How to host a Bunco bash fundraiser for your nonprofit or cause

Raise money in one unforgettable evening with friends and neighbors

Nonprofits looking for easy-to-host fundraising ideas should consider a Bunco tournament. Call it your Bunco Bash, and use these tips to make it an unforgettable evening.

If you:

• Sell tickets to register for the Bunco Bash at $20-$50 each (more if you're covering the cost of food and other expenses),
• Offer up raffles, prizes, and other unique and exclusive items,
• Promise a large crowd in a comfortable space,
• Held on a night or Saturday,
• And encourage a seasoned Bunco player to pair with new players,

Everyone will have a great time for a great cause. Similar events have raised thousands for their causes.

Preparation and supplies you will need

At a minimum, you will need:

• One set of 3 dice for every four players.
• Tables and chairs that seat four or groups of 4 at a time (such as a table of 8).
• Pen and paper for scorekeeping at each table.
• A space or venue to host the event attendees. Make sure it’s accessible.

That's it! But feel free to include kids or volunteers to help decorate with balloons, tablecloths, signs, and other themed decorations and lights.

Bunco’s basic game rules

Bunco is a social dice game. It encourages people to move around the room between various tables of four in teams of two against one other team of two. The rules for this simple dice game are covered extensively on our free-to-play Bunco page, but the gist is:

• Teams of two take turns rolling three dice to roll three-of-a-kind that match the round number they're playing.
• There are six rounds, so in round one, everyone seeks to roll a 1•1•1. This is a Bunco and is worth 21 points.
• If someone rolls three of a kind that does not match the round, like 3•3•3 on round 1, this is a Mini-Bunco worth 5 points.

The winners of each game move up to a "head table" and play against other winners, with additional perks in who starts and stops the game.

Marketing to consider for your Bunco fundraiser

To make your Bunco Bash a success, keep a few things in mind:

• Bunco is an old game with a history of over 100 years in the US. Its renaissance in the 80s and 90s means it's popular with older players, primarily women. But this is good news since seniors have more time (and money!) to invest and donate.
• No skill is required, but many prospective players may not know how to play and be discouraged from signing up. But they only need to play one round to get the basics. You can encourage them to play online to learn the basics or encourage people to pair up voluntarily or request help when registering.

To start, consider these ideas to get your Bunco Bash started:

1. Sell tickets online and in-person at various retailers or sponsors around town.
2. Place ads in your local newspaper.
3. Create a Facebook event and post it on your Facebook page.
4. Get sponsors to help spread the word.
5. Flyers and posters can be posted around town, at senior centers, in a school program, and in town newsletters or event directories. Make sure your site URL and a QR code are everywhere.
6. Send email campaigns about the Bunco fundraiser and how much fun it'll be for a great cause.

In addition, you can make it an extraordinary event by featuring more than just Bunco at your event. Consider these ideas below and include them in your marketing efforts.

More to remember to make your Bunco fundraiser awesome

Music

Live music makes everything way more fun. If you can't afford or don't want a live band or DJ, consider special playlists and encourage people to make requests. But if you do have a live band or DJ, you get to say you're hosting an unforgettable evening featuring the band name or DJ, which also brings their fans to the event.

Plus, enjoying performances in the brief downtime between playing is fun. Just make sure people can hear each other when they need to yell, "Bunco!"

Delicious food and a dessert dash

Have snacks and drinks ready for people to share. Either served at their tables or, for a fun twist and to serve as prizes, put the best desserts and food at the head table, so as people win they move up from the store-bought cookies to the fresh bakery cakes and other fantastic dishes up front.

Just remember that some food can be sticky on the dice. Have napkins, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer handy for the whole evening.

Raffles and amazing rewards

Add exclusive items to a 50/50 drawing, raffle, or as prizes for your event. 50/50 raffles and other kinds of prizes may require a gambling permit in your local area. But most can be done without any extra paperwork. Just be sure to consult your state and local gambling regulations.

These are the top five Bunco prizes you can consider:

1. Most wins
2. Most losses
3. Most fives
4. Most Buncos
5. A "traveling" prize that shifts hands throughout the evening as players roll three-of-a-kind and stay with the last person to roll one.

Door prizes are another opportunity for people to bid or buy into a prize.

Add elements that are more than just pure luck

Silent auction fundraiser

A silent auction fundraiser combined with unique and exclusive items people can bid on removes a lot of the pure luck required in Bunco. Instead, proceeds benefit your cause or nonprofit and can encourage more buy-in from the community donating items.

Combine and share sales from your local art center or school program

A school program, training program, or art center is a great way to help further the education of people in your community and encourage more to participate at your Bunco Bash event. Have people set up art or other crafts to sell. They'll also help market your fundraiser on their website, social media, and connections.

Ready to host a Bunco Bash fundraiser? We know you can do it!

Logistically, make sure your event venue, caterer, and food service is on the same page with everyone about timing, options, and service. You’ll also want to make sure you have a volunteer to handle registration, sign-in, and name tags as people enter the event venue.

Afterward, make sure there’s a plan for the money. If you can, keep a running total during the event so if you’re close to a higher dollar amount, like $500 shy of $5,000, you can encourage people to donate to get to higher goals.

Lastly, don’t forget to thank your sponsors, supporters, donors, and everyone who helped make the event successful.

The whole fundraising event should be expected to last about 2-3 hours. Unless you're hosting the world's largest Bunco tournament, in which case you might need some more food and a few more hours to get everyone seated!