Fundraising with cafeteria Nights

Many restaurants offer nonprofit groups a popular way to fundraise with "Restaurant Night" fundraisers.

Here's how it works: The bistro gives your group a division of the sales on a designated night for all the customers that your organization brings to their business. Most of the time the bistro will limit your ready nights to a week night- ordinarily one their slow nights.

A bistro night fundraiser requires virtually no planning and very little speculation from your group. If the bistro requires a flyer or coupon to be presented for your group to receive credit, it will often print those up themselves.

Why does a bistro participate and even encourage this type of fundraiser?

It makes the bistro look good. Giving back to the community enhances their corporate image. It fills the bistro on a slow night. It introduces citizen to the bistro that might not visit otherwise.
What kinds of restaurants hold restaurants night fundraisers? practically every kind:

McDonalds

Burger King

Subway

Kfc

Jack-in-the-Box

Sonic

Carl Jr's

Wendy's

Pizza Hut

CiCi's Pizza

Chick-fil-A

Friendly's

La salsa Fresh Mexican Grill

Applebees

Chili's

Boston Market

Be aware that although many chain and franchise restaurants are ready for fundraising, the decision to do so is up to the individual bistro operator. And terms of the fundraiser will vary from bistro to restaurant, even within the same chain and city sometimes.

Many locally owned restaurants are also eager to host your bistro night fundraiser too. Don't forget to add them to your possible list of restaurants to call on. They often will offer you a good deal than the chains and franchisees.

Any bistro that you, or a member of your nonprofit group, have a personal association to via the owner, operator, manager, or employee also may offer you a good deal.

How to hold a successful bistro night fundraiser

The hidden to having a successful bistro night fundraiser rests with you. You must advertise the event to your members and make sure they show up. Ensure a large turnout by asking your members to encourage house and friends to attend the bistro night too.

Many restaurants will allow your members to work behind the counter while your bistro night. This can be especially sufficient for schools when the familiar faces of teachers, staff, and administrators are encouraging your members to spend more by upgrading to a special meal or add a desert to their order.

Sometimes the bistro will allow you to set up an area to wise up the collective of your cause and solicit donations via a donation box by the cash register. A popular formula is to ask customers to donate the convert they receive back from their meal purchase to your cause.

What to look for when soliciting restaurants for a bistro night fundraiser.

There are many variables to consider when choosing a bistro to host your fundraiser:

What division will our group receive? Local restaurants tend do donate higher percentages while chains and franchises trend toward the low side. ordinarily the range is between 10 and 25%. What day or days are available? Some local restaurants will agree to a week long promotion, but ordinarily it is little to one day or night. What hours are available? Obviously the more hours ready the more possible for income. Is it little to just my group? Or will we receive a division from everyone who dines while our time period? If take out or drive straight through is ready will we receive earnings from these sales? Can our members work behind the counter or as "celebrity servers"? Can we set up an informational display and solicit funds while our bistro night?

A bistro night is a very popular fundraiser for small groups like school Pto/Ptas, scout groups, sports teams, and other groups with a good size member base but few volunteers. While the possible for large profits from this fundraiser aren't very likely it can supply a steady source of earnings for your group with very little effort. And this discretionary spending by members of your group won't sway the regular fundraising dollars they give.

Just think of how many times your house eats out each month. If you could hold a bistro night fundraiser once a month while the school year the money could add up. Make sure to rotate your restaurants for the best results.