Find Your Inner Fun-raiser!
If you have never raised money before (or even if you have), it is probably a little frightening. Rest assured, most people feel the same way! The key is enthusiasm and passion. The words may not be perfect, nor the exact answer you want on the tip of your tongue – in the words of St. Nike – “Just do it!” Below are some ideas you can consider when creating your own fun-raiser!
Work the Neighborhood
There are countless opportunities to raise money within a few miles of your home. Think about it: the coffee shop, gym, workplace, laundromat, car wash, supermarket, newsstand, dry cleaners, video store, dentist's office, bar, deli, parking lot, bike shop, and the pizza place. You patronize these businesses all of the time -- ask them to help you out with your fundraising effort. How?
- Just ask for the donation.
- Put a poster in the window, explaining what you are doing and how to help.
- Display a donation box and/or letters & donation forms on the counter.
- Ask the business to donate a portion of their proceeds on a given day.
Get Social
Making contact with as many people as possible will be key to your fundraising. Chances are, your friends and family will be more than happy to be a part of your fundraising campaign, but you will probably need to go beyond your inner circle.
- Throw a party!! Ask everyone who attends to write a check when they enter the front door.
- Host an event -- a film screening, boat cruise, or a band night in a local bar.
- Ask your friends to ask their friends for donations.
- Then ask their friends to ask their friends.
Bring It to the Office
Your place of work is another good source for donations. How can your business help:
- Just ask for money. Your company might be happy to donate to your fundraising goal.
- Then, ask for more -- see if your company has a matching gift program.
- Send an e-mail to the entire company with a donation form attached.
- Set up a small display -- hang your poster in a prominent place.
- Approach clients, vendors, or anyone else that your company does business with (make sure it's OK with the boss!).
- Host a lunchtime meeting and do a presentation about your commitment to the cause.
Timing is Everything
Special circumstances can provide an ideal opportunity to grab a donation. For example:
- Use March & April to suggest a great way to use tax refunds.
- Birthday coming up? Ask for donations in lieu of presents.
- Throw a Super Bowl party, selling betting squares with 50% of the money going into the pot and 50% towards your fundraising goal. Who knows -- maybe the person who wins the pot will graciously choose to donate those winnings towards the goal as well!
- Do the same with Golden Globes and Oscar parties -- put together a sheet of all the nominees for all categories and get everyone to select who they think will win. You can do this as a party, or even as an office pool.
Get Crafty
Use your creativity, whatever it may be. Everyone has the ability to do something well; sell your product or skill to benefit your fundraising campaign. A few ideas: cookies, lapel pins, knit caps, poems, chili, short stories, tax preparation abilities, photographs, babysitting time, car washing, drawings, language tutoring, personal training, t-shirts, designated driving, dog-walking, errand-running, gardening.
- Garage Sale - Time to get rid of all of those miscellaneous items in the garage and attic. Ask your friends to do the same. Put it in your front yard and sell, sell, sell! Put all the money raised toward your fundraising minimum!
- Bake Sale - Become Julia Child (and ask your friends to do the same) and host a bake sale. You can even have it in conjunction with your garage sale. It is a fact that people will buy more stuff on an empty stomach!
- Extra "Change In My Pocket" Box - Create these little boxes for your friends and family and have them place it on their dresser. At the end of the day they can drop that spare change in the box. Before the pledge deadline, you can gather the boxes and count the dough!
- Office Fundraising Challenge - Speak with everyone in your office and get them to challenge each other to raise the highest amount. Give the "winner" a prize. Maybe some movie passes? Gift certificate to dinner?
- Answering Machine Message - This will alert everyone who calls you at home that you are up to something special! Let them know that you need their support!
- Ask your local waiter/waitresses to donate a portion of one day's tips - Ask your local waiters and waitresses to donate a portion of their tips to your cause.
- Ask your local bartender to donate a portion of one day's tips - Ask a local bartender to donate tips from one night. You can create a sign for the bartender to place on the bar stating that "All tips collected tonight will go directly to Lund Family Center.” If the patrons see that sign they may be willing to dig a little deeper in their pocket!
- Theme Party/Dinner - Hold a theme party for 10 (or more) of your friends. Donation: $50.00 per person. Spend no more than $20.00 per person on the food and you'll have $300.00 (or more) in donations by the end of the night.
