Maleficent is really on the ball here, but I reiterate her main point: if you aren't an official nonprofit, nobody's going to give you much of anything. And fundraisers like you describe only make real money when as much as possible of the material involved -- beer, food, prizes, entertainment, etc. -- is donated.
If you want donations, get incorporated as nonprofit (under $500), then follow Mal's advice and find a way to meet potential private donors. Or plan fundraisers and get donations of the stuff you need lined up in _advance_ of the event. By the time you've sold your advance tickets, you're already in the black.
I worked for a year at a school for homeless kids that had _no_ state, local, or federal grants. None, zip, nada. And thus, no strings either. But we had lots of individuals send us monthly checks for $25, $50, even $100, local companies and churches who were good for $500-$2000 a year, and the occasional monster check from a national company -- Starbucks gave us a no-strings check for 30 grand when I was there. A local bakery gave a free cake for every kid's birthday... the list goes on.
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