A spaghetti dinner fundraiser is a classic fundraiser, but it is classic for a reason: It’s remarkably easy and it is a near sure-fire money-maker.  Better yet, it is so simple to organize and execute that it can easily become a recurring fundraiser (and who doesn’t like recurring income?).  For those who are unfamiliar with how to run a successful spaghetti dinner fundraiser, don’t worry, there’s not much to know.

Basically, all you have to do is announce to your group members (or members of the local community through advertising) that you’re going to hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, estimate the number of people attending and buy enough supplies, recruit volunteers to help prepare the dinner and then start cooking.  It’s that simple.  Of course, as we always do, we recommend that you consult local authorities before hosting your fundraiser to make sure your event complies with all laws and regulations.  In this case, your community might prohibit the sale of food without a restaurant license, for instance.

There are many reasons why spaghetti dinner fundraisers are so popular.

• After you run a spaghetti dinner, you’ll have a very good estimate of what your next dinner should cost – and everyone likes a fundraiser that has costs that are easy-to-estimate.
• Your supporters can integrate your organization’s spaghetti dinner fundraisers into their families’ routines so that a spaghetti dinner fundraiser can become a successful recurring fundraiser for your organization, such as a recurring monthly event.
• Simplicity.  As mentioned, a fundraiser like this is so simple to pull off.
• People always love to receive something for their participation in a fundraiser (even if they only “receive” a good experience), as opposed to simply being asked to donate to a cause.  In this case, not only do they receive a nice dinner with friends for a good price, but they don’t have to cook or cleanup for a night.

Of course, it is quite easy to “spice up” a spaghetti dinner fundraiser by offering a different menu.  We’ve written about one such possibility so far, an exotic meat barbecue.

To see a great overview of how one organization, the Lourdes Catholic Church, prepares for their massive spaghetti dinner fundraiser, view the video below: