Ways to Organize a BINGO Fundraiser

Are you looking for an easy and fun way to raise funds for your school? A bingo fundraiser is a great option! Here we’ll explain the ways to organize a BINGO fundraiser and tips for a successful event.

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Choose a Venue

Select a venue for your bingo fundraiser. Choose a space that is large enough to accommodate your players and ensure there is plenty of seating.

The best location option for a school PTO fundraiser is the school gym or cafeteria. Other options may be a local club (i.e. Lions Club, American Legion, etc.), a church function hall, or in warmer clients a park. Some venues may waive the rental fee for your nonprofit organization.

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Set Up the Game

Once you have a venue, set up the game. You’ll need to purchase a few supplies, which you can find on Amazon at:

• Bingo cards
• Bingo Cage with call-out numbers
• Markers or Daubers for each player
• Printed rules
• Prizes

The call-out numbers are balls with letters (B-I-N-G or O) and numbers (1-99) written on them. For example a ball may have B-9, I-88, N-62, etc.

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BINGO Instructions

Place all of the call-out numbers in a the cage and mix them up. The caller randomly selects a ball. Players mark the square when they hear a number that appears on their card. Players shout “BINGO!” when they cover a full line (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) of 5 numbers across.

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Vary the Games

To keep the evening interesting, vary the games. Instead of just a straight line, play T Bingo, X Bingo, U Bingo, Squares Bingo, or Full-Card Bingo as show in the images below:

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Ways to Make Money

There are few ways you’ll make money running a BINGO fundraisers.

1. Charge an entrance fee to play for the night (i.e. $20, $25, $30, $35); or
2. Sell individual BINGO cards at the door for $2.00 or $3.00 per card. People typically buy multiple cards so encourage them to purchase at least 10 cards by promoting that for every 10 cards they purchase, they will get 2 free.
3. At one point during the event, sell a $5.00 card to a BINGO game where the prize is 50% of the money raised from that $5.00 card game. Be sure this set of cards is printed on a unique, identifiable color.
4. Collect donations. Set out a donation jar.
5. Set up a Snack Bar/Bake Sale table with baked goods, bottled water, and coffee for purchase.
6. Set up a Merchandise table to sell school t-shirts, hoodies, stickers, mugs, or any other school spirit items.
7. Host a Silent Auction or Raffle Table

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Offer Prizes

Each BINGO game winner gets to choose a prize so you’ll need to have plenty of them available. Each game may take about 10 minutes to play. If you play 20 games you’ll need at least 20 prizes.

The prizes can range from single items (gift cards, lottery tickets, shovel, iron, kids toys, Alex dot speaker, decorative bowls, etc.) to gift baskets.

View gift basket ideas HERE.

To keep the players on their toes and to keep the even lively, you may want to have a few random games. For instance, call out one number (i.e. B12, or G-24, etc) and offer a small prize to anyone in the room that has that number. Maybe the winners get to choose a prize from “white elephant” table (i.e a table filled with small miscellaneous prizes). Make it fun!

It’s best if you can get all prizes donated.

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Promote the Event

Go all out promoting the event! Promote it in several places and promote it constantly for 2-3 weeks prior to fundraiser.

Create a website or social media page to get the word out. You can also create flyers and posters to post in the local area.

You can get a complete list of 15+ places to advertise this fundraiser in the Master Plan for Fundraising Success ebook. Get it FREE here…

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Running a bingo fundraiser is a great way to raise money for a good cause. With a bit of planning and promotion, you can make your bingo fundraiser a success. Enjoy the game!