Cooking Class for a Fundraiser Let me start by saying I’m a big fan of the Food Network! If you have ever watched one of their cooking shows, like Emeril or Molto Mario, then you’ve seen how the chef cooks right in front of a group of people. Mario Batali only has 3 or 4 people on his show with him, but Emeril Lagasse has an entire studio audience. Michael Chiarello even gets his dinner guests involved with the cooking. THIS could be your next fundraiser!

Synopsis: Charge ~20 people to have a special cooking class with a chef where the money raised through tickets is donated to your group.

How much to charge: If you charge 20 people $10 to $20 to have a cooking class with a local chef, you could make $200 to $400 for 2 hours. If the chef is a bit more famous, or the dishes more complicated, you can charge even more! You’ll have to gauge it on your community and your donor base. Of course, this sort of event is great for everyone who eats food… not just animal lovers or your current donors! This is a great chance to bring in new donors and introduce your group to new people!

Types of classes: Asian cooking, Italian cuisine, French gourmet or French Provencal, Great Steaks and Sides, Classic Diner Cuisine, Amazing Appetizers, Homemade Pie Baking, Freezer Dinners (cooking for the freezer), Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), brewing your own beer, making your own wine, pairing wines with food, pairing cheese with food….

Where to Host: Chef’s Restaurant Kitchen on an off time,Home Economics Classes at schools Church Kitchens, Industrial Kitchens for rent in your area (many bakeries will rent out their kitchen when not in use), Personal Home– this could be a very chic sort of private party with a chef!, Auditorium with kitchen appliances on stage from a rental center (if you want to make it a larger gathering!)

Who to Ask: Local chefs, Caterers! Anyone who has a restaurant or a cookbook in your state! Anyone in your community who has a specialty… such as someone who freezer cooks, or someone from Italy who has a passion for cooking and lots of recipes from their ancestors. Know anyone who won a pie baking contest? Know any one brews their own beer or wine? Is there a local winery in your area that could teach wine pairings?

Why Chefs will Participate: Chefs will want to participate b/c it will make them look great in the community, you will be advertising their name AND their restaurant (”Bobby Flay from Mesa Grill will be teaching a class…”). You will draw in new customers to their restaurants b/c they will enjoy the experience and the flavors and want more. If the chef has a cookbook, they will probably sell more cookbooks that evening, and it will be a great advertisement for their cookbook in your community. It’s just a fantastic way to introduce a chef to the public while doing some good in the community!

Where to Advertise: Upscale eateries, grocery stores (especially Whole Foods and specialty food stores, if that’s you niche), local restaurants, tv, radio, newspaper, “What’s Happening” publications.

Extra Notes: You may need to limit the number of tickets sold for the event based on your location. If you could have a larger kitchen or cooking area, then you can accomodate more people. If you get an amazing response, you can schedule another class for another month with a different theme.

I attended a Taste of Home cooking class in an old movie auditorium in Waco, TX (the Hippodrome, for those who know the area) and there were about 150 people in there who all paid about $10 for a ticket. Since I was in the far back, I was glad that they had some large screens so we could see the ‘taping’ of what she was doing at the stove. It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed the event! I KNOW I’d pay $20 or more to have a closer seat watching a local chef whip up some amazing dinners and sides!