Easy, Fun And Creative Fundraising Ideas

Looking for the perfect fundraising idea? Tired of giving money away to companies to make money? Here are some do-it-yourself fundraising ideas that are easy, fun and creative.

Easy Fundraising Ideas

• Prom Dress Sale: Ask women and girls in your community to donate their old prom dresses; most have only been worn once or twice.

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  Begin your quest a few months prior to when most schools hold this event. A month before, advertise at all the local schools and business, and two weeks before begin selling. Everyone wins! Girls get a twenty to fifty dollar prom dress versus hundreds of dollars and your organization collects all the proceeds.

• Fountains: Most fountains you see in courtyards and malls donate the collected coins to local charities. Talk to the company and see if one weeks change can go to your organization. Put a sign out so that people passing by will be more inclined to empty their pockets. This can be an effortless and quick fundraising idea.

• Coffee Can Loose Change: Gather together old coffee cans and create piggy banks for your cause. Make a slit for the change and craft a colorful and informative label. Local businesses usually will not refuse an offer to help out by allowing you to place the coffee cans at their registers.

• Advertising: Contact local newspapers or radio stations who, in general, are pleased to run stories about local charities or organizations with needs. Remember to include contact information about where people can send their donations.

Fun Fundraising Ideas

• Karaoke Night: Host a karaoke night and charge an entrance fee. It is not very expensive to rent a machine and provide snacks and beverages. You will have a blast seeing all you friends try to carry a tune to their favorite songs.

• Poker Night: Get together a group full of friends for a night of poker. Instead of collecting money for a pot, explain that all fees will go towards the local animal shelter or some other worthy cause. What a fun fundraising idea!

• Gold Tournament: Charge an entrance fee, which includes lunch and drinks, for a friendly gold tournament. Many ranges will give you a discount package if you tell them your cause. Don't forget prizes.

• Blind Auction: Ask people to bring a wrapped item of there choice, which may be disguised by weight and/or size. In at least one box, put something of value or money. After assigning a number to all packages, allow people to bid. This is not only a great way to raise money, but also a chance to get rid of something that has been taking up your closet space!

Creative Fundraising Ideas

• Auction: Instead of asking your friends and family to donate old items, ask local artist to donate a piece, movie theaters to donate tickets, travel agents to donate travel vouchers and restaurants to donate a dinner for two.

• Black Tie Bowling: Rally up your local bowlers and host a bowling competition. Ask the alley to shut down to the public for the night and include drinks and dinner in the entrance fee. Most businesses welcomingly help a cause with need.

• Raffle: Sell raffle tickets at schools, local businesses, church and other places for a large ticket item that may or may not have been donated, such as a TV or car. The excitement of winning such an item will have people buying multiple tickets. Be sure to check state and local raffle laws; in some areas, it may not be allowed.

• Flamingo Flocking: This idea is great for close communities. Buy 10-15 pink flamingos and randomly choose a yard to place them in. For a donation of ten dollars remove the flamingos, for fifteen, it moves them to another yard of choice, and for twenty, not only does it move them, but it makes sure that the pink pests will not return. Of course there will be people that require you to remove them for free, but most people will happily pass them on.

• Cookbook: Collect friend's and family's favorite recipes and create a yummy fundraising idea. Having participants email their recipes so that they may easily be transferred into the appropriate program. Almost everyone that donated a recipe will want to buy at least one copy.

• Swim for a Car: Find someone to donate a car, and place the key along with 99 other fake keys at the bottom of a pool. For a small fee, contestants have thirty seconds to dive in and retrieve a key to try and start the car. It is a good recommendation that contestant should be at least eighteen years old and sign a waiver.

ARCH. 1992. 21 September 2006. www.archrespite.org/archfs10.htm

Brain Injury Resource Foundation. 2006. 21 September 2006. www.birf.info/home/donate/creative-ideas.html

Fundraising Ideas and Products Center. 2006. 19 September 2006. www.fundraising-ideas.org/DIV/index.html