Why an outdoor cinema should be your next fundraiser

If you haven’t considered it before, let us change your mind

It appeals to everyone

We’ve all received invites to events that will clearly benefit the community, but somewhere deep down in our black, cynical hearts, we don’t want to go. A fun run is an oxymoron. A school BBQ is essentially an invitation to make awkward small talk with strangers for hours while desperately praying your child isn’t consuming a fatal amount of white bread and tomato sauce.
Movie nights, in contrast, are remarkably easy, and don’t arouse a hatred for all humanity. You might even – shockingly – enjoy yourself.
Old, young, families – a movie night is easy and non-exclusive. The right movie selection can have the whole community turning out for a night under the stars. To really make it welcoming, have a kids section or hire a few babysitters to handle any kids so parents can truly relax.

Everything is taken care of for you

Go to the right people (we recommend these guys) and set up becomes a snap. The screen and sound is all taken care of by the company, and all you have to do is organise some food and music and send out a flyer or two.
Even for the duration of the movie, there’s a good two hours for you to just relax. What other idea can boast that the organiser doesn’t need to do anything for the majority of the event? Your movie company should keep an eye on the equipment, and the teachers and parents will keep an eye on the kids.

Great return for your money

Consider your average cinema. A good movie will have you paying up $25 per ticket. Not so for your movie night – charge $5 a head or $20 for a family. If your school has about 400 kids, you can expect about 200 people to show up. That’s $1000 straight up, which you can easily double or triple by adding VIP sections and having a snack bar readily available with popcorn, chips, pies, drinks, etc.
Boost your cash flow by partnering with some sponsors. An ad or two played prior to the movie can substantially add to your total.
Hot tip: Do some research into movie licenses first to make sure it won’t eat into your budget too much. This is an often overlooked part of movie nights.
Happy watching!