Pass go, collect $200.00 and give it all to your favorite charity.
Tired of going door-to-door selling chocolate bars to raise money for your favorite charity? Consider hosting an official Monopoly tournament. By following a few simple guidelines, obtaining Hasbro's permission and gathering at least 24 participants, your not-for-profit organization can use the official Monopoly trademark and copyrighted images.
Instructions
1. Obtain approval from Hasbro. Simply download the official "MONOPOLY Tournament Guide" from Hasbro's website, fill out the "MONOPOLY Game Tournament Event Registration Form" and submit the completed form to Hasbro at:
MONOPOLY Game Tournament Director
Hasbro Games
443 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
2. Solicit participants for the tournament by advertising on the Internet, in newspapers, or on bulletin boards, or by distributing fliers; you may also want to notify game and hobby stores. The success of your tournament depends on having a healthy turnout, and you will need a minimum of 24 participants to get the official Hasbro stamp of approval.
3. Ensure that all promotional materials comply with the rules of use listed in the tournament guide, which includes specific guidelines on the use of the MONOPOLY game trademark, the board, pieces, images and other intellectual property owned by Hasbro. For instance, you cannot modify any of the images from the Monopoly game. No objects can be inserted into the hands of "Rich Uncle Penny Bags", and the Monopoly logo cannot be obscured by borders, images or any other modification. If you use the Monopoly game logo, it must appear horizontally on the promotional material, and it must be straight, not at an angle.
4. Raise money by charging an entrance or registration fee; $25 per participant would be reasonable. Also solicit donations from local businesses. For instance, you might consider asking local real estate agencies,brokerages and other real estate-related businesses to sponsor a table at your event for a flat fee of, say, $500. Another option would be to ask players to solicit pledged donations, such as a penny or dime for every dollar of Monopoly money they earn throughout the day. If you choose this method, remember to allow donors the option of setting a cap. You might also request flat donations rated on a scale from "Baltic" (smaller amounts) to "Boardwalk" (larger donations). Set a goal and reach for it. If you are raising money for a local food closet that needs $10,000 to meet its operating budget during the summer, try to raise $10,000. If you are holding the tournament to benefit a local homeless shelter and want to generate $4,000 to purchase new beds, blankets and supplies, set that as your goal and then pursue it aggressively. However you solicit the donations, all proceeds must go to the charitable organization specified on the registration form; the tournament director may not charge a fee for organizing the tournament.
5. Find a venue. Based on pre-registration numbers, you should have an idea of the size venue you will need. Sometimes rooms can be reserved at local libraries, schools or colleges for a small fee. If you need a large space, book a conference room at a local hotel. If you inform the hotel that you are booking the room for a charity event, you might be able to get a discounted rate or donation. If you are holding your tournament during fair-weather seasons, you might consider reserving space at a park through your local parks and recreation department. Some local churches might also be willing to donate space for the tournament. Be creative and consider several options.
6. Decide the tournament structure in advance. Hasbro requires that there be at least two rounds, with each round lasting 90 minutes and the final round consisting of six players. Single elimination, double elimination and round robin are all common tournament structures. You might also consider having a "consolation" tournament for those who have been eliminated. As long as you meet the minimum requirements posted by Hasbro, you have some freedom in this area, so determine the format that will be best for your location, time limit and tournament goals.
7. Acquire signatures from all participants on the day of the tournament. It is required that they sign the "Participant Registration Form" located in the tournament guide. After you have completed your tournament, fill out the "Winner Notification Form" and submit it, along with the "Participant Registration Form," official score sheets and any press clippings to:
MONOPOLY Game Tournament Director
Hasbro Games
443 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
8. Determine how you will process your donations. You can request that all donation and registration checks be made out directly to your chosen charity. Cash donations can be pooled together and donated directly to the charity as a cash donation. You might also consider opening an account for the tournament funds, depositing all funds directly into the account and then making a single donation to your chosen charitable organization, though people might be more reluctant to make checks out to "Joe Smith, tournament director." However you decide to manage the funds, be sure you contact the charity you have selected in advance to notify them that you will be attempting to raise funds for their program. They will likely have promotional materials and staff that can assist you in handling donations and other aspects of fundraising.
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