Fundraising for your studio—whether it’s to support your competition team dancers, fund a much-needed renovation or offer a scholarship to a family-in-need—can feel like pulling teeth. You’ve done the bake sales, the car washes, the candy bars. Why not try something new?
Here’s an idea from Tara Gardner of Dance Workshop (Performing Arts & Zumba Studio) in Greencastle, Indiana. When she was looking for ways to raise funds for her competition team, a parent, who is a professional photographer, offered to take photos of kids at their own private glitter party. Parents paid a flat fee for a 10-minute session and received five digital, edited photos of their children blowing, tossing or raining down glitter.
Gardner put herself in charge of promoting the event (she created a Facebook event page and opened it up to the public) and made assignments to volunteer parents, like scheduling each shoot, collecting payment, assisting the photographer, cleaning up the glitter and working shifts throughout the one-day event.
Costs and materials Glitter; studio space for the shoot; Gardner also provided lunch for the photographer.
Fees $45 for 10-minute sessions
Net proceeds $1,422 in six hours/$158 for each competition team dancer
Word to the wise Gardner opened up the photography sessions to nonstudio kids in her town to reach a bigger pool of customers. “We had them done in time for Valentine’s Day,” she says. “They make great gifts.”
