Unlike a traditional ice cream truck, or the hot dog and taco wagons at a downtown street corner, these new gourmet food trucks are modern kitchens on wheels.

Sure, you could raise funds with the old fashioned food trucks as well, but the diverse cuisines of the new gourmet food trucks will get people curious and surely attract a large crowd. Besides, who can resist a fundraiser that you can leave with dinner already taken care of?

How do you raise funds with food trucks?

1. First, decide on how you would like to make money with food trucks: you could charge a flat fee; you could ask for a percentage of sales; you could pre-sell food tickets; or decide on a combination of all these. But the easiest way to make money is to ask the owners of the food trucks for a flat fee or a donation amount of their own choosing. If you opt for the voluntary donation, be ready to name a suggested minimum.

2. To find food trucks that do business in your area, keep an eye on your local news sources, or go online and search for “food trucks” and “food stands”. You can also check sites like FoodTrucksMap.com, RoamingHunger.com, or Yelp.com and Zagat.com for more information. Yes, even Zagat, the well known restaurant review service has reviewed gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco!

Since food trucks usually tweet about their current locations, you can also try Twitter by searching for #foodtruck or #foodtrucks and see what comes up. Many food trucks will have the city as part of their username.

Talk to the owners of the food trucks and find out if they’d be interested in taking part in your event. If there is a lot of interest in your event, you’ll have to decide how many food trucks you’d like to host, which largely depends on how many people you think you’ll be able to attract to your event. To get a great deal of excitement going, plan for an event with at least five or six food trucks with different cuisines, possibly including a vegetarian/vegan choice and dessert. Pick trucks that offer a diverse selection of foods, so you’ll have something for everyone.

3. Decide who to invite to your fundraising event: is it only a specific group (like students and their families), or the general public? This may depend on how large and what kind of place you’ll be able to reserve and how many food trucks vendors have showed interest.

4. Before you book the food trucks, you’ll have to pick a place for the trucks to set up. It could be a school parking lot, in or alongside a park, or any other open space that has parking nearby and/or heavy foot traffic. Once you’ve picked a couple of potential spots, see what the availability is for these places for a few specific times.

Getting these permits and locking in specific dates with food trucks has to happen simultaneously: You don’t want to be stuck with a space that you can’t get the trucks to and you don’t want to reserve the food trucks for a date that you can’t guarantee a place for. Make a spreadsheet that lists potential locations, dates and food trucks so you can stay organized. Also consider drawing up a map that shows exactly where the trucks will set up, and where the trash cans and any seating arrangements can be placed.

5. Volunteers: Make sure you have at least one person available to direct the trucks on where to set up exactly and to answer any questions. This person should be available to the vendors throughout the whole event. You’ll also need volunteers who keep the place clean and keep an eye on the trash bins and empty them as needed, and volunteers who will stay after the event and will help clean up, and wrap up any business with the vendors.

6. Some food trucks will provide their own seating or standing tables, but some of them won’t. You don’t always have to eat sitting down, but it’s nice to have a place to put your drink. You could ask people to bring their own lawn chairs, or set up in an area that already has some seating options. You could arrange for small standing tables that can be rented from an event company.

In any case, you probably don’t have to plan for seating for everyone; many will buy their dinner and then leave, others won’t mind eating standing up, or sitting on a grassy area. However, do make sure your event is wheelchair accessible and you do have at least some seating available.

7. Arrange for trash disposal. Some foods may be wrapped only in a piece of paper, while others may be sold in a styrofoam box. You may also have to plan for lots of recyclables like bottles and cans (Recycle Bottles and Cans to Raise Funds). You may want to consider the amount of trash a food truck will generate before you make your final selection. Some owners will supply a trash can near their truck that they will service.

8. Time to announce your fundraiser! If you’d like to get a feel for how much interest your supporters would have, you could talk about your plans for your fundraiser on your blog or social media accounts right from the beginning of the planning phase. You may get more ideas for your event and be able to better gage potential interest in such a fundraising event.

If you’d rather wait to announce your event until you have all the details planned and then announce your event, that’s fine too. In any case, take full advantage of your social media accounts, blog, email list and any other marketing tools, like a printed newsletter and flyers. Note: Having lots of followers and “likes” in your social media accounts will help convince the owners of the food trucks that they’ll be able to sell lots of food at your event.

9. At the start of your event, have your volunteers in place (see above), set up signs, or use balloons or any other decorations to direct people to your event and to attract passerby traffic. You could also arrange for add-on fundraisers like a raffle to maximize your return on this event.

Are you excited about this kind of fundraiser? You’re not the only one! Even large organizations like the Make-A-Wish foundation and Toys For Tots have successfully raised funds using food truck fundraisers. And if your event is well visited, you could make a food truck fundraiser a regular event and plan for a “food truck night” every month, like some schools in the Los Angeles area.

(Image credit: iStockphoto/wdstock)

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A Valentine’s Day fundraiser offers the advantages of

• Opportunity for entertaining event-based fundraisers

Every type of Valentine’s Day fundraiser offers a variety of ways to make money. Some, event-based fundraisers especially, can bring in profits in more ways than one.

