| Fundraising Ideas |
Polar Bear Plunge – A Chilly Fundraiser
If you are looking for a free fundraiser that’s really cool, the Polar Bear Plunge is definitely the way to go. These Polar bears show no fear as they suit up in their swim suits and plunge into the 44 degree water! Some call them crazy, other call them fun, but which ever you call them it is all done for a good cause. Fundraising Ideas for the Polar Bear Plunge
Finding a place for the plunge is generally easy because it has to be done at a local lake, swimming hole or river. The event takes place in the winter time which is another positive for organizations since there are not typically many fundraising opportunities in the colder months. There are a couple of different ways to make money from this type of fundraiser. Your organization can either charge participants an entry fee or they can solicit pledges on a per minute basis. For example, a pledge may be a $10 donation for every minute in the water. Another great way to raise money from this cool idea is to sell hot chocolate, coffee and other baked goods to the swimmers and the spectators. Polar Bear Plungers
Sometimes it takes a little bit of persuasion to get volunteers for your plunge, but add a few good prizes and watch them dive in! Seriously get together some donated prizes that would make everybody want to come out in their swimming trunks. It is also very popular to ask local celebrities to take the plunge. Here is a list of potential plungers:
Volunteers for your Polar Bear Plunge Fundraiser
The vast majority of volunteer need comes in the planning stage of the fundraiser. You need someone to prepare advertising material, promote and keep track of the money. The recruitment of polar bear plungers is a large part of the need for volunteers. Of course you will need help on the day of the event, but with this type of event most of the activity takes place in the planning stages.
Make sure to include a map to your Polar Bear Plunge!
Looking for more free fundraising ideas? How about an online fundraiser?
11:03 - 12/19/2007Fundraising, One Penny at a Time
What good will a penny do for a fundraising campaign? If you’re asking that question, you’ve probably never held a penny drive, and you don’t know what your organization is missing!
A penny drive is an easy fundraiser and wonderful way to involve all members of your organization. Everyone will feel like a valuable member of the team, and with very little investment, you will be able to raise some much needed funds.
Museums, sports teams, churches and schools have all used penny drives. They lend themselves especially well to churches and schools, or any organization where there are a lot of children.
Here’s how it works: Each participant is asked to collect pennies. It’s that simple, and there are several ways to do this. You will find a few ideas below.
Penny drives are a good way to get even the youngest children involved in your organization’s fundraising efforts. People who may be reluctant to part with a few dollars will often be more than happy to donate their pennies. Groups who have held penny drives in the past will testify that those pennies add up quickly.
In addition to helping raise money, this event allows many people to volunteer their time. Once the penny drive is over, you will need several volunteers to help count and roll the pennies and other change that has been collected.
While you aren’t likely to raise money with this as quickly as the ever-popular cookie dough fundraiser or some of the online fundraisers, a penny drive is a good way to supplement your other efforts. As you know, every little bit helps!
07:29 - 11/27/2007Choosing the Right Fundraiser
When your school, group, church or organization needs to raise money there is only one way to do it effectively: have a fundraiser. A fundraiser will allow your group to raise the amount of money that they will need for what ever purpose they need money. A fundraiser also allows the community to become involved bringing everyone closer together. There are many fundraising ideas to choose from and you must decide on what you think will work best for your group and in your community.
Some really great ideas can be a car wash or a bake sale. Of course you may want to adjust any ideas you have if they will be taking place outside. A car wash in November in a colder climate would not be advisable and you may want to save that idea for the spring or summer. But a bake sale in November would be a great idea. You could package them up for holiday gifts for people to give away. Also when looking for fundraising ideas to help your group or organization raise money you should decide on what kind of fundraiser you will want to have and stick to it. Having fundraisers like an online auction or a bake sale is a wonderful idea and if it fits the needs of your group and community then do that, but there are also other types of fundraisers.
Selling merchandise from a fundraiser catalog is a really great way to raise money successfully. These types of fundraisers usually work well for a school or a church. They are the kinds of fundraisers that have the students go door to door selling different items in a catalog and in around two weeks they send all the money they have collected off and the merchandise is shipped to the school. Once the merchandise has arrived the students go around again and deliver all the merchandise that was purchased by the supporters. These types of fundraisers are really good at raising money for your group or organization because there's something for everyone.
Of these types of fundraisers there are many different things to sell. You have probably had children come to your door to sell you something in the past. There are things like candles or candy, such as the World's Finest Chocolate to be sold. Some groups choose to sell frozen cookie dough and items that you can bake. Other groups choose a catalog of small gift ideas and these are very popular just before the holiday season arrives. It really depends on how big your organization is and how big you want your fundraiser to be. Again it is also important to choose the correct fundraiser idea at the correct time of the year. Trying to sell holiday gifts during the spring will not work as well as it would in November.
