the fete as younger children may go home after lunch.
• The school choir usually opens the fete. The school band then performs and then the children can go enjoy themselves.
• Form MC Running Sheet

☐ Raffle

• Start putting together prizes for raffle ie: prize wheel/multi draw.

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.