How Family Entertainment Businesses Can Win With Fundraiser Vouchers

Trampoline parks, mini golf, escape rooms and movie nights — family fun is a fundraising favourite, and for good reason. Kids' entertainment sells itself: parents will happily buy a voucher that means an afternoon of fun and helps the school.

Here's the short version: offer a family pass or session voucher at your normal price, give the fundraiser a share of at least 10%, and fill your off-peak hours — weekday afternoons, school holidays, and quiet weekends. A family entertainment voucher brings whole groups through the door, and groups spend on food, drinks, and extras.

Why family entertainment fits fundraising

Entertainment venues have a capacity problem: peak times are jammed, off-peak times are empty. Vouchers are the perfect tool to shift demand — a "school holiday weekday pass" or a "before 5pm mini golf round" fills the hours that otherwise cost you money sitting idle.

There's also the group dynamic: families don't buy one voucher, they buy a session for the whole crew. Average order values run high, and the in-venue spend on top is where your margin really lives.

The maths that works

Let's price a $60 family mini-golf pass (four players) with a 15% share:

What happens	Amount
Buyer pays	$60.00
Fundraiser's share (15%)	$9.00
Platform fee (5% + GST on the sale)	~$3.30
You receive	~$47.70

If your marginal cost per family in an off-peak slot is $15, that's a $32 margin on a session that might otherwise have run empty — and the family typically adds $20–40 of food and drinks. The pricing guide explains how to build your own numbers.

What makes it work

• Bundle the experience. "Family pass for four", "one-hour escape room for up to six", "movie night pack for four" — bundles lift value and simplify redemption.
• Point vouchers at off-peak times. School holiday weekdays, before 5pm, Sunday mornings — your emptiest hours are your best offers. Use terms to steer traffic; here's how to set terms that protect you.
• Time campaigns with the school calendar. Back-to-school, end-of-term treat days, and holiday periods are when family entertainment sells best. A year-round calendar plans these for you.
• Make redemption smooth. A fast check-in ("just here for the fundraiser pass? lovely!") sets the tone — the experience is the product.
• Capture the family for next time. Birthday-party brochures, a loyalty email, a "next school holidays" heads-up — families that come once come again. Here's the regular-customer playbook.

Which fundraisers to choose

Schools and kindergartens are the natural partners — their families are your customers, and a family pass is a perfect raffle prize or silent-auction item. Sports clubs with family memberships and church/community groups also work well.

A few honest notes

Set a cap on voucher numbers so a popular campaign can't flood your venue in one week, and be clear about what's included (and what costs extra — socks at trampoline parks, arcade credits, etc.). And remember school holidays: if you sell passes valid only in term time, families will struggle to use them.

Frequently asked questions

What's the minimum share I give a fundraiser?

At least 10% of each sale on Generous.nz. Many venues offer 15% because off-peak capacity makes it affordable.

Who pays the platform fee?

You do — 5% + GST on sales, fee-free on your first $1,000 in sales, and no charge if nothing sells.

Can I make the voucher valid only at quiet times?

Yes — and it's the smartest term you can set. Off-peak vouchers fill empty capacity without cannibalising your busy sessions.

What if a whole campaign redeems at once?

Cap the voucher count (e.g. 100 passes) and spread the validity window — "valid any weekday in term three" spreads demand naturally.

Do families spend more than the voucher value?

Usually, yes — food, drinks and extras add up. That's where the venue makes its real margin.