These types of fundraisers will need to have much more hands-on than other types. There is a lot of work to do and if you choose to do this type of fundraiser you should also choose a committee of volunteers to help with it. These people will be in charge of handing out all of the catalogs to the students and help to collect any monies that are collected. They will also be the ones to do the ordering at the end of the fundraiser and make sure everything is accounted for. Also when all of the ordered merchandise comes in they will be the ones to distribute it to the appropriate student and make sure that everything gets delivered properly to the recipient. It is a very big job and take a lot of work but it is a very effective way to raise funds for your group or organization. 02:01 - 11/19/2007 Ideas for Holiday Fundraisers
With the holidays fast approaching this is the perfect time to take advantage of the holiday themed fund raisers. With a holiday themed fundraiser people will be able to purchase holiday items through you, helping your cause and at the same time getting some of their holiday shopping done.
There are many ways to do a fundraiser around the holidays. You could do a traditional door to door sale, but there are other ways also. You could set up a booth or room if you are doing your fundraiser for a school or church. The "store" could be open at certain times during the day. If it is for a school having the store open before school starts and after school works out wonderfully. Sometime you can even have the store open during lunch periods or recess so all the students could purchase something. This is a great way for the children to buy holiday presents for all of their loved ones. If it is for a church you could have a booth set up before and after services and on certain days have it set up all through any church function.
Many different items can be sold in the holiday store for the fundraiser. There are key chains and some wonderful jewelry for moms and sisters and grandmothers. There are also some sports items for brothers and uncles and dads. There are even tool kits sometimes for grandfathers. Some companies even have gifts for family pets. There are many, many items for your group to sell for their holiday fundraiser.
You can also offer people the option of ordering their holiday gift items through a catalog. A fundraiser catalog usually offers hundreds of great gift ideas such as decorative items for the home, delicious chocolates, scented candles, gift wrap and many more items straight from the gift shop.
Many companies that specialize in holiday fundraisers offer other incentives for choosing them. Some companies will offer to take back any unsold items so that your group is not stuck with a bunch of unwanted merchandise after the fundraiser is over. That is a wonderful offer and many companies do that. Some offer advertising suggestions to help you with your holiday fundraiser also. They will give out calendars or daily balancing sheets to help you become successful.
This kind of holiday fundraiser is really a wonderful idea and can generate a lot of money for your group. If the store runs for about a month or so before the holidays it usually gives everyone involved time to come in and check out all the merchandise for sale. There are always gift ideas for everyone and in every price range. You can encourage students to come and purchase one thing a week for family members if they do not have all the money they need at once. This works well for them also as it breaks up the amount of money they will need at one time.
Kids feel great when they are able to purchase a holiday gift through a fundraiser. They are able to shop and pay for the gift all on their own and they achieve such elation when giving their gifts.
Don't forget the holiday decorations. Another great way to raise money through the holidays is with a Christmas wreath fundraiser.
12:03 - 11/7/2007Warm Holiday Fundraiser
Candle fundraisers are a very popular type of fundraiser around the holidays. By using candles as a way to raise funds, your school or group can raise a lot of money for whatever it is they need. Some groups need new uniforms or money for a group trip somewhere. Whatever the need a fundraiser is a wonderful idea and if it so happens to fall around the holiday seasons, a good choice is a candle fundraiser.
There are some very nice candles that your group could use in this fundraiser. One of the most popular types of candles would have to be Yankee candles. Other candles that are great for a fundraiser would be "Love that Smell" candles, Aromalight candles, and Southwest Candles. There are only a few companies that offer their candles for fundraisers.
You will have to do your research on what candles really smell the best and also what company will allow you to raise the most money. Some companies will give you a better deal on the candles and that will allow you and your group to make more money.
There are many different types of candles and not only the scent of the candle. There are beeswax candles and soy candles and regular paraffin candles too. Some companies' candles will smell better than another's but you can’t tell that from your computer so if you don’t know from previous experience you will have to see (or smell) for yourself.
Now as far as the scents go there are tons of them. Each candle company will have its own signature scents but there are always scents like apple and vanilla and lavender. These are candle scents that are staples in most company's scent vaults.
If you happen to pick a candle that is coming out around the fall, you will see plenty of pumpkin or apple spices. There are usually some kinds of maple scents also. Christmas time will also bring around the aromas of evergreen trees and cookies and gingerbreads. Anything that reminds people of a holiday can be made into a candle scent.
The holidays are the best time for a candle fundraiser as they make great gifts. The candles make great holiday gifts that can be given to teachers, co workers, bosses or neighbors. Everyone loves candles and at the holiday season many people give them away as gifts. Receiving a candle as a gift for a holiday present makes everyone happy and when you purchase a candle through a fundraiser event you are also helping people in your community.
Using candles as an item for a fundraiser can be a great idea. Picking a good time for the event is also contributes to how much money you will raise. Doing a candle fundraiser in the middle of summer will usually not give the same results as a fundraiser during the holiday season. By picking some great candles and a good time to do it you and your group should be able to raise all the funds you need.
12:09 - 10/26/2007Powerful Tips for Fundraisers
By holding a fundraiser for your school or group you will be able to raise money for things that you need. Some schools or groups need new uniforms or to be able to pay for travel to a competition or something like that. Putting on a money making event or selling products is the usual route to reaching your goals.
One of the first things you will need to do when organizing a fundraiser is to decide on what kind you will want to do. There are lots of fundraising ideas that you can choose from. Your organization can choose to sell food items or candles or coupon books or put on a profitable event, such as a movie night or competition.
