Fun Event Ideas (click the link for more information)
Bake Sales; Bake sales have long been one of the most popular ways of raising funds for schools, religious organizations and social clubs. They can be great moneymakers because there is little or no actual capital required. All of the baked goods are usually donated. Bake sales are also known community social events. People enjoy getting together over a common goal. Whether it’s the people behind or in front of the table, they just love to mix and mingle at a bake sale. Here are several points to hosting a successful bake sale for your organization.
Yard Sales; Yard-sales are perfect fund-raisers. When you hold a yard-sale, everyone on the team can pitch in, bringing their old or unwanted items to a central location. Everyone works, either tagging items, running the cash register, or baking and/or handling the food for the day. (If everyone on the team bakes at least two items, you should have enough for a good-sized sale.) Remember that cupcakes and cookies should be sold separately, as they are easy, quick one-person snacks, and will sell for more money individually. Organize a lemonade stand as well. People enjoy yard-sales, and helping out, especially when the cause is for children.
How to raise $1,500 in just six weeks
Theme Bake Sale – Team members bring in bake goods centered around a holiday theme
Book Fair – Team members donate their used hardbacks and paperbacks to be sold
Flower Sale: It’s Spring! One simple, method is to hold a flower sale. Talk to local nurseries and find out if you can purchase a certain amount of flats at a discounted rate. Explain that you are volunteering for the American Lung Association of West Virginia organization, and where the money will be going. Have each team member sell flats of flowers to their neighbors, family and friends. Raise the price a notch. Make sure the fund-raiser is bringing in a profit of at least $2 per flat. Let everyone who purchases flowers know it’s a fund-raiser and where the cash will be going.
Chinese Auction - Items donated from local businesses. (i.e. restaurant certificates, massages, rounds of golf, oil changes etc)
Golf Tournament - Vendors sponsor holes, Participants pay an entry fee, Pig-Roast for lunch, 50/50 raffle
Home Parties - Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Premier Jewelry, Crafts, Home and Garden, Tastefully Yours etc. many will donate 15 to 40% profit to the American Lung Association
Vacation Raffle – Each month raffle off one vacation day
Certificate Raffles - Gift Certificates to stores, a mall and/or restaurants, gasoline
Ticket Raffles – Tickets to sporting events, concerts, movies, plays
Supplier Raffles – Ask suppliers to your business to donate items either from their stock or items that they might buy and donate for a raffle
Holiday Raffles - Thanksgiving (turkey & fixings), Christmas (decorations, poinsettias) Valentines Day (dinner, spa treatment, etc.), St. Patrick’s Day (Notre Dame shirt; corned beef dinner; certificate to an Irish restaurant/pub), Fourth of July (red, white & blue picnic supplies, picnic basket, flag and flag pole)
Penny War (if you have more than one team at your business)
Softball Challenge - Departments form teams – Prizes for highest sponsorship; Sell drinks; 50/50 raffle
Whose Baby Picture Is It? - $2 per vote, 50/50 split of proceeds
Dog Day - Bring in hot dogs, chips, etc to sell to co-workers
Holiday Gift Wrapping – Employees can bring in their holiday gifts once a week to be wrapped by team members
Karaoke or Lip Sync Contest – Have a contest in the company cafeteria with each vote costing $1. Singer raising the most money wins the contest
Company Sponsored Team Rewards
A little early but Christmas wreaths are easy to sell. Nearly everyone hangs a wreath on their door during the holidays, so there is always a big demand. Find someone on your team or committee who has evergreen trees in their backyard, or purchase a couple of bundles of greens. Wire coat hangers, reformed into circles, are the perfect size, and come with a built-in hanging hook.. Purchase wire at the local hardware store. The wire will be used to wrap the individual fist size bundles of greens to the ring. Add a red bow and pine cone decorations, or leave the wreath plain. Either way, wreaths are economical, easy to make, and beautiful decorations. Wreaths can be sold for anywhere from $8-20, depending on decorations, size, and quality.
How about a mock movie studio and sell popcorn and pop for $1 each. Another tested idea from the field a team constructed a wall with the words: Star Search...searching for the cure, and sold different size stars for $1 apiece. Each star–regardless of size–was one dollar. The purchaser could write their name on the star or the name of a loved one who might be battling cancer, or who may have lost the battle to cancer. The stars were then stapled to the wall. The stars were cut out of corrugated cardboard and spray painted a variety of bright colors.
Another good way to raise cash for a worthy cause is by selling stars for support, and hanging them in a centrally located area or arch. Preferably a store or mall will allow your team to erect a tree or arch in their lobby and keep it on display for the remainder of the season. This kind of fund-raising works well when raising funds for various events. For a different twist, try using a bare or “stick” tree for Easter and sell eggs. The person who buys the egg can have his or her name printed on the egg in bright colored shades.