My name is Charles (Chuck) Tornow, I’m a 43-year-old runner and board-gamer from the greater Detroit area.
Can you describe the fundraiser?
For my main fundraiser (beyond personal pledges from friends and family) I ran a boardgame tournament (Bloodbowl) and prize raffle.
My main focus was on keeping my own costs low in order to maximise the amount of proceeds available for donation. One of my good friends generously donated the space that we played in (the Detroit Rugby Club), which meant there were no rental fees.
Bloodbowl is a small(ish) game but has a very dedicated following. I was able to source some raffle items as donations from independent miniature sculptors, podcasts, and friends that have been playing and collecting items for decades. I also have several friends with 3D printers who were able to create items to raffle and the trophies that I used as prizes. Everything for the raffle was donated.
The tournament itself generated $380 (US) in donations, I set a $20 entry fee that went entirely to VICTA. The main draw for the charity was the raffle though. In order to maximise impact, I sold raffle tickets through dedicated Discord and Facebook groups throughout the USA and Canada.
There is a tradition of supporting local charities at Bloodbowl tournaments, I knew that if I could tap into that tradition while offering a more dedicated and extensive raffle that I would be able to do the most good for VICTA. I attribute the success of this fundraising effort to the generosity of official sponsors (Pedro Ramos Miniatures, Greebo Games, Squigmire Gaming Mats) and that of my friends who dipped into their personal collections.
How much did you raise?
Between the tournament and the raffle, I raised $1,600 (US) for VICTA (£1,090).
What surprised you?
What surprised me most is how far some of the tournament attendees were willing to travel. I had one player fly to Detroit from Denver, another from upstate New York, and a third player woke up to drive five hours on the morning of the event. All of them were visiting Detroit for the first time and made an entire weekend out of it!
Would you do organise this type of event again?
I would do this again, but probably not anytime soon. It was months of work getting the raffle set up and selling online tickets for it.
What’s your advice for other team members?
The best advice I can give others is to build community around all of their hobbies, and not just focus on their running friends for support. My friends (some as far away as Italy and Spain) supported my event because I made an effort for them to authentically know who I am and what my values are.
Would you recommend it to others?
I would absolutely suggest leveraging other interests into fund-raising activities, especially if there is a history of charitable giving within those other hobbies.
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