(More about raising funds with food items, Valentine’s flower fundraiser.)

>> Tip: Use search box above and try “candy fundraiser” or “chocolate fundraiser”.

Product sales:

When planning for a Valentine’s Day fundraiser, consider selling not just flowers and candy, but also items that don’t spoil like knick knacks, or accessories like hats, scarves etc. Remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples: grandparents may buy for their grand kids, dads for their daughters etc.

Depending on your demographic, offer items in different price ranges to capture sales from a range of your supporters. If you decide on selling flowers for example, along with bouquets of flowers, also offer single flower stems. Among students, single stem roses adorned with a simple ribbon may be a hot seller. If you decide to hold a brochure catalog fundraiser, choose a trusted company that can guarantee on-time delivery.

Events:

If you have access to many participants, an admission fee for a Valentine’s Day event like a school dance can be enough by itself to raise much needed funds. Your group may choose to sell tickets ahead of time, at the door, or both. At the event you can sell anything from food and refreshments to flowers, candy and gift items to boost your fundraising.

On-hand sales:

Cash and carry sales are a great way to reach out to a lot of buyers. Better still, unlike with catalog fundraisers you won’t have to worry about distribution and delivery of product at a later date, and the profits are instantly available. For best results, set up at a location where there is lots of foot-traffic.

Vendors:

If you have a well-attended Valentine’s Day event, and you do not plan to offer cash and carry sales and/or food, drink, and refreshment yourself, invite vendors to rent space at your event. Either charge a flat rate for a space and/or agree upon a percentage of the profits.

Sponsorships:

Many area businesses are happy to sponsor Valentine’s Day events for deserving community groups. They will enjoy increased exposure through advertising, social media mention or banner ads, and you will be able to increase much needed cash donations or in-kind donations. Make sure that you promptly deliver on all the advertising and exposure you’ve promised, so your sponsors will receive the benefits of their generosity and possibly sponsor next year’s event as well.

Any of these Valentine’s Day fundraising methods can be used alone or in combination to bring in excellent Valentine’s Day fundraiser profits. If you have enough volunteers, why not plan a Valentine’s Day event that utilizes all methods listed here to maximize your profits!

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If you’ve done an event fundraiser before, you’ll find that planning for a golf fundraiser involves many of the same familiar tasks: finding a location willing to host the event, getting a great discount off regular fees, publicizing the event well in advance, planning for add-on fundraisers, making sure you have a capable and competent leader in charge on the day of the event etc.

To make sure that all golf players feel like the time spent playing for your cause is worth their time, take extra care to plan all the details of your fundraising event and incorporate something special, like prizes. Here are a few tips to help make sure your golf fundraiser is a success:

Offer different ways for people to participate and sponsor your golf fundraiser

Make sure you have several options available for people to support your group, even if they’re not going to play golf. Besides offering hole sponsorships, marking up greens fees (weekdays are usually priced lower), or corporate advertising sponsorships, you could offer sponsorships on your website and in your newsletter, a silent auction during the event, t-shirt and candy sales and a raffle.

In other words, offer a way for supporters of any age group to donate to your cause before, during and after your event. And don’t forget to offer food and refreshments, possibly from your own cart, or directly from the golf club with your group taking a percentage.

(Image credit: iStockphoto by ImagineGolf)

Blog about your golf fundraiser

Blog about your golf fundraiser before the event, during the event and after the event. It seems like it may be a lot of work, but one dedicated writer volunteer will be able to accomplish this task. Of course, having two writers makes things easier and gives you a back up solution should one writer not be available. If you don’t have a blog on your site, this is a great excuse to add one. (Read more about how to create a blog or other website.)

Start a new ‘category’ for the event and start by posting about your fundraising event, even if you don’t have all the details yet. If you don’t have a date yet, this is a great way to get feedback about what would be a good day for your event.

If you decide blog and get social media involved, be sure to look at considerations listed in our Social Media Strategy Checklist.

Anyone in your group who is involved in communicating with the public, directly, or through blogs and social media, should know exactly what’s expected of him or her and should play by your rules in order to assure that everyone conveys your message in a manner that’s consistent with your group’s principles and mission.

A blog is also a great way to write about your sponsors and place their advertisement as part of a sponsorship. Before you post any sponsors’ names or advertising, be sure to ask first. Some sponsors may prefer to remain anonymous or require particular wording or copyright information.

Get media involved

A golf fundraiser has the potential to not only raise a large amount of money, but to also attract a lot of attention for your group. Be prepared to create a press release, and designate a well rehearsed spokes person from your group for interviews with TV, radio and local newspapers. Create a video about the event beforehand and post it on YouTube, so news channels can link to it for more information. Also post any videos on your website.

Designate group members for each aspect of your fundraiser

To make sure things run smoothly, designate one person to coordinate volunteers, one person to oversee finances, one person to be the main contact to the golf venue etc. This way your event will be easy to oversee and remain organized. Be sure to put all your personnel choices in writing, date it and hand a copy to everyone involved. Our checklists may come in handy when creating your own ‘master planner.’

