Fundraiser Ideas

[jonesbeach10]

One of the clubs I'm in at my school is in need of some serious fundraising right now and the advisor has asked us to come up with as many ideas as possible. Right now, our most successful fundraisers are carwashes, but we can't realistically have one every weekend. We can't sell at any sporting events either because it's Booster Club territory. Anyone have any ideas or experience with successful fundraisers?

The only other stipulation is that because it's the end of the year, seniors become disinterested and those that have no desire to be an officer next year won't care as much until next year starts up again.

[pinacolada lover]

If it's the end of the year have a yardsale at someone's house. That way you can get rid of stuff you no longer need.

[sy]

One of the clubs I'm in at my school is in need of some serious fundraising right now and the advisor has asked us to come up with as many ideas as possible. Right now, our most successful fundraisers are carwashes, but we can't realistically have one every weekend. We can't sell at any sporting events either because it's Booster Club territory. Anyone have any ideas or experience with successful fundraisers? .

Not sure what club you're in, but when I was in college, we needed to fundraise for some of the stuff we wanted to do, and came up with setting up at local craft/fleamarket sales (and since it's springtime, they're all over the place) and selling food (think pre-made hoagies, candy bars, etc.). The tables were dirt cheap, and usually you can get a very good deal on fundraiser specials from your local market, wawa, etc. We made a bundle.

Some of the places wouldn't allow food, so we sold things like those Smencils (fruit and flavor scented pencils), and other small, cheap fundraiser type things.

That and we always had a 'pity us' sign big and proud on the front of the table to beckon people in. (also didn't hurt that all us girls wore semi-skimpy outfits, too ).

Not sure if that helps or not. Good luck!

[TommyBahama]

Golf Tournament!!!!...Great Money Maker!!!

[freaky4tiki]

Golf Tournament!!!!...Great Money Maker!!!

excellent idea! could be billed as a family thing? get some donated gifts? got connections to a golf course? maybe a NEW golf course that wants to bring in some business?

[bravedave]

It's kind of a big deal, but you could throw a bash and have a progressive raffle where you must be present to win. Have the prizes increase in value as the party goes on. The funds could come from selling admission tickets, or selling food and drink, or selling raffle tickets. (One element should be free or cheap to drive the crowds to your door.) Offer big advertising value to those who donate prizes or food/drink.

[PHAW Webmistress]

50/50 raffle - 50% of the $$ raised goes to the club 50% goes to the winner? No real energy spent or time consummed except for the marketing and selling of the tickets.

[rednekkPH]

This time of year it's hard to go wrong with a motorcycle poker run.

[buffettbride]

This time of year it's hard to go wrong with a motorcycle poker run.

With strippers.

[buffettbride]

My daughter's school has really minimized the "selling stuff" fundraisers for more active fundraisers.

We have 4 standard fundraisers each year:

1. Summer golf tournament
(entrants pay registration free that is donated to the school
2. Back-to-School Gold C book sales
(% of sales goes to the school)
3. Fall auction dinner/dance
(people donate items and people bid on them to raise money)
4. Spring laps-for-life
(kids are sponsored by friends and family to run laps. each laps = a certain amount of dollars)

In the past they did a year-long penny drive to try and raise 50,000 pennies.

Have people donate items for a school-wide garage sale.

[Island_Dog]

I've been involved with LOTS of fundraiser, many for my local Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. Here are some that have been successful for us.

1. Garage/Yard Sale with a twist. Get permission to use your school gymnasium or a community center and then sell space to the public where they can bring in their stuff and sell it. Have two or three sizes of "booths" taped off and sell for different prices. Lots of people have yard sales, but they have to pay for their own advertising or don't live in a good location. We had a lot of luck with this. Shoppers get to see lots of stuff in one place and don't have to travel all over town.

2. Bowlathon - lot of work

3. Golf Outing - lot of work

4. 5k or 10k run. For some reason, people pay to run. I never understood it, but hey, whatever works. I don't run unless someone is chasing me.

5. Spaghetti dinner. CHEAP to make, easy to serve at a location or even deliver.

6. Battle of the Bands

7. Flock It! - LOT of work, but a LOT more fun. We've done it in stretches of three nights and seven nights. It's a riot! - http://www.getflocked.com/ , http://www.flamingoflocking.com/ , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo_flocking

8. You could always host parrothead phlocking.

Good Luck!

