Category: Ideas

Need Ideas for Fundraising Activities?

A typical group, looking for ideas for fundraising activities, has to ask themselves one question: what are the best ways of doing it? It sounds like a very simple question, but the answer is often complicated. The reason is straightforward enough: what works for one group does not necessarily work for another.

The first step in the process is easy enough; gather together a group of like-minded people, brainstorm, and come up with some ideas. It is a virtual guarantee that the list will run the gamut. Here is just a short list of possibilities:

 

  • Bake sales
  • Gift cards
  • T-shirts
  • Turkey shoots
  • Door-to-door sales
  • Letter writing campaigns
  • Holding a fair or bazaar
  • Rummage sales
  • Raffles

 

But, out of this plethora of ideas, how does the group select the best one for them? It all depends on the group itself, its members. They have to figure out what works best for them. If they are a large group with outgoing and gregarious members, then a door-to-door campaign or fair would work well for them. If they’re just starting and don’t have many members, a fundraising card would be the best way to go. Now, if the group is connected with a national organization (e.g. First Book, the Red Cross, UNICEF), then fund raising ideas are usually all worked out ahead of time. Those groups have a whole set of fundraising methods that are tried and true.

The most important aspect to be concerned about is to how the members work, and work together. Selecting a type of fundraiser that is not right for the group can be disastrous. The members will waste time, money, resources and effort, and get little (if any) financial return. If someone in the group is an artist, and they are teamed with someone else who runs a print shop or does silk screening; they can team up to create a great looking t-shirt.

When trying to find ideas for fundraising activities, there are some things to ponder. First, what will it cost? Make sure it is within your group’s budget. Next, does it make good use of the members and their talents? Will the idea appeal to the kinds of people you hope will donate to your group? Offering subscriptions to "Guns & Ammo" to the residents of an ACLF (Adult Congregate Living Facility) almost certainly won’t be a big seller. Also, donors like to feel as if they get something of value for their contribution.

Good Fundraising Ideas Are Easy to Find

Since the first group of people got together to raise money, they have asked themselves this question: what are the truly good fundraising ideas? It may sound like a very easy question, but the answer is often not so simple. The reason is straightforward enough, what works for one group may not work for another.

At first, it can sound so simple. Step one, get together with a group of like-minded co-workers and/or friends, brainstorm, and come up with some ideas. No doubt the list will run the gamut from bake sales to door-to-door selling to letter writing campaigns to holding a fair or bazaar. But, out of this cornucopia of ideas, how is the best selected?

What it really boils down to is the group itself, its members. They need to decide what works best for them. Are they an outgoing and gregarious group? Maybe door-to-door would work well for them. Is the group just starting and has few members and limited resources? In that situation, some kind of fundraising card would probably work best. If the group is part of some national organization (e.g. First Book, the Red Cross, UNICEF), they normally have a whole set of prepared fundraising methods that are tried and true.

The critical thing to keep in mind here is to pay attention to how the members work, and work together. Selecting the wrong kind of fundraiser can be disastrous. The group will end up wasting valuable time, money, resources and effort, and getting little (if any) financial return. This can result in ruination for the group before it has ever gotten off the group as morale and motivation will become non-existent.

So, when trying to separate the good fundraising idea from the bad, here are some points to consider: first, look at the bottom line. What is it going to cost? Make sure it is within your group’s budget. Does the idea make good use of the resources you have and the talents of your members? Do you have enough people to get it done? Is the idea appropriate for your group and is it likely to appeal to the sorts of people you are looking to get donations from? Trying to sell subscriptions to "Guns & Ammo" to the residents of an ACLF (Adult Congregate Living Facility) probably won’t go over too well. Will the donors feel that they are getting something of value for their efforts? That will greatly enhance your chances of raising money. And that brings up the final point: will the idea bring in the kind of money you need? A school class looking to raise money from a bake sale is a far cry from a community theatre trying to get enough for a down payment on a building.

Find School Fundraising Ideas

School fundraising ideas offer a variety of money-making options for school activities, equipment, and team uniforms. Too often, schools need to raise extra money in addition to their regular budget for extracurricular activities and events. When they do, schools can choose between some of the following options:

 

  • Discount Cards: cards offering local merchant discounts are popular fundraisers. You can either arrange contracts with merchants yourself or have the discount card companies handle it. You can make up to 90 percent profits by using this fundraiser.

 

 

  • School Items: put your logo or mascot on items like t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, banners, and magnets. Customize gift items or things you use every day. School supporters will love showing off team colors.