Have prizes for the winners

Getting some quality prizes donated for your event is a great way to secure extra sponsors and publicity. If you can’t get sponsored prizes for your event, consider investing in some high quality prizes that will make your players feel appreciated.

If you have a larger budget consider giving away something small to all the players with your organization’s logo on it, that they can remember you by and as a token to say “thank you.” As the saying goes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Still not sure? Then consider giving out prizes for wacky contests, like Silliest Golf Hat or Worst Score Ever. Or, try making it more of a raffle than a prize for the winners; that way anybody who plays has a chance at a great take-home door prize. However you work it, make sure that the people know how thankful you are and how much you appreciate them taking their time to help you and your charity.

Have a meal afterwards

Depending on what time of day your event is taking place, you might want to have a lunch or dinner following your tournament with your key sponsors. You don’t have to arrange it at a fancy, expensive restaurant and you may even consider getting one or more of the ever popular food carts to park in a convenient location nearby, but you do want to take the time to eat together and let your key players know how much you appreciate them.

This will also be great opportunity for the players to meet each other and network and for you to make those connections for sponsors for your next fundraiser.

At the end of the golf tournament fundraiser, be sure to have the chairperson or another leader stand up and say a few words about your organization, thank the sponsors and volunteers, and talk briefly about how the funds raised will benefit your community. To wrap up your fundraiser follow up with individual thank you notes to your main sponsors and with thank you messages through your blog and any social media and print channels.

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But more electronics recycling programs have become available recently, not just for cell phones, but for many different types of electronics, including, mp3 players, digital cameras, calculators, gaming systems, Blu-Ray players, camcorders, camera Lenses, computers, laptops, digital cameras, external hard rives, GPS devices, home audio equipment, LCD monitors, movies, PDAs, projectors, satellite radios, video games, e-readers etc.

It’s best to check with each company directly, to see which items they will accept and how many items they will accept at a time.

Recycling programs

Best Buy has recently announced their buy back program and Gazelle has been paying for used electronics online for a few years now. Buy.com and MacMall also offer trade-in programs and now there is another big player in the mix, the Amazon Trade-in Store.

When we looked at the criteria for items to be turned in, none of these companies accepted water damaged items. But as long as an item is still in working condition, even electronics with severe scratches were OK to turn in. Other criteria, like how many items they will accept and which ones differed from company to company, so be sure to check the small print before you send anything.

It’s also very important to shop around for the best price! We’ve checked several of the online recyclers to see how much value they assessed for a MacBook Pro laptop and a desktop computer and got vastly different price offers. Make sure you have the exact model numbers of your item(s) on hand before you start your search.

Even though the number of electronics recycling programs are increasing, not all them them make sense for every fundraising group and not all of them pay cash.

All of these programs can be used for smaller fundraising efforts, but what if you’re planning a larger fundraiser with higher earnings potential?

Options for larger electronics fundraising events:

Local electronics recyclers:

Recycling programs offered through local recyclers vary greatly. An advantage of using a local electronics recycler for your fundraising event is that you will most likely get paid cash and it doesn’t matter if the electronics being turned in are in working condition or not. This saves a lot of time and volunteer power, because the individual electronics don’t have to be scrutinized.

- You can search for a local electronics recycler, either online (including your city’s website) or in your local yellow pages. Some recyclers offer tailored fundraising programs that help with promotion, collection and disposal. (Use the search box at the top and search for “recycle electronics for cash”.)

- When working with a local electronics recycler, be sure to ask what the rules and restrictions are as to what items will be accepted.

- Also, try to find out what other groups have used a local electronics recycler, then contact these groups and ask for references and tips on this fundraising opportunity.

- Companies that take non-working electronics are usually working with state recycling programs. Each state has different laws, programs and rules.

Even though these types of programs don’t require you to check each item, it may be to your advantage to separate at least the newer working laptops, computers and smart phones from the other electronics, because you’ll receive much higher value for them through the online recycling programs:

Online electronics recyclers:

Online recyclers require you to either collect the electronics and then mail them in, or allow you to set up a ‘group’ through their website; then anyone who’d like to take part in your electronics recycling event can send in their own electronics.

Currently we’ve found only Gazelle’s online electronics recycling program and Funding Factory’s recycling program to accommodate larger groups specifically for fundraising. But check with the others listed at the top as well, as this is a fairly new way to raise funds and programs are continuously changing.

Whichever program you choose, make sure you get all the details, including how you will get paid, in writing. Whereas one program may simply send you a check to cash in, another may only send you gift cards to an online store.

How to prepare electronics for recycling:

Any electronics that contain personal information, like cell phones, hard drives and computers, should have all their data erased. Cell phones should also have their SIM cards removed. Remove ink cartridges from non-working printers and recycle them separately.

How do you get paid?

Local recyclers will issue a check to cash once your items have been sent to them and weighed. Find out how to estimate the weight of donated recyclables as you’re collecting them, so you can estimate your fundraising income before the check arrives.

