All vocal groups with goals face the same big hurdle: How do we pay for all of this? Whether it's a new album, a tour, or a competition, some of the things that make this hobby special and worthwhile cost money—oftentimes, a lot of it.

With the rise of sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, many groups have found success in crowdfunding. However, the popularity of these sites has also led to oversaturation and new campaigns are now often reduced to little more than noise in a busy social media feed.

So how do you rise above the noise and find the money you need?

Put Your Skills To Work

Host A Mini-Camp Or Workshop

What you need: A classroom space

Reach out to your local community and offer lessons on the cool parts of singing and a cappella. A skills clinic such as a 30-minute beatboxing class or an hour/half-day of learning a simple four-part song is something that people would love to do. Aim it at children and you’ll be the darlings of parents who are always willing to spend decent money to entertain and educate their children. The going rate for childcare and children’s activities can be anywhere from $10-$40 an hour, per child.

Even better? End the day with a concert and let the students be involved. Charge admission—new fans and more money in the bank!

Commissions For A Cause

What you need: Someone who can arrange quick and easy pieces for your group

When you are surrounded by great singers all day, you forget that people pay good money to have music sung well for them! Offer custom birthday greetings, singing Valentines, singing telegrams, or other fun musical surprises. You can do these in person, over video chat, or even offer to record voicemails. You can even fulfill these requests without all of the members of your group! Quick, easy, and you make someone’s day while putting more money in your account!

Karaoke Night

What you need: A small sound system, a monitor with lyrics, karaoke tracks, or karaoke machine

Host a fun evening of singing, either at a local bar or restaurant or in an activity room. Sell tickets, food, and drinks and show your guests a great time. Put on a mini-concert to fill in any gaps in sign-ups and boost your donations.

Engage Local Businesses

Host A Restaurant Night

Big national chains like Chipotle or California Pizza Kitchen are known for hosting fundraiser nights for local organizations, but a lot of mom-and-pop shops are willing to help, too. Call around or visit restaurants in your area to get something set up and take in 5-20 percent of sales.

Tip: they’ll be more likely to host it on a traditionally slow night like a Monday or Tuesday.

Entertain

Talk to local shop owners and see if you can sing either inside the store or on the sidewalk in front of the store in exchange for a portion of sales. Chain restaurant Potbelly even hosts open mic shows that pay a small stipend and allows for tips. If the restaurant or store isn’t willing to do a portion of sales, you can also put out a hat. 

Find A Corporate Sponsor

Businesses are always looking for new and creative ways to market to their target audience. They also have budgets set aside for community outreach and donations. Set up meetings with businesses in your area and see what you have to offer each other. Things like displaying an ad in a concert program, having a banner or table at your show, or putting a link on your website are all things they might be willing to spend money to attain. Go to your meetings prepared—know exactly what you are willing and able to offer and arm yourself with data on who and how many potential customers you can reach.

Get Creative And Fun

People love spending money for something that entertains them or makes them laugh. Host simple events where your potential donors get both. Examples of easy, creative ways to open up the pockets:

Raffle Or Silent Auction

What you need: Donations of services and goods

You likely have a lot of great potential donors in your own group or inner circle. Encourage people and local businesses to donate services, handmade items, or other goodies that you can sell raffle tickets for or include in a silent auction. Add a 50/50 for good measure. Be sure to check in on your local gambling laws first!

Pie-Throwing

What you need: A case of whipped cream and a pack of paper plates

Have some fun personalities and a good sense of humor? Friends and family would love to have some good-natured fun. Even better if you have a well-loved sponsor willing to get a little messy in the name of the cause.

Beard Challenge

What you need: Members who are able to grow facial hair

You’ve heard of Movember, right? Set up a donation bracket—$1/day or $5/week or even special donation amounts—for pictures at the end of the challenge.

Gift-Wrapping Services

What you need: Members (or friends) who can nicely wrap a gift, wrapping paper, ribbon, and tape

For people who aren’t skilled at wrapping gifts, the holidays are terribly stressful and even embarrassing—two pain points that lead anyone to spend a little extra money. Bring your cheery, crafty selves to a local shopping center, the student union, or any other place where you can catch harried shoppers and be their knights in shiny wrapping.

And finally, if you still need to use a crowdfunding site...

Do It Wisely

Make sure you put together an organized site—a nice video clip, a well-thought-out and executed explanation of where the funds will go and incentives that match the price point. Look at all of your options, before defaulting to Kickstarter or GoFundMe. Not all crowdsourcing sites are the same. Check the services fees and any restrictions on collecting your donations. And don’t forget to ask nicely and thank your donors!

Our best advice? Plan early! Think about your goals early in the year and start raising the money before you need it. Fundraising should be an ongoing effort. Last-minute panic is just stressful and often detracts from focusing on your actual goal. If you know you want to put out an album next year, now is the best time to raise money, not when your songs are being mixed. Headed to competition? Plan to make it all the way to finals from the start and don’t let a surprise win send the group into a financial tailspin. If you don’t make it, there are plenty of other fun ways to spend the extra money.