 

 

  • Magazines: individuals from every walk of life subscribe to magazines. Your school can sell magazine subscriptions to family and friends to earn the school money. Generally, you’ll make more profit per magazine the more subscriptions you sell and most popular magazines will be available.

 

 

  • Food: many companies offer school fundraising ideas that revolve around selling food. You can choose to sell everything from frozen pizzas to cookie dough to gourmet coffee. Everyone needs to eat and you’ll be providing easy to prepare options.

 

 

  • Car Washes: sports teams often put together car washes in the school parking lot or at another popular location. Kids and teens will love playing around in the water and there’s not a lot of overhead cost to make this fundraising idea work.

 

 

  • Auctions: get local businesses and parents to donate items for an auction to benefit the school. You can do a regular auction or go the silent route. Either way, people will enjoy bidding on items that they want.

 

 

  • Bake Sales: parents or other family members bake deserts, breads, and other goodies for this event. You can combine this activity with others or have it alone. With little overhead, you can make a lot of money.

 

 

  • Rubber Duck Derby: individuals buy a duck and on the given day, ducks are released into a local pond, lake or river. The first duck to cross the finish line wins and the individual with the duck’s number gets a prize.

 

 

  • Other Events: other school fundraising ideas include dances, potlucks, carnivals, and other activities. These events generally require advance planning, but they can be fun for the whole family.

 

There are a host of school fundraising ideas out there. You just need to decide which ones will work best for your school. Consider how much money your school needs to earn, how many volunteers you’ll have, and what will work best in your community.

How to Find a Unique Fundraiser

While other organizations rehash the same old fundraisers yet again, you can rake in money for your organization with a unique fundraiser. Innovative ideas are more likely to generate excitement and word of mouth publicity. You’ll bring more people to your fundraiser when you’re doing something different that meets the needs of the community.

Think about your organization and what resources are available to you. You’ll also want to keep in mind the target demographic that you are trying to reach. This may be the entire community, art lovers, or parents of school children depending on your organization and ideas. By considering what resources you have, you’ll determine how much money you have to spend, what talents people have, and the facilities that you have available. For example, if you have a church building, you could put on a talent show, have a murder mystery dinner, or sponsor a dance-a-thon.

Look around at what other groups have done for unique fundraisers. Online sites, such as message boards, can be great places to find what organizations are doing. Keep in mind that you can always tailor any idea to fit your needs. For example, a poker night may not work for your group, but a monopoly marathon might.

Keep in mind that new trends are often great things to build a unique fundraiser around. Consider new games or sports that could make a tournament or afternoon of fun. You might also choose to change the rules up on an existing sport to make it more challenging or fun. Don’t forget that old things can become popular again. Consider a sock hop or a disco party, for example.

Find unique products or food items to sell. If you have creative people in your organization, consider designing your own t-shirts, hats, or other items. You could auction off services or goods produced by members, including art, organization help, fishing trips, and so on. Have members consider what they are good at and design the fundraiser from there. You can also purchase unique items from commercial companies to sell as a fundraiser.

The examples of unique fundraisers are as wide open as you can imagine. Some individuals have done fundraisers by accepting donations for "dares." Other organizations have done unusual raffles and games. Still others have developed wacky game tournaments.

Step outside of the traditional to think of a unique fundraiser. You’ll need to have courage and patience to pull it off and have others see your vision. Trying something new and unique can often translate into more excitement, publicity, and donations.

Fun Ways to Raise Money for Your Organization

Nonprofit organizations always need money and resources, and finding fun ways to raise money is an important task. Fun money raisers keep everyone excited about participating in the fundraiser and will earn your more donations in the end. The key is to plan the event well, use creative ideas, and make sure everyone is having a good time.

Here are a few fun ways to raise money for your organization or club:

 

  • Have a talent show: this works especially well if you have a number of creative people in your group. Have people pay to enter and to attend. Ask local businesses to donate prizes. You can also sell refreshments and food.
  • Host a themed party where participants pay a certain amount to attend or participate. You could have a casino night or a luau. Encourage individuals to dress up according to the theme.
  • Throw a carnival or festival. Include games and activities for different age groups. For example, you could have a fortune teller, face painter, and puppet show, to name a few activities.
  • Get someone to do something for donations. This works great if you can get a local celebrity or someone well-known to the organization. Have them volunteer to do something like spend time in "jail," shave their head, or any other embarrassing activity if donations exceed a certain amount.
  • Plan an excursion and collect a participation fee. Make sure that the fee covers all activities and supplies for each individual and makes the organization a little extra donation. You could have a scavenger hunt at a local park or take the group to a museum or amusement park.