Online recyclers have different options when it comes to paying you, which don’t always include cash. We’ve found that currently only Gazelle and Funding Factory offer cash payments, all other online recycling programs offer gift cards or credit to their online stores.

This may not be a problem, unless you’re raising funds for building renovations or an individual’s healthcare costs for example. All trade-in programs we’ve checked that do not pay cash, issue gift cards that can be used at stores that are selling electronics equipment like computers, printers etc. If you choose to receive gift cards through Amazon’s program you’ll be able to use them to shop on Amazon.com which sells just about anything you can imagine, including books and teaching materials.

What happens to the used electronics?

Companies that take used electronics in working condition either resell them through channels like eBay, Amazon, or wholesalers, or send unusable items off to recyclers who will properly dispose of them.

If you have items that won’t be accepted by the program you’ve signed up with, you can check with Gazelle’s recycler network for places that will take them.

Local recyclers usually work together with a state recycling program. Each state has their own recycling program and not all states recycle all electronics. This also means that items that can’t be recycled will still end up in a landfill, unfortunately.

(Image credit: iStockphoto – Don Nichols)

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Admission

Admission is the first thing to consider when making money from a poker fundraiser. Offer ‘early bird’ pricing and a higher price for admission at the door. Be clear about how much of each admission will go into the ‘payout pot’ for prizes (the more people you expect, the more prizes you should offer) and how much will go towards your cause.

In order to keep as much admission income as possible, find an inexpensive place to rent, or team up with a restaurant that may like the additional exposure. When shopping around for an appropriate space don’t forget that you will need a gambling permit and that some public places may already have one.

Food And Beverage Earnings

Your food and beverage earnings can be a significant addition to your overall earnings. Think in terms of what your guests will enjoy and what you can actually provide. Make sure the food is high quality and diverse. Offer enough of a food selection to ensure that all guests find something to suit their taste.

See if you can partner up with a restaurant to secure lower prices on food. You can offer the restaurant great exposure and publicity in exchange for the lower prices that will improve your bottom line. Many restaurants would jump at the chance to help a good cause.

If you decide not to partner with a restaurant, or you’re planning for a more casual event, consider partnering up with one or more of the popular food truck companies. You could offer several types of food, like burgers, Chinese, or cup cakes and you’d only have to make sure you provide a place for them to set up and enough garbage and recycling cans. The food truck companies could donate a percentage of their earnings and would receive great exposure for their businesses.

As for beverages, these can easily be a lucrative enterprise with all the excitement of poker chips being brazenly bid and both winning and losing hands hitting the table throughout your event. Consider very carefully if you should offer any alcohol, especially since this kind of event will probably last longer than just a couple of hours. If people get out of hand, it will show up in the news the next day.

Business Sponsorships

This is a fantastic way to raise money. Company sponsorships allow you to tap into the resources that are right in your community. Businesses can pay a certain amount of money to sponsor a poker table, buy advertising in a printed newsletter, on a website, or a banner.

Each business could have a small trinket (key chain, mugs, etc.) or other branded item, that dealers can hand out to the players. This way businesses get some quality advertising and your fundraiser has more money coming in. If a business decides to sponsor a table, make sure that their donation covers the cost of that table and the dealer working it.

You could go one step further and have sponsors create their own custom made poker chips or even table felts that are emblazoned with company logos. These items help to make sure that each sponsor’s presence is visible throughout the whole event. You may have to be aggressive in your pursuit of business sponsorship if you want to secure highly profitable ones but a few of the right sponsorships can make your event an even bigger success that you had thought possible.

Raffle Tickets

Depending on your local laws, you may also be able to sell raffle tickets. See if you can get prizes donated in exchange for some free publicity. All the income from the sale of the raffle tickets could then go to your cause as well.

A poker fundraiser can raise money in a number of ways. As you’re weighing your options, consider the cost of each feature or line item on your to-do list and how and if you can get it covered through donations or volunteer time first. Good planning plays a big part in how much money you will raise and maybe one of our checklist’s would be useful to you. The bottom line is that the more involved you get in the process and the more initiative you take the more funds you will raise. In the end all this effort will stack the deck in your cause’s favor!

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Before creating and marketing the DVD montage, it is very important to get legal consent from the parents of the members of the sports team, as well as the members of the team. Depending on the school and the laws of your state, failure to get legal consent could put the school, you, and the people taking the photographs in serious legal trouble. If possible, ask the parents, and the team members to sign a release form at the time of signup at the beginning of the season. Be sure to identify which student the parent is signing off!

1.) Gathering the photos:

Assuming your crowd is actively engaged in Facebook, Flickr, or another form of photo uploading services, this is incredibly easy. Simply download high-resolution versions (with permission from the photo-taker!) of the photos they upload to these services. You could also have the community submit their photos to an email address. Several area schools have the local newspaper taking photos of the game; by offering credit to the company and asking them for permission you could use their photos to get some excellent shots.

2.) Marketing the product:

Announcing your plans for the product is doubly important because it will get people involved in the production process through submission of their photos and videos from each game and help generate more sales once the DVD is completed. Post signs and sign up sheets where the crowd will see them! Be sure to send a purchase form with the football team, as well. Chances are good that most of the purchases will come from the families of the players on the football team, so advertise to them when possible.

