Free Download: Restaurant Fundraiser Planning Kit

Boosting student learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math—STEM—has long been a priority at many schools. More recently, educators and policymakers have stressed adding elements of art and design (a combined approach known as STEAM) to challenge students to think creatively to solve problems, as well as expanding STEM education opportunities at all grade levels.

What’s for dinner? A restaurant night event at a local dining spot gives parents an easy out for this question—plus it can build community and raise money for your group at the same time! Our restaurant fundraiser planning kit will help your parent group hold a low-stress event.

You can hold restaurant fundraisers once a year or once a month; either way, you’ll find the tools you need to plan and promote your event successfully, from soup to nuts. Download the guide today and let someone else do the cooking.

Inside the Restaurant Fundraiser Planning Kit:

Comprehensive planning timeline, from first steps at back-to-school time to post-event follow-up

Fully editable flyers (three versions) to distribute to your supporters

Sample promotional text for use in emails and on social media

Professionally designed poster to put up at school on the day of your event

Customizable reminder stickers for students to wear home

Thank-you letter template plus thank-you coloring page for students, to share with the restaurant manager after your event

How Do Restaurant Fundraisers

Work? A restaurant night is a joint effort between a school parent group and a restaurant. You agree on a date or a series of dates, and community members are invited to eat at that location during a set time period. The restaurant donates a percentage of the profits generated by the school’s supporters, usually between 10% and 20%, but it varies by restaurant.

School parent groups can—and often do!—plan multiple restaurant fundraisers each year, and these events are particularly helpful to fill out your overall fundraising revenue. The most successful PTOs and PTAs promote the restaurant nights ahead of time so that families can add them to their calendars and make sure to attend. And parent group leaders have found that getting creative with restaurant fundraising—using a theme, giving out small door prizes, etc.—helps make these events even more successful.

Picking the Right Restaurant

Many restaurants have fundraising programs. Before you decide on a spot for your restaurant fundraiser, consider your options and what makes each one unique. For example, at least one restaurant chain allows parents groups to use local celebrities as waiters, who then donate their tip money to the parent group.

Sometimes a local restaurant manager will be willing to negotiate a deal with your group. If the usual donation is a percentage from supporters who show a flyer, maybe the manager will be open to giving your gruop a percentage of all sales (no flyer needed). Make a plan in advance for how you’d ask for a better deal.

Think about what your group needs to do for a meal purchase to qualify. Does the diner simply need to mention your PTO by name, or show a flyer? Do takeout meals count? The fewer hoops your group (and your supporters) need to jump through, the more money you’ll be able to raise.