- Valentine's Day pledge - A great time for your sweetheart to make a donation.
- Creative Friends - Find a local artist or a creative friend to donate art or jewelry to be auctioned.
- House Warming Party - Are you moving anytime soon? If so, ask your friends to make a donation instead of purchasing a gift for your new place.
- Color Donation Forms - Capture your receipients attention. Send them in colored envelopes too. These will stand out among your friends' bills.
- Radio Station - Call your favorite radio station and ask them to make an announcement on the air. They may even interview you. Donations can be sent directly to Lund.
- Gym - Ask your gym to place a Pledge Jar at the front desk! Leave a stack of pledge forms at the counter, too.
- Hair Salon - Ask your barber or hairdresser to donate $2.00 from every haircut they complete during the weekend.
- Picnics - National holiday picnics are a great place to raise some money!
- Mow-a-thon - Get your kids involved in this weekend activity. Check ahead of time with all your neighbors and ask them if you can mow their lawn (or shovel a driveway!) for a donation to Lund!
- Neighbor - Write to all your neighbors on your block (or in your building). Attach a letter stating what you're up to and ask them to make a donation.
- Free Rent! - Ask your landlord to donate one-month's rent to the cause! (You never know).
- Garden Tour - Check with a local historical society to see if they would sponsor a garden tour of one or several homes in your area. Promote the event in local newspapers.
- Meet the Press - Does your company distribute a newsletter? Does your company have an intranet message board? Take advantage of these! It's a perfect way to get the word out.
- Karaoke Night - Who cares if you can't carry a tune. Spend a Friday night at a Karaoke Bar and sing your guts out! Have the announcer tell the crowd that you're singing for pledges!
- ebay.com - Remember the garage sale idea? Auction off the remaining items on Ebay.com.
- Company Vacation Days - Ask your boss or human resources director if they can swap one of your vacation days for a day's pay.
- Pet Television show finale Party - Remember when Chandler married Monica? Remember when Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer ended up in jail? How about when Niles and Daphne sped off in an RV on the "Frasier" finale? Gather a big group and friends and watch a series finale. Charge them at the door of course, and put the $$ toward your fundraising.
- Game night - Get out those board games and start playing! Break into teams and let the fun begin.
- Host a poker game - Call your serious (or not so serious) card-playing friends and invite them over for poker night.
- Bowling Nights - Plan a fun night of bowling at the local alley. Ask the owner to waive the fees and you can collect that money and apply it to your campaign.
- Used book sale - Old books sitting in the attic collecting dust? Ask your friends, family and neighbors to donate whatever they've have and host a book sale in your front yard.
- Local Stores - Ask a local store manager what the hot selling item is these days and whether or not they would be willing to donate a % of sales from that particular item to Lund.
- Curse Jar - Place a Curse Jar in your office and whenever someone says a bad word they have to open up their wallet, grab a dollar and put it in the jar.
- Dress Down Day - Ask your company to allow an official Dress Down Day. For the privilege of dressing down, employees donate to Lund Family Center.
- Company Grants - Find out if your company offers grants to employees who volunteer their time for charitable causes. You may need a letter from us stating that you'll be volunteering in the office and we'd be happy to make that happen.
- Church Bulletin - Place an advertisement in your church bulletin letting the congregation know what you're up to!
- Inspirational Book Marks - Create them and sell them to your friends and family.
- Rock on! - If you know any musicians, ask them to perform a benefit concert.
- Children's Party - Throw on that Barney outfit and get out there! The kids will be having fun as their parents are writing you pledge checks!
- Wine and Cheese Party - Host a party at a local restaurant and ask the owner to donate the wine and cheese.
- Do you have a favorite magazine? - Call the editor and ask them to be your sponsor. If you have subscribed to a particular magazine for a long time they may be willing to give something back to you.
- Fraternities and Sororities - Contact the national chapter of your college fraternity or sorority and ask them to make a donation.
Whatever the "event" fundraising is fun! We can help you find the perfect fit for your or your company!
For more information, please contact Kitty Bartlett at
(802) 861-2580 or via email at kittyb@lundfamilycenter.org.