[bravedave]

One of the clubs I'm in at my school is in need of some serious fundraising right now and the advisor has asked us to come up with as many ideas as possible. Right now, our most successful fundraisers are carwashes, but we can't realistically have one every weekend. We can't sell at any sporting events either because it's Booster Club territory. Anyone have any ideas or experience with successful fundraisers?

The only other stipulation is that because it's the end of the year, seniors become disinterested and those that have no desire to be an officer next year won't care as much until next year starts up again.

Describe your market for us, please.
Will it be mostly 18-25 yo college students?
Undergrads? Graduate students?
Singles? Marrieds? (w/kids?)
Townies?
Median income?
What kind of town?
(Big? Small? Industrial? Bedroom community? High cost of living?)
Sports franchises?

[jonesbeach10]

One of the clubs I'm in at my school is in need of some serious fundraising right now and the advisor has asked us to come up with as many ideas as possible. Right now, our most successful fundraisers are carwashes, but we can't realistically have one every weekend. We can't sell at any sporting events either because it's Booster Club territory. Anyone have any ideas or experience with successful fundraisers?

The only other stipulation is that because it's the end of the year, seniors become disinterested and those that have no desire to be an officer next year won't care as much until next year starts up again.

Describe your market for us, please.
Will it be mostly 18-25 yo college students?
Undergrads? Graduate students?
Singles? Marrieds? (w/kids?)
Townies?
Median income?
What kind of town?
(Big? Small? Industrial? Bedroom community? High cost of living?)
Sports franchises?

Well Long Island is essentially a gigantic stretch of suburbia.
We're middle class - no colleges in the area, closest pro sports team is the Islanders (NHL) and the LI Ducks (independent minor league baseball). Our community is pretty representative of America: a good amount of diversity from all backgrounds, many families, some retired elderly to make school budget votes a pain. The only other stipulation I forgot to add is that we can't sell home made baked goods - they have to be store bought, so any traditional bake sale is out of the question.

I like the idea of a yard sale though.

Keep the ideas coming!!!

[Ceol na Mara]

I belong to a Women's Club in NJ. One of our biggest money makers was the town-wide garage sale. We held it on Sunday in one of the town parking lots (our county still has Blue Laws - stores are not open on Sundays). We sold spaces to people (I think for $25). Whatever they made was theirs. We also had a 50-50 (you had to be there to win, but we held several during the day). Some towns require a gambling permit for that. We also had a refreshments table - coffee and donuts were sold in the morning, soda and hot dogs in the afternoon. Make sure you look for where the electric outlets are and make sure the electricity is turned on! We also had a space were club members could bring stuff to be sold and the proceeds would go to the club.

You mentioned the end of year. I'm not sure you would have enough time to do it at this late date. A lot of these things take time - planning, finding locations, advertising ahead of time both for people to buy the spaces and then to advertise for people to come to the sale, scheduling on the phone with the people buying spaces and getting their money and sending them a contract, buying food for sale, permits, etc. But we netted $2,300 one year and $1,930 the next. We held it for several years and then it seemed people were sold out!

The Flocking idea sounds like a lot of fun! I've never heard (herd) of it. What happens if you put it on someone's lawn who is not a good sport?

[Ceol na Mara]

This site also has some great ideas:

http://www.fundraising-ideas.org/

[ragtopW]

This time of year it's hard to go wrong with a motorcycle poker run.

With strippers.

I love this woman...

[bravedave]

There are groups around here that provide services to home-owners -- stuff they wouldn't think to do for themselves -- like paint address numbers on the curb near the driveway. This might take a little research, but it's probably worth $10-25 to a homeowner and it only costs you some paint and stencils (your labor is n/c )

You could also offer to scrub sidewalks, front stoops, garage floors, driveway stains, etc. Few people think to do this themselves, but it make the house much more attractive.

Window washing could be a challenge -- and a little dangerous to boot, but no more than housepainting. And the materials costs are low. This is a good time of year to offer window washing, gutter-cleaning, etc.

Our local KofC delivers orders of bagged mulch to homeowners, for just a little over the cost of buying the mulch at the garden center.

If you are having trouble selling your services in a neighborhood, pick a visible location and give the owner one "on the house." This will help reel in the next fish. And so on.

[freddyfishstick]

Best thing you can do- whatever you choose has to be something that is fun. My good friend who is a very successful fundraiser http://www.ideawild.org Is fond of saying
"We are putting the FUN back in fundraising" And that seems to help get him enough volunteers to make it all happen.

[ragtopW]

have you ever thought of a quick bank job???

[Ceol na Mara]