A really popular idea these days combines environmental awareness with raising money; collecting used inkjet cartridges and cell phones for recycling. This works especially well for large organizations with kids because it teaches them about ecology and raises money at the same time. Collecting the cartridges can be turned into a friendly competition, which will really boost earnings.
Your school or group may decide to go with a popular standby such as selling candy or doing scratchcards. These are both time-tested and reliable money-makers. A candy fundraiser, in particular, works very well because, in most cases, you’ll have the candy on hand and don’t need to wait until the product arrives to give it out to the people who purchased it. If potential customers can see the items already in their hand they are more apt to purchase something, instead of having to order the item and wait several weeks before it arrives. Selling candy works great for this reason. Plus, it’s inexpensive both to your group and to your customers and always has strong demand.
Scratchcards don't require any delivery at all because there's no product involved. They're truly one of the easiest fundraisers because it's a fun game to play and all money is collected on the spot. Learn more about scratchcard fundraisers.
If you choose a product fundraiser, there are plenty of web sites on the internet that can assist you in this department. There are some sites that have several selections of fundraiser ideas and others that specialize in only one or two things. Most of the web sites will offer items for your fundraiser at about the same price but there are some that if you buy a certain amount will give you a better deal. Basically the more you buy the better the deal you will receive. Other things to consider:
The web site will then send out what ever material you will need to send home with your students or group members. Parents can help by asking family members and co-workers to buy items for the fundraiser. They can also help by taking the younger children around the neighborhood and going door to door.
How to Raise even more MoneyEmail is another powerful way to publicize your fundraiser. Have your supporters send a heart-felt letter to everyone they know. Be sure to include a photo of the person sending it and a photo of your group too.
In your letter, make a strong case for the fundraiser. In other words, don’t just mention the fundraiser and hope for the best. Tell them why you’re trying to raise money and that, without their support, you may not be able to go on that trip or get the equipment you need - or whatever the goal is.
Go the extra mile and send a follow up letter if the prospect hasn’t ordered after a week or so, and make sure that you also send a strong thank you letter when they do. This should be done no matter what fundraiser you choose and it will drive greater support the next time you need to raise money.
12:10 - 10/22/2007The Chocolatey Part of a Healthy Fundraiser
In the world of fundraisers there are none more popular than candy fundraisers. We have all had these in our areas, a fundraiser where someone is selling candy to raise money for their school or organization. We may say that we do not want to have all that candy in our homes but we always purchase some for a good cause. Partly because it’s inexpensive, and partly because we can’t get enough chocolate. Oh yeah, and the money goes for a good cause too. Wink-wink.
Kidding aside, a candy fundraiser is a great way for an organization or school to raise money. One of the first things you will have to do is get one person or a committee to be in charge. This same committee must then decide how much money the group will need to raise. Once that is all figured out the committee can order the appropriate number of candies or chocolate bars. Candy usually one of the fundraisers where the item comes first and your supporters don’t have to wait for it to be ordered and then delivered weeks later. Chocolate bars and lollipop fundraisers are both good for this.
Once all the candy arrives the committee will usually divide up the candy among all of the participants and they will all go out and sell as much candy as possible. The candy will sell anywhere from a few dollars to five dollars each depending on what you are selling.
If there are young children selling the candy for the fundraiser an adult or much older sibling should accompany the young child. The child can go door to door in the neighborhood or outside of a store or parking lot, again only with the guidance of an adult.
A parent or family member may also bring the candy to work to help sell it for the child. These may sell especially well in the work place. People usually buy the fundraising candy bars on the spot, and the swarms of people shows that they really enjoy it. Some people would rather buy a candy for a snack or perhaps even their lunch. One thing is sure; you won’t have any trouble selling it.
The group may also decide to sell the candies during a function or a fair of some kind. This will bring the candy to lots of people and allow a very large amount of candy to be sold. This will bring in plenty of money for the fundraiser. Probably the only thing that is difficult about selling it for a fundraiser would have to be the disappearing candy: for example, when someone in the home eats several candies without paying. I know that whenever my children would sell the chocolate bars for a fundraiser there would always be a few missing and I would have to pay a few extra dollars towards them. That was always ok and has to be expected at times. As long as all the candies are paid for there is never a problem.
Once all the candy has been sold the committee will deduct all the proceeds from the original cost of the fundraiser and whatever is left over will be the profit.
When people can see the item right in front of them they tend to purchase more easily than when you will have to deliver it to them at a later time. Candy bars are great for this purpose.
Fundraising products in general are great for earning any kind of money a group needs. By using the candy as the item for the fundraiser, your group or school insures that they will indeed bring in plenty of profits because the candy is always in demand.
02:28 - 10/15/2007Cookbook Fundraisers Can Be A Great Choice
A really fun way to do a fundraiser is by using cookbooks. Using cookbooks as a tool for a fundraiser really brings your school, church, group or whatever organization you are with closer together.
There are a few different ways to use a cookbook for a fundraiser. One way is for your group to organize it and collect recipes from people and then take it to a Kinko's or a similar place and have it printed. This way is just fine however you may end up spending a little bit more money than you had originally planned on and your cookbooks may end up costing the community a little more money to make up the difference.
