A chili cook-off is one of the easiest fundraising activities because participants do most of the work. The participants bring the chili to the event and a judging panel awards prizes. The hardest part involves finding a space and advertising the event. Without participants, your chili cook-off fundraiser is bound to fail.
Picking the Location
A location is key to your chili cook-off fundraising event because you must have enough space for participants. Your best bet is to look for a central location, or use the space available. For example, if you are raising money for a school, use the school parking lot or the school gym. Make sure that you have enough tables for each participants and the appropriate electrical hookups. As most participants will bring their dishes in a slow cooker, you need enough electric for each dish.
Advertising the Event
The best way to get a large number of participants is by advertising. Clearly explain on each flyer how you use the money for the organization. If you charge an entry fee, list the fee. You might raise additional money by charging a small rate to visit the event, or to sample bowls or get tastes from the different cooks. You can even charge a set rate, which gives guests two tickets to sample two bowls of chili. List the date and time of the cook-off on all fliers and describe the prizes.
The Prizes
When home cooks enter a cooking contest, they expect some type of prize afterwards. Decide on the prizes ahead of time, asking local businesses and individuals to donate prizes. Pick the type of prizes awarded, such as best chili with beans, best chicken chili, spiciest chili, and so on. You can further divide the main awards into different categories, awarding prizes for first, second, and third prize. The largest prize goes to the best overall chili from the cook-off, which your judging panel picks.
Judging Panel
Before the chili fundraiser, pick a trio of judges for the event. You can get more participants and raise more money by using a local celebrity as one of the judges. A local news reporter or athlete can bring more fans to the event. Ask some associated with the charity or organization to serve as the second judge and add a judge with restaurant or cooking experience, such as a restaurant owner. The judges taste each chili entry and pick the best based on taste, color, and other factors of their choosing.
Jennifer Eblin - Jennifer Eblin received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton before re-enrolling and finishing a B.A. in History. During ...
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