Put the Fun Back in Fund Raising
Has the fun gone out of your fund-raising? Stale, overdone events like bake sales, or car washes are old news. It’s no wonder enthusiasm for these worn-out projects is hard to muster. Different and creative are the buzz words for successful fund-raisers. Here’s some suggestions to bring fun (and money) back to fund-raising:
1. Singing Christmas cards: Similar to a singing telegram, this fund-raiser is easy, since we can all sing Christmas carols. The singing can be shared among the group membership to lessen the time committment or each group of four or five people cna take a designated night of the week.
2. Sponsor a renaissance fair: The Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval recreation group) has chapters all around the country. They may be willing to demonstrate fencing, period dancing and jousting and other medieval activities for free. How about a medieval fashion show? Period food items might include: apple cider, beef stew or small meat pies. Money is raised through admission and sale of food or medieval items.
3. Tiny tot wedding: As the name implies, the format for a tot wedding is a simple one. All the parts are played by children. The bride and groom should be around four or five years old, with the minister slightly older perhaps age seven. The flower girl and ring bearer should be only two or three years old. A reception is included, including all the usual events, like a cake cutting and bouquet toss. Funds are raised by charging admission.
4. Create a balloon picture: This fund-raiser works well with youth groups. The object is to create a large picture on the floor, using varies color balloons. Sturdy string boundaries hold the colors in place. When the picture is complete, admission is charged to view the finished product. The picture could be as elaborate as a map of the U.S. or as simple as a bouquet of flowers. It possible, the venue should be a location where the audience can view the picture from one or two stories up.
5. Parable of the talents: This unusual fund-raiser begins by giving each member of the group money, instead of asking for it. Amounts might be between $10-25 or more. Participants are given three months to double or triple the money. In this way, individuals have freedom to use their own unique talents. One person might buy seedlings, grow the plants and sell them, while another might choose to invest in a sturdy snow shovel and clean walks.
6. Bake sale for Pets, combined with a dog wash. It’s easy to find home-made dog biscuit and cat treat recipes. These treats are generally easy and inexpensive to make. This fund-raiser works well for kids starting as young as eight or ten. Combined with a dog wash, this project can provide a fun and profitable Saturday afternoon. You’ll need pet shampoo, some buckets and several garden hoses.
7. Silent service auction: Window washing, lawn mowing, dog walking and grocery shopping are all things we’d sometimes like to avoid. With a silent service auction, participants bid on paper, for a certain number of hours of service, such as two hours of painting. Teenage boys and men might offer carpentry or car maintenance. Of course, the service time goes to the highest bidder.
8. Inch Luncheon: The element of surprise and curiosity makes the inch luncheon fun. Participants are asked to attend a special Inch Luncheon, without any explanation. Upon arrival, they discover that, instead of paying a set price for a meal, each pays according to her height. An example might be ten cents per inch. Each person is required to step up to a doctors measuring chart and her height is announced to all present.
9. Lunch with the Mayor: This project is actually a “have lunch with the mayor” raffle. However, it could be done with a home-town celebrity or any other politician who is willing. Sell chances for several months in advance to maximize profits. In addition, the tickets should be relatively inexpensive, such as one dollar per chance.
10. Host a Travel Series: The travel series requires a bit more work, however, if run properly can generate a good profit. The series should consist of between three and six travel programs over a period of months. It’s often possible to find presenters who have videos or color slides and personal anecdotes to share, free to charge. Dolls, ethnic costumes or foods of the region can be added to give the evening extra flare. Organizers might want to get funding and/or sponsorship from a local travel agent. If possible, try to sell tickets in advance for the entire series package.
11. A One Day Vacation: Is there a popular destination within two or three hours of youi hometown? It could be anything from a theme park, gigantic shopping mall or a historical sight, just so it can be visited in a day. It takes some preliminary planning, a chartered bus and creative publicity. Offer a box lunch or box supper for added revenue. Along the way, hold funny contests and mini-raffles to entertain your captive audience on the bus.
Finally, here’s a few more ideas to get your creative juices flowing: The bottomless soup bowl, handyman services (they only accept donations), treasured heirloom exhibit, doll house displays, cooking class-made-easy for the guys, best neightbor-in-the-world contest and community recipes collections.
As with any fund-raiser, thorough advantage planning and publicity will make all the difference. Whatever you do, never skimp on publicity. If it’s more people you require, many cities have volunteer networks or a local chapter of RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) with willing volunteers ready to help.
