Raising $$ for local clubs

Lots of ways...

Peter Teubel

>Many of my fellow club members frequent here, so I'm giving up my secret (g). The way I have always looked at it is "How can we get money out of the member's pockets (willingly)?". That's where almost all the money comes from. Here's what's worked extremely well so far:

1) No paper newsletter. Most folks have e-mail/internet access so our newsletter is available ONLY online. Ok, I lied...there is about 3 folks how get a b&w printed copy because they don't have a computer. But the rule is if you have an e-mail address, you don't get a printed copy.

2) Buy bulk supplies and sell to club members for a profit. We buy 2" & 3" sanding disks, CA glue, accelerator, and anchorseal in (somewhat) large quantities. We charge $2 for 10 sanding discs. 2oz CA glue for $4, 2oz acellerator for $3, anchorseal for $7/gal....and make a profit on every item ($ not cents) These are better prices than one can get anywhere else (in small quantities). You only have to front the money once...its self sustaining after the first purchase. We go thru at least one 55 gal barrel of anchorseal per year. This year might be two.

3) Do more club selling events (fairs, shows, gallery opening, etc). We do 3 large ones each year (one is 11 days long...largest fair in the northeast). In exchange for demonstrating, we get free booth space (always more than 2 standard booth spaces). The club takes a 10% commission. Last year alone commissions were well over $1000.

4) Wood swap. One club I belong to has a VERY generous member how literally supplies HALF the club's funding thru his generous wood donations. But agin, that's just a way of getting money out of the member's pockets.

5) Rent out club equipment. We have two lathes (w/all accesories), a grinder w/Wolverine jig, tables, shelves, and a tent. Members can rent these anytime they are not reserved for a club event. Its a very minimal rate, but that equipment isn't making any money sitting in a storeroom somewhere.

All these income streams add up to FAR more than dues alone.

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

George Balock

>Carole,

Our club;'s biggest event of the year is about to happen in May. It is our club's annual wood auction. Everyone brings a piece of wood that is a little bit painful to part with and their checkbook. We raise a considerable amount of money with this. Our club president is a real packrat when it comes to finding wood, and he donates heavily (his box elder stash is considerable). We raise quite a bit of money with this.

George

Re: Lots of ways...

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Excellent ideas Peter. We also do the Anchorseal bulk purchase. I forgot about that one. What a great deal for everyone. I like the idea of renting equipment. I'm in need of a tent right now and am probably going to purchase one. That sure would come in handy.

Thanks for your response!

Jennifer

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

Donna Banfield

>Hi Jennifer

Peter and I belong to the same club that he was refering to.

Another way to increase the kitty coffers is for a member to donate a turning for a dollar auction. We just started this event with our last club meeting -- April. One of the members donated a piece that he brouhgt for show and tell. If anyone was interested in acquiring the piece, you threw a dollar bill in with your name on it. At the end of the night, one dollar was drawn, and whoever's name appeared on it won the turning.

Whoever won the turning must bring a turning in to the next meeting, which keeps it going.

If you really want the turning, you can throw in as many dollars as you wish to increase your chances, or if you don't particularly care about that piece, don't participate. I happened to win the very first turning, a goblet from a turner whose work I admire very much. I just hope that when I bring my turning in next month, there's at least one dollar in it!! ;-)

Another Great Idea!

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Donna thank you....this is a fantastic idea!

Thank you!

Jennifer

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

Bill Turpin in WNC mountains

>Our club has over 400 members. One of our meetings is our annual auction. We sell donated items and wood, but we also sell items for a commission if the owner doesn't donate. This sale brings in thousands of dollars. We try to get a signed, finished piece from the demonstrations. Quite often the pieces are those made during the demo, and finished later due to time constrants. These pieces are sold also at the auction. Some of these signed pieces bring enough $ to pay for a future demonstrator. Go to our website to check out the quality of our demos.

Bill in WNC mountains

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs  *LINK*

Bill Turpin in WNC mountains

>


CMW

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Bill, your web page is one that I love to visit to see all the goings on. You guys are having a lot of fun down there!

Jennifer

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

John Lucas

>Jen

We have a raffle each month for wood and items that members brings. This doesn't bring in a lot of money but everyone seems to enjoy it. We have a small club but we get about $20 to $50 a meeting.

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs *LINK*

Ken Grunke from SW WI

>With only about 50 members, our club would not be able to get Alan Lacer, David Ellsworth, Dick Sing, or Bob Rosand on membership dues alone. We have had probably 2 big names per year and charge from $35 to $50 per member for a two day demo by these turners.

And we usually have a wood raffle each month, which helps a little.


Coulee Region Woodturners

Opps...

Peter Teubel

>I forgot that one, Donna! Also, there is our extensive video/DVD/Book library that brings in rental fees.

Re: Lots of ways...