At the end of the season, (or during the tournaments,) start marketing the finished product, offering it over the counter. Another time to sell the montage over-the-counter is during the awards banquet. People tend to be a little more prone to purchasing a product when they can receive it right away. If possible, display a sample of the unfinished product during each game. Have the announcer make mention of the product during halftime and before each game. Also be sure to be active on Facebook. Show off some of the photos for the finished product online and constantly encourage the public to get involved! Doing things like asking what kind of music should be played can make all the difference.

3.) Creating the product:

If you’re running windows, you can create the montage using Windows Movie Maker. If you’re on a Mac you can use iMovie. As long as you organize the photos and videos throughout the season you can have a completed video with music, videos, photos, and effects in a matter of hours.

Creating the cover for your case can be tricky, but there are several places online that provide templates for creating accurate designs. I advise using the ultraslim DVD case style because the printing only requires paper in letter-sized sheets (rather than legal-sized); and this will save you money when it’s time to print. Print test sheets to make sure that you have the cover cut to the right size; then have a professional print the proper amount of covers you will need at the end of the season.

4.) The music

It is highly recommended that you use royalty-free music. There are several great websites, as well as label-free artists that will be more than happy to see their music put to use like this. You can find a lot of these artists at soundclick.com. It’s recommended that you start the search for music early on, since finding the right song can prove to be somewhat time-consuming. Always be sure to contact the artist for permission to use their music, and be sure to give credit where credit is due.

If you’re looking for more information on choosing the proper music, please visit Choosing Photos, and Music for Your Montage.

Getting started:

-Your sign up sheet needs to ask for the name, address, phone number and signature for each contributor. A line of communication between you and the contributor is important.

-Create release forms for photographers and subjects with room for signatures of parents and kids

-Working on the montage and case throughout the season is advised, because it will give you more time to make adjustments. Doing so will also give you material to advertise on a screen during the games. Also, if the montage can be completed before the end of the season, selling copies over-the-counter will help boost sales.

-Be sure to mention that the proceeds will support the team.

-Create a minimum of 5 extra copies of the montage. You never know when you’re going to have a last-second order.

Generation-X Albums created a montage for a local school. If you’re looking for some ideas, help, or are ready to get this fundraiser started, feel free to contact Generation X Albums through their website.

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As you’re uncovering opportunities and gaining experience with these kind of fundraisers, be sure to record the information somewhere for the next set of volunteers to draw from. (Using swipe files…)

Rent a table at an event:

One of the easiest ways to have a mini fundraiser is to have a table or booth at an event. See if there are plans within your community for a carnival, race or other locally organized event this year. Your city or local government will have information on upcoming events and opportunities available to rent a table or space.

There may be restrictions on what you can sell, but that’s not a problem: you have to make sure whatever you decide to sell offers enough of a profit margin to make it worth your effort and the items you sell don’t conflict with the message of your cause. For example, if your cause has anything to do with the environment, or health, selling drinks in non-recyclable styrofoam cups would be an unwise choice. On the other hand, selling rulers or pencils made from recycled paper or denim would be a good fit.

If you need ideas, think of what would complement what others are selling at the event. That way you can eliminate or restrict competition for your items. It’s also important to find out what the demographic of the audience will be like and tailor your offerings accordingly.

Even if you’re not allowed to sell anything, consider setting up a table anyway. It may be worth having a presence to create a awareness for your cause, handing out free stuff customized with your group’s logo, or fliers with information of your cause and own upcoming event.

Preparing for this mini fundraiser: In order to take advantage of quickly arising opportunities, you need to have a foldout table, upright displays for current flyers, and a cash box ready to go. Depending on the product you will sell, identify sources were to get them quickly for this mini fundraiser: snacks and candy at a wholesale discount store, gift wrap also at wholesale stores or at craft stores etc. Having a supply of custom printed t-shirts at hand would be great, but may be too expensive for some groups. But how about pencils, or even cotton canvas bag and other supplies which can be bought fairly inexpensively through online sources like inkhead.com and stocked?

Selling snacks year round:

Where could you set up a small display of snack bars and a gumball/bulk snack machine? If you have a suitable high traffic area, consider selling a selection of snacks, including fairly healthy ones like nut and fruit bars, and even drinks. A strategically placed pistachio or small candy dispensing ‘gumball’ machine for example could yield $50 or more per week. Although this fundraiser counts on many small purchases and requires getting a display, once it’s set up this ongoing mini fundraiser only requires that the shelf or machine be periodically restocked. Be aware that many small snacks, nuts and candies pose a chocking hazard and should be handled with care around very young children. Also take into consideration that some people have allergies to nuts, especially peanuts.

Preparing for this mini fundraiser: Having some sort of display is necessary to keep things organized on a counter or a shelf. It doesn’t have to be expensive and can even consist of sturdy re-purposed office supplies. A good quality gumball machine that can also be used for other bulk snacks can be had for under $100. You may even consider investing in a vending machine, but the expense and upkeep may be to great if you have a small group. To restock shop at wholesale retail outlets, or take in-kind donations in the form of snacks and drinks for even greater profits.