There is another way. The wonderful internet! The internet is chock full of web sites that are set up to help you with a cookbook fundraiser. All you need to do is a little bit of research to decide what web site you and your organization will be better off choosing. After deciding on who will be the editor or the project manager (basically the person who is in charge of everything) you need to figure out how you will collect the recipes and from who you will collect them from. You could advertise in your group or organization about everyone participating by offering a family recipe that they have. You will need to make a deadline for everyone's recipes to be submitted by.
There are web sites that will email people and ask for their recipes online. They can log in to the web site and submit the recipe that way also. This makes it pretty easy for the editor to organize all the recipes for the cookbook when they are all submitted online. Make sure that everyone in your group has submitted a recipe to be used in the cookbook also. Most web sites will send out emails to people you have listed or that have signed up just before the deadline to make sure they all remember to submit a recipe.
After all the recipes are in you can start to decide how many pages your cookbook will be and how the cover will look. Most web sites will give you options of the color of the binder, whether or not you will want to use pictures in your cookbook, basic design of the cookbook can be decided by you. The online web sites will usually have a minimum number of cookbooks you must order. Some will have 50 or 100 copies.
Web sites will usually sell the cookbooks to you for around $4 or $5, but it depends. Some can get them cheaper or if you use less pictures and different design choices your cookbooks may be less expensive. Once everything is designed and ordered you will only have to wait a little bit before your cookbooks arrive. Once you receive them it is up to you and your group or organization to sell them.
There are some wonderful ideas for selling the cookbooks to the community and raising money for your group. One idea is to have a small community get together. Have everyone who submitted a recipe cook it and bring it to the party, kind of like a pot luck dinner. Then set up like a buffet and invite tons of people from the community. When they are eating make sure to let them know that it is a fundraiser and all the recipes that they are enjoying can be found in your cookbook. You are sure to sell plenty the first day. Other selling methods include door to door and taking the cookbooks into the workplace or schools. Have fun with it and you will soon raise all the money you need to raise with your cookbook fundraiser.
02:08 - 10/8/2007Big Fundraisers for Big Hearts
Many businesses get involved lots of different fundraising events. The business owners do this for many reasons. The first and most important reason is to help out the cause of their choice. The second reason businesses get involved in donating their time and resources is for free advertising.
When you attend a non-profit fundraiser, you as the guest are made aware of who is donating to this event. In response you might feel inclined to venture out to the business on your own, whether it’s because the product was good or just simply because you know that that business has a heart and you would simply like to support the business as well.
The children's foundation hosts an annual pig roast in Suffolk county, New York once a year to support a needy family. The people that oversee the foundation receive letters from many families telling of their hardships and heartaches they have experienced with their children. Many of these children are sick with a terminal diseases or illnesses. The families have medical bills that are enormous and out of their reach to pay off. Many families put their houses up for sale and any and all of their valuables to put towards these medical bills and medicines.
The children's foundation picks whomever they feel needs the help, and essentially start planning a fundraiser to help out the family. It is a immense process and takes a very long time to get together everything that they need to host this pig roast. First they arrange for an appropriate location. It usually takes place in Sayville, New York. Then they find vendors. Beverage companies donate the soda, beer and hard liquor. Restaurants donate the food. Big companies like Lays donate chips and pretzels. Ice cream companies donate their creamy inventory. Not only do all these companies donate a lot of products, they also have employees that donate their time for free of charge. The advertising companies post the event for free, and even local radio stations get involved.
The ticket price for a guest is $100. All the proceeding go to the family. There are usually over one thousand people at this event. They have live music, D.J. and all kinds of entertainment. They also sell raffle tickets, gift baskets that are donated, plus casino games, and all kinds of merchandise that people can purchase. It is a very exceptional day. Everyone feels good about what they are doing. Toward the end of the night the host of the children's foundation gets up to the microphone and introduces each and every sponsor that helped out in making the event possible. They present each sponsor with an award. Then the family gets up and thanks everyone for all that they have generously given. They tell their story of what hardships they have faced and the difficulties that lie ahead.
Some people tend to think of raising money as a school activity, from selling candy and magazines, to conducting bake sales, yard sales, etc., but school fundraisers are just a small part of the money raising world. Fundraising is done all over the world for many different charities and non-profit groups, using a variety of fundraising ideas. Money, it would seem, is always in short supply.
01:41 - 10/3/2007School Fundraising for Fun and Profit
School fundraisers are a wonderful way to raise money for things that a school needs. And they always seem to need things beyond what their budgets will allow. These money-making activities have been around for many years and can raise a lot for the group or school.
There are a bunch of fundraiser ideas for schools. Some popular ones are coupon books or perhaps scented candles. Both of those sell really well. Also there are cookie dough fundraisers and fundraising bracelets that are especially popular these days. There are many more, you only have to choose something that you think your community would be interested in.
Selling candy is always a very popular idea. Companies such as World’s Finest Chocolate specialize in raising money for large groups.
