Non-profit fundraising with custom playing cards

Since playing cards (e.g., Poker Cards) can be customized on both the back and the face of the card, they provide a great opportunity for a unique fundraising campaign that can be effectively combined with complementary events of fundraising. Since personalized playing cards are associated with fun and entertainment, the positive impressions that supporters associate with their use will reflect positively on a nonprofit organization’s branding. Playing cards also have a relatively long shelf life, assuming, of course, that the cards are not lost! As a result, fans will receive repeated reminders from the organization each time they use the cars, while at the same time giving the nonprofit additional exposure to other game participants.

There are basically two types of custom playing cards. Some providers will only customize the back of each card, while others offer the option of customizing both sides of the cards. While personalized single-sided cards are less expensive, they don’t provide the same fundraising opportunities. With double-sided custom playing cards, a non-profit organization can place their logo (or their event logo) on the back of all cards in a deck (since all backs must be the same) while selling ad space. on the face. of each card. Because playing cards are printed on full-size sheets before being cut into individual cards, the face of each individual card can be uniquely customized, usually at no additional cost. The setup costs for customizing the face of a card or all cards with one logo or all cards with different logos will be approximately the same. The caveat is that any specialty artwork used must be provided in vendor-acceptable production-ready formats (typically Adobe Illustrator is used). If a new artwork must be developed or the existing artwork modified, additional costs may result.

To maximize the potential of this fundraising idea, nonprofits sell the ad space on the face of the 52 cards (plus 2 jokers, usually) to businesses and individual supporters. With 54 cards, a nominal fee of $ 100 can generate $ 5,200 in revenue. Typically, only a fraction of this revenue will be required to cover the costs of setting up the personalized cards.

After the cards are printed, organizations can sell individual decks to fans and community members for a profit of up to 100%, depending on the number of decks purchased. Retail business supporters can also be asked to sell the covers in local stores to further boost sales. Sales may also target card clubs, as well as local bars that host Texas Hold ‘Em games. Taking advance orders can help limit risks by establishing a baseline for orders; however, organizations must plan for additional production for post-production sales.

The cost of personalized cards will vary based on the number of cards printed, as well as the specific style of cards chosen and packaging options. Orders of 1000 decks or more will result in lower costs and a more reasonable resale price. As a general example, 1,000 custom decks in printed packages at a resale price of approximately $ 7 per deck can generate approximately $ 3,500 in profit. Actual costs may be higher or lower depending on the specific type of card, packaging, print colors, and other factors. When combined with revenue from ad sales, a Custom Playing Card fundraising campaign has the potential to generate substantial income for the organization.

Additionally, the Custom Playing Cards campaign can be combined with a casino night event or Texas Hold ‘Em event both to further take advantage of card sales and to earn incremental profits from these popular events.