Instructions

1. Think about the contestants in the chili cookoff. Find prizes that people of all ages and interests will like.

2. Decide how many prizes you are going to award. Some judges give prizes for first, second and third place only, while other judges offer prizes for different chili "categories."

3. Create a prize hierarchy. Choose a bigger, more valuable prize for the first-place winner.

4. Ask local businesses to donate prizes for the chili cookoff. If your cookoff is for charity, the businesses can write their donations off at tax time. Consider soliciting prizes from restaurants that serve chili, gourmet food stores that offer nice chili powder or gift shops that sell chili-pepper holiday lights.

5. Publicize the prizes when you send out information about your chili cookoff. People are more likely to compete if they know they can win, for example, $200 in restaurant gift certificates.

6. Label all prizes clearly on the day of the cookoff. Set up a table that displays the prizes, so that competitors know what items they can win.