When raising money with product sales, you should always start by deciding what you are going to sell. Have a meeting and put some ideas out there to be discussed by everyone involved. Once everyone has agreed upon an idea it is time to contact a reputable company. The internet has a plethora of web sites that you can order items from for your fundraiser. Most of them are fairly priced and will give you a large profit. Still there is always someone who is a bit cheaper so if you really want to spend a bit of time and research the sellers a bit. Keep in mind though, that price is only one part of the equation. Other things to consider:
Once you have made the proper connections and have decided on what you are going to sell you need to get the product out in the community. School fundraisers typically call upon students and their parents for this. Now high schools and middle schools should always hand out safety tips. Even though some may consider the students as a little more grown up they are still effectively children. Students from elementary schools should always be accompanied by an adult.
Some students and their parents will choose to contact everyone in their family. Whether they send them an email or call them up on the phone the student's family can be a great connection to selling a lot of items. Everyone wants to help a loved one. Some of the fundraiser web sites also have it set up so people can order online. The student would send emails to everyone they know and the people receiving the emails would just go to the web site and purchase something giving the student and their school credit for it.
The key here is not just send a generic email to everyone on the list. Personalize the letter so the person knows you took the time to write specifically to them. Remember also to make a case for your cause. Tell them why your raising money and that their contribution (by buying from you) will really help.
Another helpful tip is to use a time limit. You really cannot have a event that lasts for months. Two weeks is usually a perfect amount of time to do a school fundraiser. It gives just enough time for the students to get out there and sell and not too much time passes before the customers receive their merchandise. Keep track of who buys and who doesn’t and, a few days before the time expires, send out a pleasant reminder (making your case again) to those who haven’t purchased.
For an added touch, put a face on your project by including a photo of you with your school group; your team, your class, or whoever benefits from the fundraiser.
Important: Be sure to follow up with a gracious thank you letter to everyone – even those who didn’t contribute (you may even pick up a few more sales that way).
A school fundraiser is a wonderful idea to raise money for your school. It requires help from the faculty and the students and even the student's parents, bringing everyone closer together. A school fundraiser allows everyone to help and feel that they have contributed to their school's needs. It also will help the school raise the money they need for the year and it will allow all of the customers a feeling of community support.
10:22 - 9/26/2007Burning HOT Fundraisers
Fundraising can be an important event for any school or organization. There are many fundraising ideas to choose from. Selling candles as a fundraising idea is one of the best. Candles are a great fundraising idea because they are pretty easy to store and distribute when they are received. Also most schools have their fundraisers in the beginning of the school year and Thanksgiving and Christmas are the best times to sell candles. People always want to buy wonderful smelling candles during the holiday season.
There are two ways to use candles for a fundraiser. First you could make them yourselves. The other way is to choose a candle company and sell pre-made ones. By making the candles yourselves it could increase your profit. This idea would work much better for a smaller organization such as a Girl or Boy Scout troop, a school club or something like that. By having a smaller group of people make the candles you can ensure that almost all the candles would be the same way. Trying to organize a school of 350 elementary students to make candles could be a bit difficult and it would be a wise idea to just purchase the candles in this situation.
So based on the number of your group you should decide whether you will buy or make your candles for the fundraiser. If you are doing the fundraiser for a school or another large group buying them would be best. Trying to find a place to go through for your candle fundraiser is simple. Just look online to find a company that you will want to work with. We all know that different candles smell different and you should choose the best one. Also you want to base your decision on the amount of money you will make for your organization. The most profit is really what you are after.
Most companies will have a large assortment of scents to choose from. They will usually offer catalogs of a small pamphlet that will have all the information about what is for sale. The candles may be sold door to door in a neighborhood or a parent or grandparent may bring them to work and sell the candles to co-workers. This provides a safe environment if the group that is doing the fundraiser has small children in it. Candles do offer a variety of ideas on how to sell. Parents can even have a small candle party at their house to sell these candles.
When first deciding on the candle fundraiser the group leaders should meet and discuss their goals. Deciding on exactly how much money they need to raise is an important first step. Once that is done you can tell how exactly how much each participant needs to sell to make it to the collective goal. The group leaders must also decide on the length of time that they will sell the candles for the fundraiser. Usually two or three weeks are a sufficient amount of time for most fundraisers but others may need to go a bit longer. The only thing you need to remember about doing a long fundraiser is that the people who first ordered will have to wait even longer before they receive their merchandise and the amount of time may deter them from purchasing something.
Once the fundraiser has ended and all the money has been collected the group will send out all the information to the candle company and the orders will be shipped. The group will usually receive the merchandise and then distribute them all to the customers that paid for the candles. This really is a simple idea and it works great for fundraising.
11:34 - 9/18/2007Sand and Rubber Fundraiser
Both silicone and rubber are used to make bracelets for fundraising. You know those cute little bracelets that the whole world is wearing? These rubber "awareness" bracelets are taking the world by storm. There are tons of fundraisers that use them because they’re fashionable, inexpensive and easy to sell.
These silicone bracelets are quickly becoming a trademark of fundraisers. You can use these for anything from school fundraising to a Girl or Boy Scout troop fundraiser or even a church group fundraiser. Perhaps for a school club or sports team they also may be used.
