Model railroad club fund raisers

[Anonymous]

Our National Railway Historical Society chapter, located in northwest North Carolina, is building a large HO layout which will be placed in our permanent home, which we hope to occupy late next year. We plan to begin building the layout in another location. We are interested in raising funds for the construction and equipment costs. Dinners and "sales" are basically out. We're looking at other means, such as securing corporate and private sponsorships from the community. Anyone out there have any ideas?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Anonymous]

Think about two things:
A) Where to get the money. Local banks are a start. They will usually drop $250.00 easily, and you might get more. Also, think how you can tie-in local business to your layout. Try getting a local hardware store to donate, or even supply the lumber for the layout for free (may have to use "seconds" or scraps, but it can be done. (Also look for a local business that sells plastic PVC pipe. The pipe arrives banded together with 2x4 and steel strap. They usually throw this away, and you can get a lot of short length 2x4 for free anyway.) Maybe the local utility will donate your monthly power bill up to a certain amount. Keep thinking in this line, try to tie-in local businesses in with different aspects of your layout.

B) "What's in it for me?" When you go to ask for sponsorships / donations, always have a ready answer to that question. It's best if you answer that question up-front before they have to ask. Tell them how thier business will benefit from association themselves with you. For example, you might set a goal of having open houses, 4-times per year, and you will provide big signs proclaiming their sponsorship. Perhaps you may firt decide to build a small portable layout, that you can bring to their business on occasions to increase their traffic. Certanly at every show you do, you advertise in newspaper and radio ads your show/their sponsorship. Maybe go the extra mile by taking a old/scrap/cheap railcar, and mount it on a scrap piece of track on a wall plack, that will lay down on it's back on their desk, and act as a business card holder, with a plate praising their sponsorship efforts. But the bottom line is: before you go ask for donations, write out in presentation form what the benefits are to sponsoring you, then ask for the money. (most prople fail in this, because they first ask for the money, and never get to the benefits). When our club does our local show, we have all our expenses paid with donations before we ever open the doors.

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Many thanks. You gave me some very good leads which I think we can use here, and I am most appreciative.
Would you be willi ng to discuss some other ideas outside this forum? If so, I'll post my email address...or, check our our chapter website at
www.yadkinvalleynrhs.com

and post feedback to the president!

Thanks again.

And if anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear from you as well.