Pet snapshots:

Even if you don’t run an animal related cause, taking pictures of family pets could be a lucrative mini fundraiser when piggybacked with another event. It’s important to have a photographer at the ready when an opportunity presents itself. You may even be able to get a photographer to donate part of his or her services in turn for displaying his or her name in your newsletters and on your website. Even if you’re not working with a professional photographer, make sure that the person you’re choosing has some skills in making the images look good: lighting, background and potentially props all need to be considered for a good picture.

But to make this truly a mini fundraiser, the pictures should be printed and sold on site. (Usually a ‘regular’ portrait fundraiser requires that you charge upfront and then schedule your supporters to have the images taken.) You’ll be able to take advantage of the spontaneity and even give people the choice to buy or not to buy the image, if you have a digital camera. If you make this an annual or otherwise recurring event, people will remember the great pictures they’ve received and will be likely to come back the next time.

Preparing for this mini fundraiser: Have available one or two photographers you’ve worked with before. When an opportunity comes up, make sure the photographer has flyers and information about your group that can be displayed at the event. The photographer needs to have a digital camera, a photo printer, possibly a laptop, a table, supplies like paper and ink and needs to be near a power source. A volunteer to help with set up etc. is also necessary.

50/50 Raffle:

Some groups hold a 50/50 raffle at every meeting they have in order to raise as much money as possible. This doesn’t have to be a public event. The idea is this: Sell raffle tickets at the door/at a booth of your event/meeting/gathering with the understanding that the winner will be drawn before the event is over. The winner gets 50% of all the money that is raised. The rest goes to the organization. All you really need is a roll of the double-sided raffle tickets. The winner must be present when the winning ticket is called.

Preparing for this mini fundraiser: In order to hold any kind of raffle, make sure you comply with local laws and get legal advice if necessary. This is the most important part to consider before you start. Other than that, all you need is tickets, a cash box and a volunteer to sell the tickets.

How many in the jar?

This is another mini fundraiser that’s easy to manage and perfect as an add-on to another fundraiser or an ongoing fundraiser. You fill a jar with something small (marbles, chocolates, etc) and sell tickets for a chance to guess how many are inside the jar. The longer you can leave the jar, the more money you’ll collect, so this one works best just sitting on the counter at your organization. Make sure participants fill out their full contact details when entering guesses. You can make the actual counting of the items another event and another opportunity to raise funds. There should be at least two or three volunteers counting at the event to make sure sure you get an accurate number.

Preparing for this mini fundraiser: This simple fundraiser may also require that you check your local laws first, to see if it falls under any complex gambling rules. Then all you need is a see through jar and something fun to fill it with. Make sure that whatever you use is small enough to present a challenge when guessing the amount, but large enough to make it possible to easily count it. You’ll also need some tickets to collect contact information. This may also be a great opportunity to add addresses to your e-mail list.

As you can see the opportunities for a mini fundraiser can be endless. They require some planning, but once they’re in place, running several mini fundraisers per year with some of them on an ongoing basis provides another opportunity to fill some of the holes in your group’s budget.

(Image: ©iStockPhoto/PeterAlbrektsen, photo-dave)

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When you run a non-profit animal rescue group, you can’t do it all alone. But time and time again people try. A few months ago, I was talking to a woman who runs a small dog rescue group in California. With only two or three volunteers, they have managed to pull hundreds of dogs out of shelters and find them new forever homes. Of course, doing this type of work requires money.

So like the old saying goes, to raise some money, they decided to put on a show! Unfortunately, unlike Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, they didn’t have the whole town backing them up. Armed with only a few volunteers, for their first fundraiser, they opted to put on an elaborate and expensive black-tie “Fur Ball” event.

Can you say burnout? The worst thing was that even with all this effort, after the dust settled, the fundraiser didn’t turn out to be a financial success. It was an exhausting, demoralizing let down for everyone involved.

Start with a simple fundraiser

The moral of this story is that you have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. If you have a small organization or you’re just starting out, realize that you have some learning to do. And experience is the best teacher.

I always suggest that people start out with simple, easy fundraisers that have low overhead. On the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals Web site, there’s a download called “Paws-i-tively EASY Fundraisers” PDF we give away when you sign up as a free Helping Paw member.

One of the easy ideas is the “Paw Print” fundraiser, which basically works like the Muscular Dystrophy shamrocks you see in grocery stores around St. Patrick’s Day. You go around to businesses and ask people to sell Paw Prints for a dollar and hang them on the wall. The only out of out-of-pocket cost is one ream of paper (about $10). Yet you can earn hundreds of dollars using this simple fundraising technique.

Then graduate to host an event

After you’ve done one of the super-easy fundraisers, you can graduate to an event. But again, start slow. Don’t do an extravagant fundraiser to start. Talk to a business about doing a simple “Yappy Hour,” where people get together and schmooze with their dogs. This helps you establish a community or “fan base.” As any band member will tell you, it’s impossible to get a stadium gig, if you haven’t played a whole lot of small nightclubs first. You need to get your name out there and build a volunteer, adopter, and (potential) membership base. Only your most passionate fans will attend the big “black tie” events, so you need to establish a base of support first.

