If there’s one thing that all dance parents can agree on, it’s that competitive dance is expensive. From audition fees and classes to costumes and competitions, paying for dance can be overwhelming.
A simple way to help cover the costs of dance is to fundraise throughout the year. Fundraising does not have to be difficult and there are plenty of creative ideas that can give you a big return on your investment.
Whether you raise money with your studio or just for your dancer, keep reading to see some simple fundraising ideas you may not have thought about before.
What are some dance studio fundraising ideas?
Sometimes, strength can lie in numbers when it comes to fundraising. As a studio, all profits will be split evenly between dancers who help with the fundraiser and it can yield some big bucks.
Ideas that can bring a large revenue include group efforts, like summer car washes, parents’ night out where dancers help babysit for a fee, selling tickets to a movie night hosted at the studio, Super Bowl Squares, or a fun Halloween Haunted House at your studio.
Selling food is another fun way to fundraise, especially around the holiday season. Many find success selling pies, cookie dough, Sees Candy, popcorn, and chocolate. The studio can help negotiate the original purchase of the food items at a discounted cost, then sell for a profit where all dancers can benefit.
You can even get creative and host a Drive Thru Dinner night, where you partner with a catering company to purchase meals. Then, sell tickets and bring the dancers together to box the meals. Ticket holders then drive to your location, hand over their ticket, and take home their meal!
Another idea involves selling products, like sheets, wrapping paper, candles, flowers for a recital, wreaths, and raffle baskets.
What are some dance fundraisers I can do on my own?
Some of the fundraising ideas listed above can also be easily altered so you can do them on your own, like selling baked goods and crafts. But what else can you do that ensures your profit goes directly to your dancers?
If you are in the US, many dance parents get super inventive, like donating plasma! Depending on where you live and your health, donors usually receive a minimum of $50 per session, with bonuses offered for more frequent visits.
You can also start a calendar fundraiser. Pick a month of the year, then send the calendar to family and friends. They pick a day to sponsor your dancer, then donate that amount. So for example, they pick the 20th, they send $20. For relatives who don’t live nearby, it’s a tangible way they can help support your dancer and it can be a reasonably easy way to raise close to $500 if you fill out the entire calendar.
While not a direct fundraiser, asking family and friends for dance donations in lieu of gifts for birthdays and holidays is also an easy way to help fund your budget.
If you just don’t have the brain power (or the endurance––we dance parents are exhausted) to come up with your own fundraiser and execute it, partnering with a fundraising company is a great option.
What are some professional fundraising companies that can help me raise money?
There are tons of websites and companies that offer fundraising options for individuals and teams that make raising money a breeze.
If you want to sell a product, check out Charleston Wrap (wrapping paper and home goods), Tupperware, Double Good (popcorn), Profitable Solutions (which sells laundry detergent, something everyone needs), and Poppin Popcorn.
While each website has its own profit percentage, some offer as much as 50% back to fundraisers!
If you’re more interested in raising funds without selling a tangible product, you can opt for a company like FlipGive or Raise Right.
When you create a team with FlipGive and shop through the portal, you get cashback on purchases you already make, like groceries. You’ll also get access to special bonuses, which can help you earn up to 25% back.
With Raise Right, you purchase a $100 gift card to do your regular shopping, and immediately get $14 towards your effort––no products required.
While paying for dance definitely takes dedication, fundraising can be as easy as you want it to be. And while you can put a price tag on a dance class, you definitely can’t on the smile it brings to your dancer’s face, which makes it all worth it.
Want to make sure each and every penny of your fundraising efforts go to your dancer? Be sure to account for your funds by using a dance budget. We recommend Demi Dance Design’s spreadsheet to help track your income and expenses so saving for the upcoming dance season is a breeze.