Silicone bracelets come in a wide variety of colors. There are solid colors or marble shades. They may even be imprinted with words like the name of your school or club. These bracelets were made popular by organizations such as ONE.org and Lance Armstrong "livestrong" promoting their causes. Supporting our troops can now be seen on a person's wrist. It seems to form a bond between the people or community wearing these wristbands.
These bracelets are of a universal sort so it is not too feminine for a male to wear proudly. Also they are usually colorful enough for females to enjoy wearing. They are not gaudy and most people are accustomed to seeing people wear them. Most businesses allow these bracelets to be worn whether they support the cause or not.
To use these silicone or rubber wristbands as a fundraiser idea is simple. You would need to decide first if they are going to be sold by themselves and the fee used for supporting the organization. These trendy bracelets have and may be sold for a variety of denominations. Sometimes these wrist bands are used as a parting gift or as a side gift for a donation or for supporting a dance or dinner to help raise funds.
Finding these bracelets are probably the simplest of things to do. There are some good companies that will make custom bracelets for your organization for a good price. Buying in bulk is the best way to do it. You can choose from embossed bracelets or printed bracelets. The embossed ones will last longer because there is nothing to rub off since the message is molded into the bracelet.
The more that are sold for donations the more funds your organization will receive and the more people will get your message out there. Besides the more you order in bulk sizes the cheaper the initial cost to the organization. If you buy say 250 each bracelet may only cost $1.25. As you purchase more bracelets in the bunch you may find that a silicone bracelet or wristband will be something like $.58 when you buy 2,500. That’s not a bad deal.
The idea here is really simple. And again there are many, many organizations using this fundraiser approach. Every day you are bound to see at least one person wearing these silicone bracelets showing their support for something or another. So why not take advantage of a fashion craze while supporting your group or organization. If it is a good enough idea for global organizations supporting the fight of AIDS/HIV or supporting making a child's wish come true or ending world hunger or fighting then it is certainly good enough for a scout troop or helping to raise money for your local school.
12:57 - 9/17/2007Discount Coupon Books
Raise Money While You Save Money
Fundraisers have become an important part of almost every school’s PTA. Most schools will use these fundraisers asa way to help support their financial needs for events during the school year. There are many different ways to raise money and having a fundraiser is the most popular way to do it. The PTA will usually decide what they will sell during the fundraiser and a coupon book is a great item to sell.
A coupon book for a fundraiser will bring in a great amount of money. These discount books are very popular as the buyer may use them all year long. The most popular coupon book to use for fundraising would have to be the Entertainment book. Everyone has seen these. Schools offer these books for around $20 and they are filled with tons of coupons to many local stores and businesses. They even have coupons for business that are all across the nation.
Once purchased and delivered to the customer they may start to use the coupon book right away. The book offers many discounts to different types of local restaurants, usually around 50% off certain meals or a free dessert of some kind. They are useful to have around the house when you just want to do a dinner out one night instead of cooking.
The coupon book also offers many hotel discounts and even discounts for cruises and airlines. They also have coupons for car rental places throughout the nation. This is a great way to save a little money on that family vacation or a romantic getaway for two.
One of the most popular reasons to get one of these coupon books would have to be for the movie tickets. There are coupons in each book every year for discounts to the movies. Many people use these coupons every time they go to the movies and save a lot of money doing so. If you have a larger family with several children or even with grandparents this is a great tool to use for a money saving idea while enabling you to have a great family memory at the movies.
Another way to use these coupon books would be to use the many 20% off (and up) coupons they offer to many stores. Such stores as Target and Len's Crafters offer coupons in the Entertainment book. Saving money while shopping makes a lot of people a little happier.
These coupon books usually offer around 150 pages of coupons and deals to the consumer. The customers usually make their money back around the first time they use it. With so many worthwhile coupons and deals offered it really is a great purchase for most of us.
These books can be sold door-to-door by students or the parents can take them to work and sell them there. Most employers are happy to support their local schools and to allow their employees to help their own children out. Many children can depend on their families to purchase a few of these books also to help out.
Using these discount books as a fundraiser for the school is a great idea. It allows the students and schools to be supported by caring individuals and also allows the purchaser to support many local businesses. In every town or city it is important to reinvest in local businesses to keep the town's economy strong. So by participating in these fundraisers you are, in turn, supporting your entire town.
So when a child knocks on your door or one of your co-workers comes in one day with one of these discount books, give it a look. You will probably find that you frequent the majority of places that are in the book. Help everyone out and buy one, you will find the money you save will outweigh the money you spent on the book initially, and you’ll be helping a worthy cause at the same time.
09:51 - 9/12/2007Seeking the Best Fundraising IdeasFundraising has become a popular way for schools or sports teams or even scout troops to raise money. There are many fundraising ideas to choose from. Several ideas to use for fundraising include the sale of silicone message bracelets, or selling candles or even selling candy.
A group would have to meet and discuss the best way for them to make money through a fundraiser. Deciding exactly what they are going to sell. A bit of time invested in some internet research will help with this decision. Checking out websites that are dedicated to fundraising and the wholesale of certain items will be beneficial. The group could decide which item would be the best for them and what would earn them the most profits. There is a website called Fundraising Ideas Center that offers a lot of ideas for fundraisers.
