Top 12 Fundraising Projects to Bring Some Fun in the Sun!

By Thomas R. Reich

Fundraising projects do many positive things for a nonprofit organization.  They can bring in much needed funds and that is important, but they can also foster a sense of community, both within the organization and with the community as a whole.  Having car wash or bake sale can get your volunteers together with your supporters in a way that can be fun in the sun for all.  Events and fundraising projects such as Golf Tournaments, dinners and expos can attract new volunteers, donors and associates of all kinds, as well as great PR and positive recognition.

Let’s look at the 15 innovative ways your organization may plan to generate funds with fundraising projects and foster community, adding a little fun to your nonprofit!

1)       Bake Sale – The bake sale has long been a popular part of many nonprofit fundraising projects schedules.  Let’s inject a little more fun in the sun into the proceedings.  Encourage everyone involved in your organization to donate a prized baked good.  Use your social Media and blog to publicize the event, this is a very effective way to draw new people and expose them to your cause.  Possible hold a contest, judged by those that purchase the baked goods.  Each purchaser gets a vote for their favorite baked good, this way the vote is anonymous and lots of fun!

2)      Raffles – Raffles are an effective way to raise money. You can give away a few smaller prizes or one big one in these fundraising projects . No matter what you choose to give away, make sure the prize is something that people want and are thus willing to purchase a raffle ticket. Usually the profits from the ticket can cover the cost of the prize, better yet, try to get the prizes donated and leave as much of the money for the fundraiser cause.  You should include a raffle in all the events that you hold and consider holding a large non-event focused raffle once a year. Just always make sure the prizes are really great!

3)      Competition – Holding some kind of competition is a fun way to raise funds. These fundraising projects could be a singing competition, dancing competition, beauty pageant, or whatever kind of competition appeals to you. Sell tickets to prospective audience members and offer some kind of prize to the winner of the competition.

4)      Flower Bouquets – On Valentine’s Day, Mothers Day even color themed for other holidays.  Tie the bouquets with a color coordinating bow and offer a personalized card, even delivery for a price that makes the donation worth the time and expense of delivery.  Always brand the flowers in these types of fundraising projects so the receiver knows the sender has made a donation to your cause, sometimes this gets an additional donation from the recipient or an order for another bouquet to yet another deliveries’, and the exposure and community networking goes on.

5)      Doughnuts – Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has great fundraising programs where the nonprofit sells orders for the doughnuts, and after getting dozens or hundreds of orders, part goes to Krispy Kreme, but much is kept by the nonprofit.  Your organization can either take the doughnuts to a central pick-up point, or deliver as suggested above, ether way can bring some fun in the sun!

6)      Cookie Dough Fundraiser – For nonprofits with lots of volunteers willing to make lots of pre-made cookie dough, this can be fun fundraising programs.  You can offer different kinds of dough or only 1, and again it can be delivered or picked up at a central point.  An alternate plan would be to put the ingredients into a bag mixed but dry, with instructions to add appropriate eggs and butter or oil in attached instructions.   Always include a message about your cause and a request for additional donations in this type of fundraising programs.

7)      Car Wash – A car wash is another classic group fundraising programs!  It is also simple and does not involve much investment of time and money in advance, and will defiantly bring some fun in the sun.  The event should be properly promoted through community calendars, and all social media of everyone involved in the organization.  Provide plenty of soap and water, towels and make sure to practice so the time it takes to wash 1 car well, is reduced.  In addition, sell advanced tickets for car washes, you may find many who buy a ticket to participate, but never actually show up, and we love those kind souls!

8)      Craft Fair – If you have many talented people in your organization who enjoy making crafts, hold a craft fair.  It gives your participants a chance to show off their work in these types of fundraising projects, while bringing in much needed funds.  This event could also give your organization the possibility of holding craft classes (an additional source of funding) and selling the resulting crafts in the craft fair as well.  If you choose the class option, use the craft fair event to sell additional classes!

9)      Penny Drive – Penny Drive fundraising projects ask people to donate the pennies that they have lying around.  They can also donate any loose change or money they may have.  Penny drives are good fundraisers because they don’t make people feel like you are asking too much, but also give them the freedom to give as much as they want.  An alternative to this is a mile of pennies drive, get a local hardware store to donate 1 mile of masking tape.  Take as long as it takes to fill up the tale, length by length, it is fun, attracts attention and really lets people participate in the drive!

10)   Guided Tours – For a small donation, charities and nonprofits can arrange guided tours of various points of interest in the local community in these types of fundraising projects.  You might want to theme it to your particular mission as a nonprofit, or just of seldom seen points of interest.  This can be done as a onetime thing with ticket sales in advance, or it can be an ongoing activity of the organization. In any case you will bring some fun in the sun!

11)   Sacking Groceries or Pumping Gas – this is a chance for visible members of your organization to get involved in fundraising projects and have some fun in the sun with a fun and substantial fundraiser.  You sell tickets in advance to have a board member bag your groceries or pump your gas at a particular time and date.  Alternatively, you could get local celebrities to do the same thing, the key is to sell tickets in advance, and set a specific time.

12)   Singing Telegrams – If you have singers, or just fun loving good hearted types in your organization, this may be a great group of fundraising projects for you!  It can be fun to pre-sell singing telegrams in line with an upcoming holiday, and is a great excuse to bring some fun in the sun.

No matter what the choice, fundraising projects should only be a part of what you do to raise funds for your organizations.  We have tried to give you some ways to get out into your communities, bring some fun in the sun, meet people, gain some funds and have a little fellowship along the way.

Please join us this Wednesday for “Fundraising Ideas” with nonprofit expert Howard Walker.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm online from CharityNet USA .com
Key Note Speaker: Howard Walker

Nonprofit Fundraising Expert Howard Walker is back for this vital topic, Fundraising.  Howard will bring real world examples of successful fundraising efforts, and set you on course for some great fundraising events.  We will cover volunteer programs, managing the fundraising efforts, and the necessity of keeping proper control and security of funds and your good name.  Fundraising can bring in more than just funds; it can gather new volunteers, donors and spread the word of your cause.  All it takes is the knowledge and desire to succeed; we give you the knowledge FREE in this information packed webinar!

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/314521114

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