When was the last time you got excited about fundraising? If you’re like most performers, the answer is probably along the lines of never. That’s because most fundraisers out there are stuck in the past and don’t reflect the creativity, spirit, and innovation of the performing arts. The way we see it, your fundraiser should be as exciting as your band or team. It should be a dynamic way to showcase your skills while simultaneously having fun. That’s why WGI is excited to present WiddyUP, an awesome new fundraiser, perfect for all color guard, percussion, and winds groups everywhere, that returns 95% of everything your group raises.
WiddyUP is a fundraising platform that puts the performers in the spotlight when raising money for their group. The process is simple and incredibly effective. Once a Coach or Director signs the group up, each performer registers and creates a unique video featuring a talent or skill and then shares that video with friends and family asking for a donation. Those donors will get access to the video as a reward for their support. Most videos showcase a recent performance, a solo skill, or behind the scenes footage of practice, which is far more interesting for a potential donor than a standard product sale. That is why the average donation on our platform is $52.
One of the added benefits of running a fundraiser that uses performance videos is that groups are not only raising money but marketing themselves at the same time. One Band Director that broke her previous fundraising record said that for her band “the message and the marketing provided through this platform is second to none.” She would go on to say that raising money is, of course, super important but being able to market her band without paying a dime is an even bigger benefit.
Besides the marketing potential, WiddyUP can help improve the skills of your performers. A Band Director that raised over $80,000 recently said that WiddyUP “made our students better in the classroom” because it encouraged his band members to practice their performances that much more in the run-up to their end of year concert. All in all, WiddyUP offers groups a win-win-win: individual performers improve their skills, groups can market themselves for free, and they can raise a ton of money. It’s so much easier for the Directors to run their fundraisers because they don’t have to mess with products, sell or collect cash, or any of the other vestiges of old-school fundraisers.
Despite being a new fundraiser on the scene, WiddyUP is rapidly making a name for itself within performing arts groups. The Foster HS Band in Richmond, Texas raised over $50,000 in their first campaign and immediately signed up for another. The Allen Eagle Band and Color Guard in Dallas brought in $39,413 by sharing videos of flag and rifle solos and showcasing their fight song. Even bands in small towns who struggle to regularly raise funds are seeing record breaking profits. One band set out a goal of raising $4,000 and ended up raising over $20,000, prompting their Director to say “this is bananas!”
Trying out a new fundraiser can be daunting, and it always seems easier to stick with what you know and have done in the past, but WiddyUP is encouraging performers to try something new by showcasing what you know – your awesome talents and skills. And in case the idea of record-breaking profits and a 95% return on everything you raise isn’t enough, WiddyUP is offering every group that schedules a fundraiser to run before September 15th a chance to win 4 tickets to see Beyoncé on the Renaissance Tour in Houston on September 23rd. So head over to WiddyUP.com/welcome to learn more and see why WGI is so excited to be partnering with this awesome new fundraiser that is tailor made for the marching arts.
