I posted on another thread about restricting potluck. I just wanted to mention that I have worked in food service and recruit other people who have as well to do a dinner. We cook it on location and closely supervise the food for safety.
If this is supposed to be a fundraiser, it seems to be better at spending the funds rather than raising them! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Unless you're serving crab and filet mignon and having it prepared by a known chef, that $95/ is just too high with little return, even for the area I live in (just outside NYC). Is this to be held at a catering hall or hotel, or is it something to be held on school grounds? I don't know where you're located, so it's hard to know what's available to you. I'd try catering halls/hotels, the local K of C or Elks maybe and see if you couldn't get them to discount or gratis the event as a donation, and you could offer to give them publicity. I'm assuming you could outvote the pres on her visions of grandeur and lack of frugality, but I don't envy your position!
I totally agree - we are in Illinois - we use our high school students to man our fun fair games and they get "volunteer" credit. Not sure I'd trust them to cook the meal - but why not the rest.
I was just thinking as I read nonsequitur's post that you could contact your local high school for more than just the waiters/waitresses.
Our state (Arizona) requires each student in high school to garner 40 hours of community service to graduate; 80 hours to get a 1/2 credit and 120 credits to get a full credit (or some similar numbers...lol...). You could get your DJ for nothing (contact the music department), your waiters/waitresses for nothing (contact the home ec department), the decorating could be done by the Jocks, Soshes, and Cheerleaders or by the prom committee as practice for their big event...
You might even be able to get the home ec department to cook the meal...lol...
Anyway, community service hours don't have to be picking up trash or visiting old folks in a home (although those who do are to be commended), they can be fun, valuable contributions to elementary schools, pto's, service clubs, etc.
Yeah, $95 a person is high. You could probably have a hotel cater it for less. That would include set up, wait staff, DJ and everything.
I'm always amazed at how much people can spend on making a dinner.
Alternately, I have seen amazing dinners done for less than $3 a person.
Expense #1 food - depending on if they are willing to cook you can do this for very little. I can do a Brazilian BBQ - Steak kebobs, bacon wrapped chicken, shrimp skewers with feijoada (meaty bean stew), rice, salad and purchased cheesecake for less than $5 a person. And that's a hearty, yet very nice meal. If you cater it inexpensively, that would be 2-3 times more.
Expense #2 location - the school is free or cheep. If you want something different, many universities have nice rooms for less money. Check with local churches for rooms as well. A banquet hall or hotel will be the most expensive.
Expense #3 decorations - this is fun so you should be able to find someone who can do it inexpensively for you.
Expense #4 DJ - this varies, call around. It is worth it to pay for this. A pro will have a variety of music and a plan for what to do when things get slow.
Expense #5 wait staff - mature teens can do this. Anyone can learn to serve a banguet.
Have they done it like this before? I agree, it seems extravagant to me, unless people are used to spending $200 a plate for a charity dinner. I don't think it's worth the work for less than double the cost.
Dinners are hard work. If the volunteers see that you're earning very little, you won't get them to volunteer again. Seriously.
Let me repeat - a formal dinner is a lot of work. The set up crew will often work 6-8 hours putting up decorations and setting tables - and that's AFTER lots of prep. I would mention the $200 ticket or suggest lowering the cost.
I would be nervous about loosing money on it.
Oh, I just reread your comment about this being her vision. Hmmm. You need to be very delicate when talking to her but ask her if she meant it to cost $95 a person and ask what part is her priority. Maybe you can compromise so she gets her "centerpiece" and you can lower the cost of other things.
I was wondering if anyone has a sample budget for an Annual Fundraising Dinner that they can share?
The problem I am having (as the Treasurer and a parent) is that the planned expenses for this event (a sit down 'formal' dinner with honorees, ad journal, slide shows etc) are now coming close to $19,000 !! As the plan currently stands we expect to make only a few thousand dollars.
I am particularly intested in big ticket items.... should we have waiter service (1k savings), should we have tents inside our gymnasium, etc etc. $19,000 for a dinner to around 200 people seems very high.... (our event chairperson who is also the PTO President disregards ideas and input and has articualted that this is her vision... but that is another issue....
