Our hope is that raising your match funds is not a burden, but another chance to build and expand on existing relationships and raise awareness for Kentucky Double Dollars and your farmers market. Also, a strong fundraising component ensures that you can raise money beyond your match to help extend the program for the rest of the season if you use up your KDD grant funds. Here are some ideas that other markets have utilized to help pay for Kentucky Double Dollars beyond simply pulling the funds from the existing market operating budget.
1.) HOLD A KDD-SPECIFIC FUNDRAISER.
From soup nights to merchandise sales, the sky is the limit on ways to raise money for KDD. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to advertise that the funds are going to support the Kentucky Double Dollars program.
2.) HOLD FACEBOOK FUNDRAISERS.
Many markets have successfully raised hundreds of dollars via Facebook fundraisers. Anyone can hold a Facebook fundraiser for the market, including vendors, board members, or even attendees. Find more info and specific directions at https://www.facebook.com/fundraisers/ As an example, one market’s board members voluntarily held Facebook fundraisers on their individual birthdays to raise market funds with great success.
3.) SEEK OUT LOCAL BUSINESSES.
Remember, Kentucky Double Dollars is a win/win/win for your community and that includes local businesses who want to support the program.
- Use the fundraising brochure template below that we’ve created to ask local businesses to support the KDD program. (Be sure to add your market information to the back!)
- Ideally, the first businesses you ask should be businesses that you personally frequent, which is why it might be a good idea to divvy up the fundraising requests amongst vendors or board members. Businesses are much more likely to respond favorably to a sponsorship or donation request when it comes via a face-to-face request from one of their regular customers.
- If you do decide to divide and conquer, be sure that multiple market representatives aren’t asking the same business.
- Keep costs risks to the market low by avoiding offering items that cost money in exchange for sponsorships (i.e. market t-shirts, etc.)
- Emphasize the benefits to the community and the advertising potential for the business. Potential no cost incentives include social media mentions, newsletter highlights, temporary booth space, and/or logo signage at the market.
4.) HAVE A SOLID PLAN.
Use the worksheets below to make your fundraising plan. Revisit what funding sources were used in 2021 if you were already participating in KDD, then create a game plan for 2022.