Once you’ve cut your teeth on a few small fundraisers and events and have some success and money in the bank, consider the big black tie “Fur Ball” event with a big-money silent auction.

Remember, not every fundraising idea is going to be right for your group. Look at your situation and resources first, then decide. Don’t jump into something complicated and demanding before you’re ready.

About the Author:
Susan Daffron is the author of “Funds to the Rescue: 101 Fundraising Ideas for Humane and Animal Rescue Groups” (Visit FundstotheRescue.com) and the founder of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals, an organization that is dedicated to helping animal rescue groups save more lives.

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We know that people respond best to events and initiatives that capture their imagination and encourage an element of fun and participation, but how do we go about it? How can we get volunteers and donors excited about taking part in our next fundraising event?

The following fundraising projects have managed to do just that, by showing off and using original ideas for raising funds, all while having lots of fun! Be sure to use the internet incl. social media to promote your event!

If you’re short on ideas or need some inspiration, take a look at the following:

Show off: Firefighter’s Calendar

South Florida’s Firefighter’s Calendar is one of the most successful calendar fundraisers to date. The idea of having buff firefighters model for a fundraising calendar “was destined to light fires in the South Florida public and raise awareness of important community issues”.

To date the non-profit organization has raised over $240,000 to benefit charities such as the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Habitat for Humanity’s Hurricane Andrew Fund, Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, Neighbors 4 Neighbors, Best Buddies, Cystic Fibrosis, Safehaven for Newborns and Here’s Help.

If you’re planning on a calendar fundraiser like this one, be sure to include a calendar signing event!

Try risqué: The Women’s Institute Calendar

A different sort of calendar fundraiser: In 1999, a group of Yorkshire women took part in the design, photography, production and distribution of a nude calendar as part of their local Women’s Institute. The calendar was created to raise funds for Leukemia research. The calendar proved so successful, with the women “wearing nothing but pearl necklaces, hats and strategically positioned floral displays and culinary equipment,” that it lead to the women being immortalized in the comedy Calendar Girls, starring Helen Mirren.

Set a world record: The world’s longest scarf

The Ty Hafan scarf, at 33 miles long, is the longest scarf in the world. It was hand knitted by over 2,000 people in Wales to raise money for Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice and then donated to Feed The Children, on the basis that having raised money for the hospice it could now help other children in other parts of the world. Read more about their fundraising activities, including their Midnight Sleep Walk.

Have fun: The Rubber Duck Race!

Another UK fundraiser, Claire House in Liverpool hosted an immense Rubber Duck Race, which released 40,000 giant rubber ducks in the Liverpool/Leeds Canal to race! Ducks could be sponsored and the winning duck owner received a cash prize. For more info and pictures, visit their duck race website.

Stick it to the principal: Duct Tape Fundraiser!

The “Duct-Tape-The-Principal Fundraiser” idea supposedly originated with a creative middle school principal in Kansas. Principal Mark Buck, of Medicine Lodge Middle School in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, challenged his students to collectively read 400,000 pages during the school year. He agreed that if the students could read that much, he’d let them duct tape him to the gym wall!

For lots of photos of fundraising and non-fundraising related duct tapings visit the Wall Taping Gallery of the Duck Tape Guys. Be sure to read the ‘warnings’ section.

Need more fundraising ideas?

* Rooftop Fundraising, Cows and Spelling Bees

* Fundraising for a Dog Park with Dog Houses and Doggie Bowls

* Print on Demand Calendar and Cookbook fundraiser

* Design Marathon Fundraiser

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Focus on accessibility rather than distance

Although many walkathons walking events enable people to be sponsored per mile walked, this can alienate people with poor mobility or fitness levels. By choosing to enable donors to sponsor walkers for set amounts instead of distances, you open up your walking event and make it more appealing for people of all age ranges and abilities.

Walking events do not have to be set from place to place to succeed. You could consider setting up an event walking a race track, and introduce quirky themes such as holding the walk at night, using fancy dress to draw crowds and publicity, or even bringing in egg and spoon racing, or pets to liven things up.

Use publicity

Local press and media are more likely to feature your sponsored walk if you make it accessible, engaging and quirky. Pick a theme for your walkathon and let people know about it to raise awareness and generate public interest. Holding the walk in a central place and inviting the local press increases your chances of generating sponsorship and donations.

Ways to generate funds

A popular way to generate funds is to sell t-shirts as admission for participants and ask non-participants for sponsorships. Consider selling advertising space on your t-shirts. You can also encourage donations by actively involving the general public: volunteers can hold collection boxes along the route of the walkathon and sell concessions which can help make a surprising amount of extra money from supporters. This gives people who do not want to take part in the actual event the chance to get involved in a different way. You can sell anything from customized reusable water sports bottles to food or t-shirts.