 

There are many fun ways to raise money for your organization or group. When you are considering ideas, think about your organization and the donors you are trying to attract. What is fun for a group of five year old may not be fun for a group of retirees. You might ask your target demographic about some of your ideas and see which ones they like.

Get creative when thinking of ways to raise money and don’t be afraid to try something new. Innovative, fun ways to raise money will keep everyone interested in participating and will increase the publicity for your group.

Coming Up with Creative Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is an important aspect of any nonprofit organization, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with creative fundraising ideas. Too often, nonprofits use the same fundraising ideas over and over again, without injecting any new ideas or excitement into their search for donations. Creative fundraising can rejuvenate donors and bring new ones into the fold with new and innovative fundraising ideas.

Keep in mind both your organization and the group that you are targeting for your fundraising. In some cases, these groups will be similar in demographics, making fundraising easier. In others, you’ll be working with diverse groups. For example, you may be fundraising for a children’s sports team that wants to sell something to adults. In this case, you want something adults will be interested in but that children (or their parents) can provide. Small towns will also require different tactics than large, urban areas.

Assess the talents and resources that exist in your group. Many times organizations fall back on existing ideas rather than coming up with creative fundraising that draws on what their members are good at. For example, you may have a number of business owners in your organization. Consider hosting an auction or have a themed event with prizes from these companies.

Ask around to see what other organizations have done. Online resources are a great place to search as well and you may find similar organizations to yours that have events that worked for them. Don’t be afraid to modify an idea to make it fit with your group or area. Something that sold well in another area may not have the same appeal in yours. Brainstorm with group members, kids, and friends about ideas.

Think about what people need or want in your area or group. More people will participate if they find something useful for them about the event, service, or item. For example, if you have a lot of young families in your town, think about events like fairs, festivals, and carnivals that have many activities for kids. Parents will show up because it offers them something fun to do with their families and because it’ll keep the kids entertained for a few hours.

Look for trends in entertainment, fashion, and other areas to find creative fundraisers. If an activity is catching on, host an event that is centered on it. Make and sell items that people want. Creative fundraisers that are trendy and fun will get you more support and donations.

Creative fundraising doesn’t have to be hard, but you will need to put some thought into it. Creative fundraisers are those that offer something different or new to participants. They don’t have to be costly or detailed. Creative fundraisers should be fun and unique.

Simple Fundraising Ideas

You can get great donations and publicity without a lot of work by using simple fundraising ideas. Sometimes, you want a fast, easy fundraiser that’s not going to take months to plan, a lot of money to pull off, or tons of people to make it work. When that’s the case, simple fundraising ideas are a godsend, giving you quick, easy, cost effective fundraising ideas for your organization.

Here are some fundraising ideas that won’t break the bank or take months to pull together:

  • Donation Can or Box: this is one of the simplest fundraisers out there. You just place the donation can in a popular area and make sure that it’s marked. You can also partner with local businesses by placing a donation can at their location. Then, every so often, you collect what’s in the can for your organization.
  • Change Drive: this is similar to the donation can idea, but individuals collect their spare change and bring it to you on a certain date. Many churches have used this idea to help fund missions. Children collect coins in small containers that you can give out and then bring them back at the appointed time.
  • Potluck Dinner: if you have your own location, this is a great way to bring your organization together and fundraise at the same time. Everyone who attends is asked to bring something to eat that will be shared with everyone. You can either put out donation baskets or you can require that each person pay a certain amount for the dinner. This simple fundraising idea works on a small scale with a few friends and on a large scale with entire organizations.
  • Car Wash: put together a car wash at a parking lot. Team up with a local car wash, grocery store, church, or other business that was access to water and a big area to wash cars in. Kids and teens will have fun playing in the water as they wash cars. This is also a great way to publicize your organization through signs at the event.
  • Bake Sale: have club members bake goodies and desserts that you can sell to members of the community. If you can piggy back this event onto another community event, like a parade, ballgame, or festival, you’ll get more people to your booth or bake sale.
  • Business Donation: many businesses want to help out the community, but they may not have the time to volunteer. Call on local businesses and ask them for a donation to your organization. You can even put together a sponsor list for your website or club newsletter.

Simple fundraising ideas are everywhere; you just have to have a little imagination to find them. The good thing about these fundraisers is that they are easy and don’t cost a lot to do. Even small organizations can use a simple fundraising idea to get donations and support.