Duane C.Leach

>Jennifer and all others who gave idea. Some of these ideas I think I will put into action at our next meeting. Some we already do.

But and this is a bad but and I hope I don't offend any of our members by wrighting this.

It seems that alot of our members here are rather frugal with their money. At wood auctions we auction the wood in lots. Usualy 4 to 6 bowl blanks per lot. Two years ago these lots were of curly Maple. Beautifull grain figure. Price per lot was between $12. to $20.. As much as $25.for lots with blanks that would yeild 20" to 24" bowl. Other stright grain woods like Walnut,Bradford Pear,and Ambrosia Maple would bring less.

The other thing I would like to say is as a president of a local chapter It takes a lot of time and effort of mine to put on one of these guest demoers once or twice per year. If you want one big name demonstrater per month. Count me out. The club can't afford that much. Nor can I. UNLESS Jennifer you would like to step forward to take care of a lot of the problems.

I feel as long as we add several new members per year and loose only a few the club will be ok.

Thanks Jennifer

Happy turning or now it's happy clubing.

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

John Lucas

>Ken

We divide the cost of the turner among those who attend. We haven't had anyone who had to travel very far but have had a few great people. I don't think we've ever had to go over $30 on the price.

Re: Our club also has a large library, but

Al Crandall --NE of Indy--

>Our club also has a large library, but use of it has always been free to the members. I fear that charging for its use now would not be received well.

CMW is unusual club

Bill Turpin in WNC mountains

>CMW meets at the Folk Art Center (near Asheville, NC) on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We use the facilities free, because the meetings are free and open to the public. We have use of an elevated auditorium that seats several hundred. We own three large screen TVs so that everyone can see up-close detail of the demos. This club is the largest in the AAW and is only a little over five years old. The club was started by some visionaries who could afford to spend some money. There are several club patrons and supporters that total over $7000 this year. The club dues of $25/yr are very cheap compared to the value of a single one of our world class demonstrators.

We have an EXCELLENT library that rents books for $1 and videos for $2. Over fifty titles have been added this year. They claim to have 97% of all texts available in English.

Our past president, John Hill is on the board of directors for AAW. I believe that he is now spreading his vision to the national organization. I think that any woodturner traveling in the Eastern US could gain something from planning your trip around attending one of our meetings. We are also close to the Biltmore House, America's only true castle.

Bill in WNC mountains

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

Jim Pugh, Ohio

>Our club, the North Coast Woodturners, in the Cleveland, OH area (by the way, we are club #1) have a raffle of donated wood and any other items at each meeting. It was started to pay for the donuts that we furnish at each meeting but we make more than enough to put the balance in the treasury. We sell tickets for $2 each or 3 for $5. Most everyone goes for the 3fer deal. For some years now our Dec. meeting is an auction of member (and other) donated items. Our only requirement is that everything must work - no junk motors, etc. We typically make >$2k and that money mostly funds the pro turners we get in. We rarely charge for a pro turner program and then only charge the visitors a nominal fee of $20.

At todays meeting we auctioned off some unusual, fresh cut American Chestnut turning blocks that became available. Plus a number of demo pieces that had accumulated from guest turners.

On several occasions some member of the club was contacted to help dispose of wood from a deceased person and after discussion with members, we bought the whole lot and then turned around and sold it to members. Just a couple of ways to make some bucks.

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

GaryNelson

>Maybe pool with another club for a demo.Maybe set up a sale at a art show with an item donated by the memebers.A raffle brings in more for turnings than an auction does.If you have a meeting set for a whole day and invite the public in for your own sale and demonstrations.Then have a lunch,you can raise a few dollars there.The lunches are very easy to do.i have done many for about 50 people.with the demonstrations open to the public--you may get new members as well.

I have many friends in IWCS in Ind.Maybe pool with them for help as well.Gary

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

Marty Barron - St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

>Jennifer,

My local woodturning club has a bring back raffle. To start this raffle a member would have to bring in a small turned object and the object is placed up for raffle on tickets at $1 each. The winning ticket gets the turned prize and the winner must bring in a turned object for the next meetings bring back raffle. On some nights people may bring in some wood, a homemade tool or jig, etc. that would be drawn for using the same tickets. But only the winner of the bring back item is required to bring a turned item for the next month's draw. This may only generate for your club $65 - $130 per meeting but over time it does add up. My club purchased a used General 260, a Delta midi, some chucks, and accessories over the last few years. Combined with some of the other ideas a healthy bank account is sure to develop.

Hope this helps ...

Marty ...

Re: Raising $$ for local clubs

mike hamilton

>Hi Jennifer,

As treasurer of your club, let me say thanks for this thread. It's pretty cool to see how others fund their existence/passion/obsession. State of the treasury is good with details available at this Sunday's meeting. Hope to see you there.

Regards,

Mike Hamilton

Plainfield, IN