Budget Tools
Our Free Budget Worksheet is available on the Downloads page.
If your family reunion is collecting reunion attendance fees, activity fees, or monetary donations, a financial management structure should be established. Suggestions to establish this structure are as follows.
- Establish a Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer to manage funds
- Establish a bank account dedicated solely to family reunion funds
- Establish a reporting structure and schedule for the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer to provide regular financial reports to family reunion members
- Establish electronic fund collection accounts such as PayPal, Stripe, Eventbrite, or Square to make it easy for family members to submit payments
Reunion Budget
A family reunion is an event with associated costs. Therefore, a budget should be established to outline costs for food, event space, decorations, and activities. The following are items to include in your budget.
- Event space (rental fees, cleaning fees, license fees, park fees)
- Customized event items (t-shirts, hats, water bottles, coffee mugs)
- Food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages for activities and events
- Food serving supplies (chafing dishes, foil serving pans, serving utensils, beverage holders)
- Food serving utensils (plates, forks, knives, spoons, napkins, paper cups, hand sanitizer, ice buckets, beverage buckets, etc.)
- Decorations (balloons, flowers, vases, table number holders, picture frames, confetti)
- Event supply rental fees (tables, chairs, tents, grills, porta-potty)
- Transportation for guests to and from activities/events
- Hotel/lodging costs for guests
- Parking fees
- Activity/Game items (basketballs, bats, board games, game prizes, door prizes, etc.)
- Laptop, projector, and projection screen rental fees
- DJ, Photographer, Videographer, and Florist fees
- Welcome/gift bag items
- Printing fees (welcome letters, reunion agendas)
- Office supplies (tape, writing pens, staples, post-it-notes, poster board, markers, dry-erase boards, colored paper, heavy-duty paper, food labels, save the date cards)
- Postage (save the date cards, invitations, surveys)
- Name badge supplies (name badge cards, plastic name badge holders, badge holder lanyards)
Funding Reunion Costs
Once the family reunion budget is established, determine the funding sources. The following options outline potential funding sources.
Family Member Sponsors
One or more family members can sponsor the costs for the primary event and activities (e.g. venue, food, decorations, entertainment, etc.)
Charge a Registration Fee
Charge a registration fee to attendees to cover reunion costs.
- Establish costs for adults, children, and seniors
- Establish due dates for registration fee payments
- Establish a refund policy
- Offer early-bird discounts
- Offer group purchase discounts
Registration Fee Processing Vendors
Fundraising
Execute fundraising activities and solicit family members to volunteer to contribute their time and products. The following list includes options to raise funds for the reunion:
- Car wash
- Bake sale
- Customized family calendars
- Recipe books
- Ads in a family reunion memorial book
Donations
Ensure that family members making donations receive special recognition for their donations. This can be done:
- Via postings on your family reunion website on a donor’s page (include names and amount donated)
- In-person recognition at the family reunion event.
Raffles
Raffle tickets can be purchased by family members before or at the reunion.
Disclaimer: Any reference obtained from this server to a specific product, vendor, or service is for informational purposes only. References on this site do not constitute or imply an endorsement by Family Reunion Planning of the product, vendor, service, or its producer or provider.
