It’s Kevin Feyen here, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Dubuque and Board Treasurer for NFCYM. Although like myself, ministers rarely have a background in accounting, I like money! Lucky for you, I can provide you with 9 things to keep in mind when budgeting for NCYC from my experience in organizing multiple delegations to NCYC over the years.
Registration
The registration fee is the only constant price for all NCYC attendees. Currently, the price is $310.00 per ticket until it rises to $320.00 on August 30th. To purchase your tickets, go here. I would suggest signing up to be a member of NFCYM to get the member discount along with other benefits like being connected with hundreds of other ministers throughout the United States.
Estimate: $310-$320 per attendee
Travel to Long Beach
Transportation always comes down to distance, money, convenience, and group size. For smaller groups consider carpooling. For larger groups, it may be more convenient to book a bus. Airfare is always the most expensive but may save you a lot of time. The best way to narrow down the price is to collect as many quotes as you can. At the end of the day, the best transportation method depends on the needs of your delegation.
Transportation
Don’t forget to think about transportation around the convention center (public transportation, buses, shuttles, walking).
Housing
I would recommend using the NCYC housing block which you can find here. Prices range from $175-$205 per room. Ideally, you want 4 young people per room but sometimes the numbers are not always perfect with odd numbers and chaperones. A good ratio is 3.1 people per room. When choosing a hotel, consider the distance from the convention center and if breakfast is included.
Estimate: $135-$158 per attendee
Food
This depends on the way you and your group travel. Whether you like to have nice sit-down meals or fast food, adjust your budget accordingly. Remember not to go cheap on food because being well fed and hydrated is important to having a great time at NCYC.
Estimate: $100-$200
Taxes and Gratuity
We tend to forget this expense because it seems insignificant, but it adds up. Taxes for hotels are 16%. Consumer tax in Long Beach is 10.25%. The gratuity for a bus is about 10%. Gratuity is a good opportunity to educate young people financially by asking them to bring extra money to tip the bus driver, servers at restaurants, or donate to Catholic charities.
Extra Stuff!
NCYC is a great tradition of representing where you are from. Make cool shirts or crazy trading hats to represents! You can always add this to your budget or ask young people to bring extra money to get their own NCYC gear at the conference. This can be a good opportunity to teach them about financial responsibility. As they say, “Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Chaperones
Chaperones are essential in bringing young people anywhere including NCYC. Without them, a pilgrimmage cannot be possible. Depending on your situation, it may be to your benefit to help subsidize those who will accompany the teens by pricing up your package
Estimate: $5-$10 per attendee
Scholarships and Fundraising
Fundraising is tough. The most effective way to fundraise is to share your mission of why you are bringing young people to NCYC with potential donors. A more practical means is to add a solidarity fee to your package to help young people who need financial assistance.
To view our webinar on fundraising, go here.
Estimate: $5-$10 per attendee
