While fundraising is something that your organization may have to do on a regular basis, it doesn’t need to feel like a chore. There are a number of fun strategies that you and your organization can use to keep volunteers energized and the general public willing to give at levels that allow you to fulfill your goals.
Penny Wars/ Jar Wars Is Fun and Easy for All Ages
The Penny wars concept is one that is appropriate for any age and is also easy enough for kids and adults to participate in at the same time. As the name suggests, you encourage donors to fill a jar that is labeled with a person’s name, an object or anything that you feel is relevant.
There are a number of ways that you can play this game. For instance, if the jar has a person’s name on it, you can reward that person for soliciting the most amount of money over a set period of time. Alternatively, you could choose to attach some sort of consequence for having the most money in the jar. For example, if the school principal’s jar is filled the highest, that individual would have his or her head shaved.
Schedule a Charity Softball Game
Although you can choose any sport that you’d like, there are a number of reasons why you might want to consider playing softball. First, it is a game that almost anyone can participate in regardless of their physical limitations. In addition, it’s unlikely that anyone will get hit by the ball while at bat or while running the bases.
This further limits the risk of injury to a teacher, student or other members of the community who may not play sports on a regular basis. Other sports that are fun and easy for anyone to play include kickball or flag football. You might also consider games such as miniature golf, bowling or darts in lieu of those activities.
To further bolster interest in this game, you could involve various groups that the community generally supports on a regular basis. For example, you could invite the local police to take on students from the school looking to raise funds for new football uniforms or to play in a tournament in the next state over. This may increase interest in the event, which could lead to additional ticket sales. An increase in ticket sales may also lead to increases in parking fees collected and concessions sold.
People Enjoy Going Out to Eat
It’s not uncommon for families to go out to dinner on Saturday night or out to breakfast on a Sunday morning. Therefore, it may be a good idea to ask those who are already going out to spend their money at your potluck dinner or pancake breakfast. In fact, you may be able to partner with a local establishment to host the event or provide the food that will be sold outside of a church, school or lodge.
Let Your People Get Creative
Do you know someone on your fundraising team that likes to draw? If so, you may be able to provide an outlet for that passion by auctioning a drawing, painting or similar work of art created by that individual. You may also be able to put drawings on t-shirts, mugs or other items that can be sold to the general public.
Of course, if you are going to sell a work of art, it’s important to ensure that you have the rights to do so. You can do this by executing a contract stipulating that the work belongs to your nonprofit or a contract stipulating that you have a license to offer it to others. It’s also important to ensure that the work is original and does not infringe on another person or entity’s ability to benefit from their intellectual property.
Engage in a Fun Challenge
You may be able to raise funds by finding sponsors for a running, biking or swimming challenge. The goal would be to find individuals or companies willing to pay $1 for each lap that you run around the school’s track or each lap that you swim around the community pool. You can also ask for lump sum contributions if that is more palatable to those who want to donate.
Whether you work with a youth group, a homeless shelter or an organization that seeks to help animals, you’ll need money to meet your goals. Therefore, it’s important to have a number of ideas that you can rely on to make the process of obtaining that money as fun as possible.
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