How the Covert Theatre used our quizzes to raise $3,000 from just 85 players

Written by: Ian Morris

While the 2020 coronavirus pandemic hit everyone hard, an improvisational theatre company in Auckland, New Zealand, Covert Theatre had an especially tough time of things. Based in the Maidment Theatre until it was declared unsafe in 2016, they'd been on the hunt for a new place to call home, before finally settling on one in September 2019. They raised funds to fit it out, and when it was ready to open its doors in February 2020… Covid-19 hit, cancelling all their shows until June, leaving them with no real source of income.

Then, in August 2021, just when they thought it was safe to go back outside, Auckland entered another period of national lockdown, leaving the theatre struggling to make ends meet once more. Fortunately, the folks at the Covert Theatre are creative types, and decided to try a new kind of fundraising this time round - a virtual quiz with a bit of a difference.

The challenge

Having decided they were interesting in running a virtual quiz, the guys and girls at the Covert Theatre got looking for a platform that would work as a one-stop shop. They found fundraising platforms, and quiz tools, but nothing that would handle everything at once - until they found Warp Point.

With a focus on ease-of-use, and as a truly all-in-one solution that handled all the donations, the questions, and the quiz itself automatically, the Covert Theatre loved what they saw, and eagerly started planning ways to use the system. Key to their plans was the ability to make the quiz donate-to-play, so only those who'd made a minimum donation would be able to play along. Rather than have to worry about keeping a Zoom room code secret, donate-to-play let them promote their quiz freely, safe in the knowledge that anyone who saw the stream would be hit with that "fear of missing out", and would be more likely to make the donation.

The virtual solution, and a fundraising masterstroke

The Covert Theatre provided perhaps the best example to date of just how effective our fundraising quizzes can be if you have the right audience. With some 85 people playing along from home, they smashed their NZ$3,000 target, raising a whopping NZ$3,170 in total.

Most fundraising quizzes ask for an entry fee to play, and that's it - but the Covert Theatre decided to add in some extra opportunities for donations in the form of paid 'lifelines', a la Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Before each question, players had the opportunity to make an extra donation to get a hint at what the answer to the next question would be - perfect for if sports isn't your category, or you can never remember which Weasley brother is which.

The results speak for themselves

85 players
NZ$3,170 total donations
NZ$37.29 average donation per person

The quiz went so well, the theatre have even started to offer quizzes to their corporate partners, letting companies have a laugh and a quiz in the space of a single event!

Why not get in touch to see how Warp Point can supercharge your fundraising, or sign up for a free host account to create your own quiz today!