The restaurant gives your group a percentage of the sales on a designated night for all the customers that your organization brings to their business. Most of the time the restaurant will limit your available nights to a weeknight - usually one of their slow nights.  However, in our area some have allowed us to use a Sunday.  This is great because members will go immediately following our church service whether morning or evening.  We have done both.

A restaurant night fundraiser requires virtually no planning and very little investment from your group. If the restaurant requires a flyer or coupon to be presented for your group to receive credit, it will often print those up themselves or at least offer a template.

Be aware that although many chain and franchise restaurants are available for fundraising, the decision to do so is up to the individual restaurant operator. And terms of the fundraiser will vary from restaurant to restaurant, even within the same chain and city sometimes. Some may make you present a coupon, tell the waitress in advance or drop receipts in a box.

Many locally owned restaurants are also eager to host your restaurant night fundraiser too. Don't forget to add them to your potential list of restaurants to call on. They often will offer you a better deal than the chains and franchisees.

Any restaurant that you, or a member of your nonprofit group, have a personal connection to via the owner, operator, manager or worker also may offer you a better deal.

The secret to having a successful restaurant night fundraiser rests with you. You must advertise the event to your members and make sure they show up. We always put the information in our Sunday church bulletin. Ensure a large turnout by asking your members to encourage family and friends to attend the restaurant night too.

Our local church has raised hundreds of dollars in this simple manner.  We hope that you can too!