In these days of year-round fundraising, asking for money has gone from tough to tough. Moreover, while everyone knows that good food and drink are vital to hosting a successful fundraising event, the impact of conversation-worthy entertainment is often overlooked.
What are some Unique Fundraiser Ideas?
In short, booking a unique act for your fundraiser can help you break out of the fundraising pack. Guests who are having a good time are guests who are more likely to feel generous, so booking an act that’s a conversation starter is an excellent way to get potential donors happily chatting and ready for your pitch.
The acts below aren’t your typical string quartets or three-piece bands. There are no interchangeable crooners or dime-a-dozen pianists. Rather, every entertainer listed below brings something new and special to the table. Use a unique fundraiser to surprise and delight your donors while raking in the cash.
Sand artist Joe Castillo is one of the best sand artists in the business, even if it is a business you did not know existed. Born in Mexico City in a bilingual home, Castillo is an artist, speaker, and storyteller who uses sand and a light table to craft indelible images in real time. His act, “SandStory,” is tough to describe and even harder to forget. Castillo, who was a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” has performed for Kings, Presidents, and Fortune 500 leaders, and once audience members see him in action, they understand why.
Ventriloquism is a unique skill, and Taylor Mason is one of the country’s premier practitioners of the art. From the time, he won “Star Search,” the predecessor to today’s talent shows, Mason has been making people laugh by combining comedy, puppets and music in one of the best variety acts today, but that is bound to delight. If you think shared laughter and excitement would give your fundraiser that needed a boost, Mason and his puppets, Ramon, Paco, Romeo, and Juliet, may be the ones for you.
Dubbed “a mesmerizing physical comedian” by the Chicago Sun-Times, Bob Stromberg bills himself as “comedy with character.” His acts blend comedy with storytelling and (yes!) hand shadows for a show that’s long on laughter and short on mean-spiritedness. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Stromberg takes seriously his mission on Earth: to spread joy and share his insight into what it means to be human.”
Artist Heidi Schwartz brings heart and life to group gatherings by doing what she terms “Paint Your Event.” Standing in front of a bare white canvas in the midst of the hustle and bustle of an event, Schwartz brings her artistic skills to bear live, in real time, to capture every detail of what’s happening around her. By bringing the present moment vividly to life as it is happening, Schwartz can help to stoke an atmosphere of electric anticipation.
Jarrett & Raja are sometimes known as “masters of illusion.” Their double act was born when skilled magician Jarrett invited his friend, Juilliard graduate Raja, to combine Raja’s piano magic with Jarrett’s stage magic to create, well, more magic! As a double act, Jarrett & Raja offer a show that delights both the eyes and ears, straining credulity and reawakening wonder. Jarrett & Raja have performed across the United States as well as internationally in the United Kingdom, China, and Singapore.
The high-octane duo DJ Drums kicks your events into high gear with an act that’s riotous, primal and irresistible. Neither a live band nor a DJ, DJ Drums combines the best elements of both by marrying live drum tracks with carefully selected recorded music. The duo offers a broad range of songs customizable by event and customer. Some of their drummings are even interactive, getting the audience in on the act. In addition to performing in top-quality restaurants around the globe, DJ Drums has been a featured act on Disney Cruise Lines.
If you’ve done the usual fundraising events and the usual didn’t work, try a jolt of the unexpected. Unique fundraiser ideas can help you create buzz, start a conversation and delight your guests. Instead of booking the same old tired acts, try thinking outside of the box with acts that defy categorization while entertaining a crowd.
Unique fundraiser ideas can also give potential donors the confidence that you are not afraid to break the mold and take well-calculated risks.
Our modern world is full of worthy causes and outstretched hands, and it can be tough for a potential giver to know where to offer her help. Even the noblest cause will not get a hearing if the fundraising event does not make a splash. So if you are ready, try something different. Unique fundraiser ideas can help you cut through the noise and deliver your message directly to donor’s hearts.
