Why tickets alone are a trap
If ticket revenue has to cover the venue, catering, the DJ, decorations, printing, and the slideshow, your price climbs fast, and a high ticket is the number-one reason people skip a reunion. The smarter model treats tickets as covering the core cost per head (venue and food), and funds everything else through side revenue that classmates actually enjoy paying into.
Done well, fundraising does double duty: it lowers the ticket price and builds excitement in the months before the event.
Five streams that actually work
A 50/50 or prize raffle
Sell tickets on the night; half the pot goes to a winner, half to the reunion fund. Or raffle donated prizes, a restaurant gift card, a hotel night, a signed jersey. Low effort, reliable cash.
Class merch presale
T-shirts, hoodies, koozies, or a magnet with the class year and mascot. Presell so you only print what is paid for, and set the price to include a few dollars of margin.
Local business sponsorships
Classmates who own businesses, and companies that market to your age bracket, will trade a modest sponsorship for a logo on the slideshow, signage, or the memory book. A handful of $150 to $500 sponsors covers a lot.
A memory book presale
A printed keepsake with photos, then-and-now bios, and the in-memoriam page. People happily prepay $20 to $30, and it doubles as a reason to collect updated info.
A simple donation ask
Add an optional "chip in" line to the RSVP for anyone who wants to help, and earmark it for a scholarship or memorial fund so it feels good to give.
Keep it clean and low-risk
- Track every dollar against a name. Cash raffles and merch get messy fast; log who paid for what so the books balance.
- Use early revenue for the deposit, so committee members never front venue money out of pocket.
- Set clear sponsor tiers in writing, what each level gets, so there is no confusion when the logos go on the slideshow.
- Give leftover funds away. If you clear a surplus, a class scholarship at the old high school turns extra money into goodwill and a reason to reunite again.
Frequently asked questions
How can I raise money for a class reunion?
How do I keep reunion ticket prices low?
What sells well at a reunion fundraiser?
Sell tickets, merch, and raffle spots in one place
Class Reunly collects ticket payments, merch presales, and donations on a single page, so every dollar is tracked against a name automatically.
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