BYO's Annual Raise-A-Thon!
2023 Raise-A-Thon
October 15th thru November 30th
What is the Raise-A-Thon?
Raise-a-Thon is BYO’s most important fundraising event of the year! Tuition only covers about 70% of BYO's operating expenses and this fundraiser helps us to provide scholarships for musicians whose families cannot pay full tuition, to hire professional musicians to work with the orchestra during rehearsals, and to purchase music and other resources needed to run a large youth orchestra. Every single donation helps us to continue our 50+ year mission to provide young musicians with an incredible first full-orchestra experience!
How does it work?
1. Musicians reach out to at least 10 friends and family asking for support. BYO provides a sample donation request letter that can be emailed to friends and family or posted on social media. If texting is more your style you can also use our sample text messages to reach out. Your family and friends absolutely love to hear about you and your music, and can make a financial donation to support the orchestra on your behalf!
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2. Make it personal! Customize the email/text/socials that you send/post to reflect your personality and passion for music. Attach a photo or short video asking for support or playing a few favorite bars. Create a GoFundMe or think of other creative ways to get your message asking for support to as many people as possible.
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3. Donating is easy! The templates BYO provides all include a link to the Raise-A-Thon donation page where supporters can select your name when making their donation. Supporters who prefer to send a check should include the musician's name on the memo line so we know who to attribute the donation to.
4. Earn prizes! Prizes will be awarded to the 3 musicians who raise the most money during Raise-A-Thon. Additionally, 2 musician names will be randomly drawn from all those who raise money so everybody who participates will have a chance to win no matter how much is raised!