How to Host a Movie Screening Fundraiser for Schools

There’s no better way to unite your school community while raising funds than an event. However, your fundraising team may struggle to develop unique event ideas that parents, students, and teachers will love.

Look no further than a movie screening fundraiser! School community members of all ages will enjoy watching a movie together to benefit your cause. This guide will walk you through the process of hosting a movie screening fundraiser step by step so you can easily execute your own.

1. Determine the logistics.

Straighten out your event’s logistics first before diving into the fundraising process. That way, you can lay a strong foundation and understand exactly what your event will look like. This process will include:

• Selecting a date and time. You’ll likely want to host your movie screening fundraiser at night or on a weekend to maximize attendance. Make sure the date doesn’t conflict with any major holidays or other community events, and finalize it far enough in advance that school families will be available.
• Finding a venue. Many schools use their auditoriums or gyms for large events because they’re large, low-cost spaces. If you’re hosting your movie screening fundraiser outside, you can use a projector and sheet.
• Choosing a movie. Have students vote on the movie they’d like to watch. Select a few family-friendly options to choose from, and spread awareness of the winner to stir up excitement.

Your staff is likely busy with daily tasks and may not have time to manage event logistics independently. ABC Fundraising’s school fundraiser guide recommends forming a parent event committee to streamline this process and gather parent input on your efforts.

2. Establish a fundraising goal.

Next, develop a fundraising goal to focus your efforts and let your community know what their funds will go toward. Using the SMART goal framework ensures your goals are actionable and trackable so you can easily measure progress and evaluate your success. Here’s an example of what the SMART goal framework looks like in action:

• Specific: Clarify exactly what you’re raising money for and how you will do so. For example, you may run a movie screening fundraiser to start a tennis club, purchase new art supplies, or expand your school building.
• Measurable: Link your goal to a specific dollar amount to hold your team accountable and motivate people to contribute.
• Achievable: Your fundraising goal should be reasonable based on past fundraising results. For instance, if you raised $2,000 during your last fundraising event, you may strive to raise $2,500 to challenge your team while staying realistic.
• Relevant: Ensure your fundraising goal is relevant to your overarching mission. As long as you’re raising money to make your school a better place, your goal will fulfill this category.
• Time-Bound: Assign a timeline to your goal. Since you’re hosting an event, the date of the movie screening fundraiser will likely mark the end of your campaign.

Altogether, your SMART goal may look like this: “Our school will run a movie screening fundraiser to raise money for our new tennis club that will encourage our students to become more active. We aim to raise $2,500 in the two months leading up to the event.”

3. Recruit volunteers.

Call upon parents and community members to power your event. Better Impact’s volunteer management guide recommends doing the following to streamline the recruitment process:

• Write clear role descriptions. List the responsibilities involved in different roles. For example, you may have a ticket sales and check-in role responsible for verifying online ticket purchases and selling in-person tickets, a concessions role responsible for selling snacks and drinks, and a clean-up crew role responsible for ensuring the space is spotless at the end of the event.
• Create online application forms. Simplify volunteer sign-up with streamlined digital forms that collect contact information, relevant skills, and availability. Ensure this information flows easily into your constituent relationship management platform (CRM) for easier management.
• Promote opportunities across multiple channels. Spread the word about your volunteer openings via your website, social media, email, and volunteer matching platforms. Attach your team’s contact information so interested community members can reach out with any questions.

Once you’ve recruited volunteers, host an orientation session that clarifies how the event will work, what volunteers will be responsible for, and how long they’re expected to be at the fundraiser.

4. Promote the event.

The more you publicize your event, the more tickets you’ll sell. Get your school community involved by promoting your event on various channels, including:

• School website. Add the movie screening fundraiser to your school calendar, and create an announcement on the site that lets parents know about the event. Consider developing a fundraising event page to feature information about past and upcoming events.
• Newsletter. If your newsletter features an important dates section, include your movie screening fundraiser so families can mark their calendars. As the event gets closer, give updates, such as how much money you’ve raised and how many days are left until event day, to excite your school community.
• Social media. Develop graphics that students and parents can share across social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Emphasize what information they should include in their captions, such as the event’s date and time, ticket sales link, and what money will go toward. Make it even easier by including a caption template.
• Flyers. While digital marketing strategies have a wider reach, flyers are still reliable for promoting fundraising events within your community. Use a graphic design platform to brand the flyers to your school and post them in high-traffic areas like your local library or cafe. 

Event marketing is a great way to involve students in your fundraiser planning. Have younger students write letters to their families inviting them to the event, and work with older students to create and post social media graphics.

5. Develop additional revenue streams.

Maximize funds by generating additional revenue streams for your event. During your movie screening fundraiser, you may do the following to reach and exceed your fundraising goal:

• Sell concessions. What screams a movie screening more than candy and popcorn? Sell snacks and drinks like a real movie theater to create a more immersive experience and generate more revenue simultaneously.
• Incorporate a discount card fundraiser. Running a discount card fundraiser involves working with a product fundraising company to develop physical cards that feature discounts for local businesses. Then, you can sell these cards at your event to support your community and school.
• Host a silent auction. Gather auction items and set them up outside the movie venue for parents to bid on. To stay on theme, consider throwing in some movie-related items like a streaming service subscription, movie theatre rewards program membership, and a concessions basket.

In addition to these fundraising ideas, you may also collect general donations during ticket sales and the event to further maximize funds. Use a fundraising thermometer to let families know how close you are to your fundraising goal and urge them to contribute just a bit more to push you over the finish line.

Finally, at the end of your movie screening fundraiser, thank attendees for coming and inform them of their impact. Evaluate your event’s success by tracking the revenue you raised through different sources and turnout. It’s a good idea at the end of your fundraiser to survey attendees to gather their feedback. This learning loop will then help you improve your next community event.

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Whether it’s selling tickets, or hosting a silent auction or raffle, Givergy has helped thousands of nonprofits worldwide raise more at their events and online. To contact one of our experts to talk about your fundraising plans today, click here!