Welcome to the Quackiest Guide in Fundraising

You've decided to host a duck race. Excellent decision. You're joining thousands of organizations that have discovered the most fun, profitable, and community-building fundraiser on the planet. Here's your complete first-timer's playbook.

Step 1: Assemble Your Dream Team

• Event Chair — your fearless leader

• Sponsorship Lead — your smoothest talker

• Marketing/PR Lead — your social media guru

• Logistics Coordinator — your detail-oriented planner

• Volunteer Coordinator — your people person

Step 2: Pick Your Venue and Date

You need a waterway — river, creek, lake, or man-made course. Consider accessibility, permissions, water safety, and spectator space. Saturday mornings or early afternoons work best.

Step 3: Secure Your Ducks and Permits

Derby Duck Races provides numbered ducks, collection systems, and race management expertise. You'll need event permits, liability insurance, and any waterway usage permits.

Step 4: Build Your Sponsor Package

Create 3-5 sponsorship tiers with clear benefits. Include logo placement, social media mentions, PA announcements, and VIP access. Start 4-6 months out.

Step 5: Launch Duck Adoption Sales

Go live 6-8 weeks before the race. Promote through:

• Your organization's email list and social media

• Board members' and volunteers' personal networks

• Partner organizations and local businesses

• Local media — TV, radio, newspapers, community websites

Step 6: Plan Race Day Activities

The race itself takes 20-30 minutes, but your event should be 2-4 hours. Fill with food vendors, live music, games, sponsor booths, kids' activities, and prize announcements.

Step 7: Execute and Celebrate

• Brief volunteers the day before with clear role assignments

• Set up early and do a complete walkthrough

• Create a dramatic duck drop moment — the crowd goes wild every time

• Announce winners with energy and excitement

• Thank sponsors publicly

• Capture photos and video for next year

That's the playbook. Simple in concept, powerful in execution. Derby Duck Races has guided hundreds of first-timers to incredible results. You've got this!