Tips for Fundraising Activities
Imagination and planning are key factors to the success of a fundraising campaign. Organizers should base fundraising decisions on the circumstances of their organization and the kinds of resources available for carrying out an event or activity.
The following are examples of fundraising activities you may want to consider for your next campaign:
- Valentine Flowers to Go
Obtain orders for roses or carnations and boxes of candy from friends, co-workers, and family. Package the flowers with greens and ribbon, (purchased in bulk from a local greenhouse) in a clear plastic container, and deliver them on Valentines Day.
- Talent Show
Get together some good acts (but audition them before hand to ensure they're suitable for the general audience) and sell tickets to a talent show at a school or hall. Hold a bake sale during the intermission and ask businesses to donate various items for a raffle. Talent shows are especially appropriate for children and teenagers, because parents enjoy watching their kid(s) participate.
- Sled-a-Thon
Students obtain pledges for each trip down a big hill at a local park. Promote it as a family event and hold a "pot luck" dinner afterwards.
- Goods, Services and Talent Auction
Ask local businesses and individuals to donate goods, services or talents. This may include a large array of items, such as a week at a cottage, legal assistance in writing a will, handcrafted art, hair cuts, preserves and pickles, restaurant gift certificates, cooking a meal, free rounds of golf, plumbing or carpentry services, dance lessons, items of furniture, etc. Ask a local auctioneer or celebrity to donate his/her time.
- Ticket Raffle
Purchase – or acquire donation of - a high value item such as an airline flight or work of art. Sell tickets and hold a raffle.
- Lip-Sync Contest
This usually works best at a club (or at a hall so that children can participate). People pay to enter and lip-sync to their favorite song. Prizes are awarded for different age groups, which can be donated by individuals or businesses. It's an opportunity to hear music, and is appropriate for people of all ages.
- Menu Auction
Ask adult members of your church or volunteer organization to donate menus that they would prepare. These menus are then auctioned. For example: Specialty Coffee and Dessert for Four; Spaghetti Dinner for Six; Indian Meal for Two; Fondue for Four. As an added touch, do not reveal names of the cooks until after the menu is sold, to create suspense as to who would be cooking for meals. The date of each dinner should be negotiated between the cooks and successful bidders.
- 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Host a 3 on 3 basketball tournament at a local gymnasium or school, and advertise the event. Charge a team of 3-4 players $20 - $40 and find local sponsors to donate prizes. During the tournament you can hold a shooting competition for an extra $2 per participant. If there is sufficient interest, print t-shirts as part of the registration and raise the team entry fee.
- Easter Mystery Eggs
During an Easter bake sale, sell small plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and surprise slips. Examples of prizes could include a fluffy bunny, a filled Easter basket, a large chocolate bunny, and various smaller gifts. Place the Mystery Eggs in a big basket and sell them for 25 cents to one dollar each.
- Party in the Park
Host an afternoon of games, food and drinks at a local park. Include entertainment, face painting, sack races, Frisbee toss contests, juggling, etc. For refreshments, buy low-priced hotdogs and popcorn in economy size. Charge admission of $1.00 - $3.00 per child, for which he/she receives a number of game tickets. Charge a fee for extra game tickets.
- Fashion Show
Ask clothing retail stores and designers around in your community to donate various outfits for a fashion show. Select models, get some cool lighting and music, form a runway, and then spread the word. Sell tickets for whatever you think is a reasonable amount. Have refreshments available afterwards. This is good advertising for clothing stores and a fun way to raise money.
- Culinary Carnival
Chefs and restaurants donate their services and create an incredible dining experience. Obtain sponsors and give each of them credit inside a program, which is placed on each table setting. A small silent auction can also be held for a few items.
- Mathematics Marathon
A school math department can raise funds for philanthropic purposes by hosting a mathematics marathon. Students gather after school to answer 100 challenging math questions in sixty minutes. Parents and other audience members pay an attendance fee.
- Halloween Horribles Parade
Invite school students to dress in Halloween costumes and participate in a parade. Raise money by hosting games and selling food, refreshments and baked goods. Instant photographs, such as Polaroids, can be taken of participants and sold.
- Tennis Ball Racing
This is a different twist to "down the river duck races.” Obtain a large number of tennis balls and write consecutive numbers on them. The balls are all sold for a fee, and on “race day” those that have been paid for are placed into the scoop of a front-end loader. The balls are dumped down a hill in the community, and the first ball to enter the home stretch trough wins a prize or a predetermined portion of sales money.
- Perennial Plant Sale
Volunteers dig through their gardens and separate bulbs and perennials that have spread since the previous year. These, along with other plants, can be sold in the spring months. This event can be particularly successful if participants are avid gardeners and have a wide variety of items from which buyers can choose.
- Non-Events
Hold a "non-event.” Send out invitations that say, for example: " XYZ Organization is holding its first annual Black Tie Non-Event. The event will NOT take place on June 1, 2002. Cocktails will NOT be served at 6 p.m., and dinner will NOT be served at 7 p.m. NO program will be held at 8 p.m.” Then you itemize the money they will save by not having to attend your event, such as tuxedo rental, buying a dress, babysitting, parking, cost of the dinner, having your hair done, etc. Ask for a donation equaling that amount. If you're looking for smaller donations, make the non-event more casual (no tuxedo rental, for example).
- Special Movie Screening
Present children’s movies shown during special morning screenings at a neighborhood theatre, with movie profits going to the organization and snack bar proceeds accruing to the theatre.
- Goods and Services Bingo
Obtain donations of goods and services, which can be included as bingo prizes. Bingo machines and cards are often available at little or no cost from other charitable organizations. Pre-sell tickets, and provide a set number of cards for this fee. Any extra cards can be purchased separately. Be aware that cash prize bingos usually require a special licence from the provincial government.
- Poinsettia Sale
Agree to a bulk purchase arrangement of poinsettias with a local gardening center. Take orders from parents, friends, co-workers, etc. for poinsettias from October to early December. Volunteers deliver them to the buyers. Poinsettias make wonderful Christmas gifts.
- Children’s Sing-Along
Obtain the services of a children’s singer and pre-sell tickets to a sing-along at a local hall, school, or park on a weekend afternoon. Sell refreshments and snacks during the event.
 |
|
|
profile of voluntary sector - managing voluntary organizations | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright 2003 Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador
|
|