Community Nights at JJs!

What Community/Spirit Nights Are About

Jimmy John's Community Night/Spirit Night fundraisers are a relatively easy way to raise money for your group. They’re also great for building community. 

How To Make Your Community/Spirit Night A Huge Success

• Organizations and PTAs are most successful when they focus on promoting a Spirit/Community Night ahead of time so that families can add it to their calendars and make sure to attend. And parent group leaders have found that getting creative with restaurant nights—giving the night a theme, for example, or giving out small door prizes—help make these events more successful. We can help you with a door prize if you like, just let us know!
• Seek a few volunteers to help with promoting your event, and get a few people to be on-site helpers the night of the event. They can do one-hour shifts or work together. You won’t need a big group of helpers, but it makes sense to have at least one representative of your group present throughout the evening. Ask whether one or two volunteers are willing to take some photos at the event.

​Tips and Ideas for a Fun Night

When planning a restaurant fundraiser, it helps to remember that you need to give families a reason to go. A fun theme or element can make it appealing, while tying it to specific even can make it convenient for families. Here are some ideas:
Back to school: A restaurant fundraiser is a nice way for families to meet early in the school year. Create a School Kickoff Night and build on the excitement of the start of school. Give families name tags so they can meet, and try doing group photos with a few families together.
Half-day meals: Schedule a lunchtime event when schools hold a half-day for staff professional development. Appeal to parents who will be picking up their children for early dismissal. Because it’s lunch, keep it fun and easy, like a pizza party at a local pizza place.
Holiday fun: Consider setting up a few restaurant nights around a holiday. Try a Halloween restaurant night and encourage families to attend in costume. If possible, ask a volunteer to hand out candy to attendees when they leave the restaurant.
Patriotic theme: Try a red, white, and blue theme for a restaurant night at a place specializing in burgers; this works well toward the end of the school year. Greet families as they arrive and hand out little flags.
Exam break: A restaurant night could be a welcome celebration for families at the end of a week of standardized testing. Encourage families to come out and let loose after working so hard through the testing week. Give students balloons when they exit.
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The Big Night

• On the day of your event, check in with the restaurant to confirm your plans.
  
• Send out a last-minute reminder to families via social channels.
  
• Arrive at the restaurant ahead of the start time and check in with the manager.
  
• Be available on site in case any of your supporters have questions.
  
• Make sure you sit and enjoy a meal with your own family!
  

Spirit/Community Night Photos

Getting The Word Out!

Publicity can make or break a restaurant night fundraiser—the more families who know about the event in advance, the higher your attendance is likely to be.

• For starters, send out an invitation that promotes the event as a way to help your school. If possible, tie it to a specific fundraising project: “Come for a meal at XYZ Restaurant and help raise money for new outdoor recess equipment!”
  
• Tell families the date and hours so they know that they have some flexibility and that they don’t have to adhere to a rigid schedule.
  
• Communicate that this is a no-fuss event. Let families know that all they have to do is eat, and the restaurant will automatically donate a percentage of what they spend to the school.
  
• Remind supporters what they need to do so your group gets credit—bring the flyer or ticket or mention your group's name. Most restaurants will not allow groups to pass out flyers or tickets on site, which makes it even more important to distribute them widely in advance.
  
• When publicizing your restaurant night, reach out to families in a variety of ways, including email, Facebook, and Twitter. Post a screenshot of the flyer on Facebook as a way to catch people’s attention.
  
• A few days before the event, Send a reminder and tell parents again what they need to bring to participate.
  
• On the day of the restaurant fundraiser, put up a sign at school near the pickup and drop-off areas (even a homemade poster board sign works).