There are many things to choose from. There are food items like frozen cookie dough and lollipops and one of the most popular, the chocolate candy bars. Also a lot of fundraisers use scratch cards or gift catalogs. Most fundraisers will offer incentives to the people who are going door to door to sell these items. After a certain amount sold they will receive certain prizes for free. This will motivate the sellers as they are usually children.
When deciding about what to do and what to sell it is important to decide what the groups budget will be. This way you will know exactly how much you can spend before ordering. You also need to know what your goal will be at the end. Knowing beforehand will help everyone. You do not really want to run out of things to sell just before you get to your goal. Once you have received everything you are going to sell you will want to have your group go out immediately. Having them go door to door in their neighborhood and work places of the parents. Also having grandparents and aunts and uncles helping will always help increase the profit.
Fundraisers really are a great idea when used properly. They will enable your group to raise money for your cause. Perhaps new uniforms for sports or a scout troop may be purchased from the profit. Also money can be raised for a trip your group needs or would like to go on. While raising money for your group the people involved will create a tighter bond with one another. They will be able to tell stories about selling their items. And hopefully share a story or two about a very nice neighbor who decided to make a large purchase from them. They will all appreciate the money they earned a lot more since they were out there raising it.
There are many ideas for fundraising. There are others that work better for some. You just have to discuss it with everyone. Some towns will be willing to help more if you are selling something that they really like. Take the Girl Scout cookies. Nearly everyone loves Girl Scout cookies and they sell very well. People will wait for them all year and then stock up when the time comes for them to be sold. Same concept with your fundraiser. Find something everyone will want to purchase from you and at the same time help support your fundraising effort.
Finding something to help raise money for your group is fun. With a little bit of time and some hard work it will all be worth it when your group achieves their goal. Just watch the items and keep track of how many are sold. More than once I had to reach into my own pocket to buy those candies my children sold for their school!!
01:38 - 9/4/2007Simple Ideas for Fundraising
There are many cost effective ideas that you can use for your fundraiser that will maximize your profits drastically. Fundraisers are an extremely effective way to raise money for non-profit organizations, as well as for schools. Before you go out and begin any type of fundraising event, I want to give you some simple and profitable fundraising ideas.
Fundraisers need to suit a specific age group. If you are looking to raise money for your children's soccer team then you will be looking at something that the children of that age group can help and be involved in it along with you. If you are looking to raise money for cancer research your options are much more varied in ages. So it's important that you select age appropriate fundraisers.
Here are some very simple fundraisers that you can do with your children.
Bake sales have been around for many years, and this is one of the best kid oriented fundraising ideas that are out there. Of course this means the moms are going to be doing most of the work, but it can be something that they can do together. Adding a new twist to this is by finding kid friendly recipes so that the children can be involved in the entire process. They enjoy it and you get to spend some extra time with your child. The children will then help sell these baked products at school, on the soccer field, etc.
This is another great thing for you to do with kids that are a little older: a car wash. Offering a $5 - $8 dollar car wash for a good cause is an excellent way to raise the funds that you need. Let's not forget to mention how much fun it will be for the kids. They really seem to like this type of fundraiser. I even had fun when I did this type of fundraiser for my school's basketball team, we really had a great water and soap fight. My eye still burns just thinking about it.
Now let's discuss some simple fundraising ideas for any age group.
Selling products, there are so many things that you can actually sell - food, candy, or candles. But one of the hottest items you can sell right now is the very popular silicone bracelets, which are another great way to make a great profit. You can custom design your very own bracelets right online and purchase a large quantity for nearly nothing. They can be any color that you want, put your own logo or slogan right on it. And you can expect a return on your investment of 100% or more. That's pretty amazing.
An entire day of face painting for kids. You will need to find some artsy people to donate their time, but this shouldn't be a problem. You can charge a few dollars for the designs and the kids will have a great time finding their favorite characters to put on their faces.
There are so many different things that you can do with fundraisers and the only limitations that you have is your imagination. If you are trying to raise money for a good cause and you are armed with a good fundraising idea then you should have no problem with it being absolutely successful. You can search for many more fundraising ideas right online, and by adding your own creativity to it you will be very surprised at the outcome.
11:23 - 8/22/2007Fundraisers for School
School is coming and with each new school year comes new fundraising efforts for the following year. You don't want to begin promoting just any product that comes knocking on your door, so it's important that you choose wisely. And there are some ways to select the best fundraiser that will produce the best results.
Fundraisers are like selling products in a storefront. People want to help with your cause, but they also want something to show for it, so they are picky as to what you have. So this is why it's important that you select the right products that will sell and help you raise the money that you need.
Let's first take a look at elementary school fundraisers because these are going to be the simplest ones. And it's important that you keep this in mind, the simpler the better for this. Since the kids are young, the ages are usually between five years old up to ten years old, so you want to make sure that the sales process is going to be easy enough for them to understand. And this can be done by selecting only one two products. Some good products for this age group include candle fundraisers and inkjet recycling. The latter because kids like the challenge of collecting things and there's no inventory or delivery to deal with. Mom and dad can help by selling candles at work and setting up collection boxes for ink cartridges.
