Fundraising Tips and Legal Considerations for Minnesota Organizations
Supporting Non-Profits: Let's Do This Right
We’ve got a real soft spot for the non-profits working hard to make our communities better and give the next generation more opportunities. That’s why we want to help support your fundraising efforts.
But before we get too excited…
A few quick things before we dive in: Gun bingo and gun calendars are fun, but running a bingo or a raffle is technically gambling in Minnesota. So, if you’re planning on doing one of those, make sure you’ve got the proper gambling license in hand. We don’t regulate that stuff, but we’re happy to point you in the right direction if you need help.
Gun Bingo
— What You Need to Know
Lots of non-profits in our communities are getting into the gun bingo game as a fun way to raise money. Before you start selling tickets, here are some things you should consider.
How Much Money Can We Raise?
Ah, the fun part: the paperwork.
Thanks to a lovely little thing called the National Firearms Act (NFA), suppressors are regulated, but they’re legal in most states. You’ll need to jump through a few hoops, like filling out a Form 4 which is your application for the $200 tax stamp that is required to own a NFA item. The Form 4 requires you to get fingerprinted, submit a photo and demographic information and waiting for approval from the ATF.
How to Set Up a Successful Gun Bingo
There are a few things you’ll need to make sure to do in order to have a successful event. In order for the event to be a successful fundraiser, your job is to get lots of butts in the seats. To do that, you’ll at least want to think about these things:
Weekend vs. weekday, winter vs. summer – the right time can make or break your event
What's gun bingo going to cost?
Do we donate guns?
Unfortunately, we don’t have the financial ability, hello small business over here, to donate guns to the non-profits we serve through these events.
However, we are happy to donate our time in helping make the event a success by telling our friends and helping with promotion. We will also do our best to attend the event so we can run background checks for the winners at the event.
How many firearms should we give away?
More guns can keep the energy up but you need to balance the prizes with your budget. Depending on the venue and other fundraising activities, we typically recommend giving away 6-8 guns during your bingo on bingo games.That leaves room for other prizes like cash, diamonds, trips, purses or other random things. You can always do additional raffles for other firearms and different prizes as well.
What value does RVAA bring to the table?
We’re here to help make your event a success. Aside from being the only Federal Firearms Licensee in the area that attends events to facilitate firearm transfers, we’re here to support your event just as we’ve done for others in the past. While not every event requires all these services, here are a few ways we’ve supported events in the past.
— Gun Bingo Event Ideas
We’ve seen a lot of different ways to run gun bingo, from the basics to some pretty wild setups. If you need inspiration or advice, we’ve got plenty of examples to share.
Gun Raffle Fundraisers
— What You Need to Know
Raffles are a bit more tailored to your needs compared to gun bingos, offering the flexibility to scale from a smaller to a larger fundraiser.
What to keep in mind: Setting Up a Raffle
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How many tickets your volunteers can sell
You’ll move more tickets if there are great prizes and the ticket price is right. It’s all about finding that sweet spot—high-quality prizes that people actually want to win, paired with a ticket price that isn’t going to break the bank.
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Choosing good prizes
Go for items that are sure to grab attention and get people excited. Think of prizes that offer both fun and perceived value. You want to create a bit of a “wow” factor to entice ticket sales and make the whole thing more fun.
Gun Calendars
— What You Need to Know
Creating a gun calendar is no small feat. It’s a big project, but with the right team, you can make a decent chunk of cash off of it. You’ve got to put in the work to produce something worth buying.
Make the decision early
Most organizations looking to do a gun calendar are aiming to run it from January 1st to December 31st. Let’s work backwards here: that means your drawings need to be done before January 1st, which means your calendars need to be sold before the drawing. Give your team a solid couple-three months to sell those calendars to set yourselves up for success!
To make sure you’ve got your calendars ordered and to the printer by August, giving you them in hand and ready to sell by September. Because if you give a mouse a cookie, they’re not just going to want a glass of milk—they’re going to want to see those calendars in person to make the sale!
Designing Your Calendar & Choosing Your Prizes
This part can definitely seem a bit overwhelming for some folks, but it’s kind of our specialty. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’re here to help you every step of the way, whether you need just a little guidance or a lot.
At the end of the day, you want the calendar to include a good mix of firearms and prizes to get people excited about the items up for grabs. This will make it a lot easier to sell. There are plenty of options for setting this up, so you’ll need to be ready to make some decisions when we discuss it. We’ll help you explore the options and find the right fit for you.
Do you want to go with one gun a week and sell 1500 calendars at $50, or three guns a week and sell 1400 calendars at $100?
Consider Sponsors
Another excellent revenue source to kick off a gun calendar is sponsorship. If you can rally support for your organization and sell $500 sponsorships (or any amount) in exchange for recognition on the calendar, it goes a long way towards covering the cost of printing. Plus, it provides some great exposure for those businesses, organizations, and other donors involved. It’s a win-win situation.
We're here to help.
Ready to start your fundraiser?
Contact us to see how we can help support your fundraising efforts.