Fundraisers that raise real money.
House Rules runs hosted trivia and bingo nights as fundraisers for schools, nonprofits, sports clubs and community groups across Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the wider Twin Cities. The host fee is flat and agreed up front rather than a share of the takings, so every dollar raised on the night is yours.
Built for the room you are filling
A trivia night is the rare school fundraiser the parents actually want tickets to. Tables sell in blocks to classes, teams or year groups, which does most of your marketing for you, and a round about the school itself is worth the entire night.
The game is the reason people come and stay; the raffle, the auction and the ask are why the night pays for itself several times over. Those moments get built into the running order rather than bolted on at the end when half the room has drifted.
Booster clubs, churches, animal rescues, memorial nights. Bingo is usually the pick here over trivia: nobody has to know anything to play, every age in the room can join the same game, and cards are an easy second thing to sell on the door.
How it works
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1Tell me about the cause and the room
Who you are raising for, a rough date, and where you are thinking of holding it. That is all you need to have decided — the format is my job, not yours. Get in touch as early as you can — the booking is quick, but selling tickets is what takes the time.
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2We plan where the money comes from
This is the part that decides your total, and it is not the trivia. Together we work out where the raffle draws, the auction, the prize table and the ask sit in the evening, so each one lands while the room is full and paying attention rather than at the door on the way out.
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3I show up and run the whole night
I bring the questions, the sound and the gear, arrive early enough to set up without an audience, and host from the first round to the last draw. Your volunteers get to work the room and talk to people instead of running a PA.
Fundraiser nights: common questions
What does it cost to have you host our fundraiser?
It is a flat host fee agreed up front rather than a share of the night, so you know your one cost before you sell a single ticket. Send your date and rough headcount and you will get a straight number back.
Do you take a cut of what we raise?
No. The fee is flat and agreed before the night, and every dollar that comes in through tickets, raffles, auctions or donations is yours. There is no percentage, no minimum and nothing to reconcile afterwards.
How much can a trivia night fundraiser actually raise?
It depends almost entirely on how many people you get in the room and how well the raffle, the auction and the ask are woven into the evening — not on the trivia. Those get planned with you, because that is the part that decides the total.
What kinds of causes do you work with?
School and PTA nights, youth sports and booster clubs, church and community groups, animal rescues, memorial and benefit nights, and registered nonprofits of every size. If people will show up for it, it works as a game night.
Where can we hold it?
A school gym or cafeteria, a church hall, a community centre, a private room at a bar or brewery, or a hall you have already booked. If you do not have a room yet, say so — I know the places around the Twin Cities that are built for this and the ones that fight you on sound.
How many people do we need?
Anything from a packed church basement to a full ballroom. Teams of four to six is the sweet spot — it keeps everybody talking and it sells tickets in blocks, which is the easiest way to fill a room.
Can you work a raffle, silent auction or donation ask into the night?
Yes, and this is where the money is. Raffle draws land between rounds while the room is already paying attention, an auction runs alongside the game rather than interrupting it, and the ask goes where people are warmest rather than at the door on the way out. Tell me what you are running and it gets built into the shape of the evening.
Can the questions be about our cause?
Yes, and it is worth doing. A round about your school, your team, your parish or the work you fund turns an ordinary quiz into something that is obviously about the night everyone came to. Send the details and the in-jokes and they get written in.
How long does the night run?
It is built around your programme rather than the other way round. Tell me what else has to happen — a raffle draw, a speech, a video, the ask — and the rounds are set to make room for all of it.
How far in advance should we book?
As early as you can. The booking is the easy part; selling the tickets is what takes the time, and every extra week is more people in the room.
Do you offer a discount for nonprofits?
Ask. Tell me who you are raising for and what the night is, and you will get a straight answer rather than a runaround.
Do you travel outside Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the surrounding metro are home turf. Further out is worth asking about — it usually just means a travel charge.
What do you bring, and what do we need to provide?
I bring the questions, the sound, the answer sheets and the hosting. You provide the room, power, and the people. Prizes are yours to decide — for a fundraiser the good ones are usually donated by local businesses, which is another ask worth making.
What happens after we get in touch?
You get a reply within a day or two with dates that work and a plan for how the evening could run, including where the fundraising moments sit. From there it is a short conversation and then it is booked. You do not need to have any of it worked out before you write.
Let's plan your fundraiser
Tell me who you are raising for, a rough date and the room you have in mind. You will get a plan and a price back within a day or two.
Or skip the form: hello@playbyhouserules.com @houseruleslive @house.rules.live