Now for middle schools, these kids are usually ten years old up to twelve years old, and they can handle a little more than that of the children in elementary school. So you can give them more variations of products, but the payment process still needs to be somewhat simple for them. Scratchcards are great for this group because they're easy and fun and there's no product delivery involved. Magazine fundraisers are good too since they're sold completely online these days and the post office handles the delivery.
Here comes the fun ages thirteen up to eighteen, these are high school kids. These kids are almost ready for the real world and can handle a wide range of fundraising options. They are able to handle the money as well as the inventory. Some good fundraising idea's for this group is candy bar fundraisers, car wash fundraisers and much more.
It's important that you keep these little tidbits in mind when you are trying to select the best fundraisers for the different age groups. Fundraisers are a necessary part of school since it helps to give the children the things that they need for the next year that they will be spending in school.
Here are some more ideas to keep in mind:
Candy fundraising is always fun for the kids. Even though they often end up in their own bellies they still somehow manage to get the money that is owed. Most of the times they sell to their friends, or have their parents sell them at work. Some other places to sell the products are at sports events or standing in front of the grocery store. You've seen plenty of kids selling candy outside of a store and they always hit you up as you are just walking out. This is a great fundraiser.
Candles are great for the younger kids as mentioned earlier. These products are always something that people will buy. Everyone loves filling their homes with the wonderful aromas that they offer. And there is also a great return on selling different types of scented candles. Let's not forget that they make wonderful gifts for the teachers, relatives, neighbors, friends, co-workers, bus drivers for Christmas time and also for the end of the year.
There are so many different products that you will have to choose from just make sure that they are going to be easy to sell because if they're not, your supporters will get discouraged and you won't raise much money.
04:22 - 8/18/2007Raising Awareness with Silicone Bracelets
There are so many different types of fundraisers and it's sometimes difficult to decide which one is going to work best for your event. Sometimes it's a good idea to go with the type of fundraiser that is the newest, and there is a good reason for this.
Whenever there is a new craze people can't seem to get enough of it, and for a while now the new craze has been silicone bracelets, also called awareness bracelets, silicone wristbands, rubber bracelets, etc.
But plain old silicone bracelets are not enough, you need to have some fresh ideas if you want to raise money with them. You've seen these bracelets for cancer, and for "support our troops". They were even selling in all of the 7-11's around the United States, and were in such demand that they were often sold out.
Customizing your very own bracelets offers uniqueness to your event, and gives people an opportunity to spread the word about your organization. These high quality rubber silicone bracelets can be custom designed in many different ways. You can choose your own colors, font face, and even put your logo on it. They can be embossed (more durable) or simply printed (less expensive).
Choosing the right wording and adding your organizations name will definitely help to advertise your efforts and in return you will begin to see an increase of donations, just from other people wearing your custom designed wristbands. The ideas that you can come up with for these popular bracelets are simply endless.
The days of coffee mugs that can only be seen when your donors bring them into work are long past, and should not be thought of for anything other than a great gift from your kids on Mother's Day and Father's Day. Plus, creating mugs can cost a pretty penny.
Silicone bracelets, on the other hand, are very cheap and can cost a mere fifty cents each if you order only 500 pieces, and of course the more you order the bigger the discount that you can get. You can then sell them for a dollar or more and realize a profit of 100% or more.
It's really easy to get your silicone wristbands customized because you can order them right online through a manufacturer. All you will need to know is what message, design, color and font that you want to have on the bracelet and then they will take care of the rest. Your only limitation to what you can do is your own imagination.
There are many ways that you can get ideas for your own fundraising event using silicone bracelets, and that is by looking at other organizations and companies designs. You can find samples by doing a search online; try "ideas silicone bracelets", or "silicone bracelet message samples". There are many things that will come up.
The most important thing that you need to do, besides selling (or giving away) as many wristbands as possible, is to make sure your organization's name is on them, or at least its logo. You want people to begin noticing your group's name, because this will spur their interest and build awareness - hence the name, "awareness bracelets".
The amount of time required from order to shipment varies from company to company but it usually takes 2 – 4 weeks for you to get your order.
It is a cost effective and also a fairly simple process to get your customized silicone bracelets. The hardest part is coming up with ideas and spreading the word to your supporters.
01:23 - 8/14/2007Bakeless Bake Sale FundraiserThere are many different reasons for having a fundraiser to raise money for whatever cause you are involved in. After a while they all seem to become the same traditional fundraising event that are selling the same products (such as candy fundraisers). So you what you need to do is begin looking for new ways to attract people to help with your fundraising efforts.
Recipe #2: No Bake Fudge
Recipe #3: Butterscotch unbaked cookies
Combine milk, butter, sugar, salt. Boil 1 minute (Can be 2) Remove from heat add rest of ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper let cool.
You are going to be able to quickly put together an amazing treat for a good cause. You can find many different bakeless bake sale recipes on the internet by doing a simple search and many of them will be a huge hit at your fundraiser.
01:12 - 7/11/2007 |
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