Plan a route and work with your local government

Consider at least two or three different routes for your walkathon. Walk them yourself first and then mark them on a map. One you’ve nailed down your options, work with your local government to approve one of the routes. Your route may need permits, or may not be feasible for your walkathon because of upcoming construction work, etc.

When planning a walkathon, it’s important to keep costs down at every stage of planning. It’s easy for spending to get out of hand when you consider renting tables, laying out money for t-shirts and fundraising items and so on.

Decide from the beginning what the absolute necessities are (organization and safety should be at the top of your list) and focus to get those handled first. Be aware that it may not be in your best interest to get your most important items donated. It may be best if they’re handled ‘in-house’, or contracted, so the foundation of your fundraising event doesn’t rest on a volunteer who may or may not take his or her job too seriously. Recruit volunteers for manning tables, selling fundraising items and drinks and ushering participants and spectators to the right place.

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The Key To A Successful Wine Tasting Fundraiser

The main ingredient to a great wine tasting fundraising event is great wine of course! Yes, it is important to find an appropriate venue, have plenty of volunteers at hand and plan for decorations and music, but getting the best possible wine for your event should be at the top of your list.

Getting great wine can most easily be done through merchant partnerships. Be picky when you shop for a supplier and select partnerships according to the merchant’s wine expertise and their ability to get you the best wines and good prices.

Also make sure that you ask your wine distributor to help sell tickets to your event. They are sure to know plenty of wine lovers!

Wine Experts

It is important to pick a merchant who will not only be able to supply many great bottles of wine at a discounted price, but the wine expertise as well. Not everyone who attends your event will be a wine aficionado that’s why it’s important to make sure you have experts there to lead the tasting, to answer questions, and to give the event the feel of an official wine tasting.

Discuss with your wine experts how you would like the event to go ahead of time. You can equip these experts with microphones as they educate the guests on each wine. They can stroll from one table to the next as they describe the wines to make the whole event more engaging. But before the tasting event begins make sure that the bottles are already present on the tables so that guests can inspect and discuss them. This will encourage conversation at the tables and get the party going.

Publicity Is Essential

This type of fundraiser – even more than other types – depends on publicity. You need to generate excitement about your wine tasting fundraiser while making sure that you encourage both wine connoisseurs and those who can only tell red from white to attend. This is a fundraiser so you need to work extra hard to advertise in such a way that does not make those who wish to attend feel that they are not wine savvy enough.

Join up with other charitable organizations to include their supporters. You can do the same for them the next time they have a fundraiser. Issue press releases and run TV and radio spots if possible. Advertise early and often.

A Note About Tickets

Make sure that tickets to your event are available not only through your organization directly but that you also sell tickets through local merchants. People are more inclined to buy tickets from merchants they already know. Many people will seek out your organization but it’s to your advantage to make getting tickets easy for everyone.

A wine tasting fundraiser takes a little extra work to publicize but is an elegant way to raise money. You can associate your charitable organization with a classy event such as this and attract donors with the desire to give and the ability to do so. This unique fundraiser lets you raise money in style!

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Still, the main strategy for a successful church fundraiser, or any fundraiser, is to motivate volunteers and get everyone in unity and working toward the same goal: Set a clear and tangible goal in mind that people can understand, like a new children’s playground or nursery for example, and then update the volunteers regularly on the progress.

Because church members already give on Sundays in the offering basket, they may feel “put out” if asked to give any additional money. But if you can convince them to spend some of their time instead, you could possibly get double or triple of what you would have received if you had just asked for money. There are hundreds of church fundraising ideas on the internet, but the list of possibilities is really endless. Find out what talents, gifts, and abilities church members have to offer, and motivate them to use those:

Some of the best ideas for church fundraisers include:
• Bake sale. An old standby. Volunteers bake cakes and pastries to be sold at any venue you choose.
• Community cleanup. Requires a fair amount of planning, if you’re going to solicit pledges for each pound of trash collected.
• Candle fundraisers. The latest in church fundraising. People will buy candles anyway; why not buy them for a good cause?
• 50/50 Raffle. This one is good for a last minute fundraiser: no planning required. Sell some tickets (you can even sell them at the event where the raffle will be drawn) andthen pick a winner. Winner gets 50% of the pot; the church takes the rest.
• Car wash. A regular Saturday car wash for donations or a fixed amount can raise several hundred dollars a week.
• Church carnival. Lots and lots of planning here, but if you can pull it off, everyone will be chomping at the bit to do it again next year.
• Scratch cards. The upside to this method is that there is no product to be delivered, like pizza, or candles, for example.
• Yard sale/Garage sale. Most suburban churches are filled with people whose garages are full of junk they never use. Tell ‘em to bring it to church (or you’ll pick it up) and sell it.
• Cookie Dough. Who doesn’t love just thinking about fresh cookie dough? M & M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and Oreo Cookie flavored cookie dough, oh my…
• Pizza. You can do this one of two ways: order in bulk and sell by the slice at a 100% markup, or using do-it-yourself kits where the group takes orders in advance, then delivers the goods at a later date.
• Order taker brochure fundraising. Selling things from brochures provided for free can have fabulous returns.

Whatever you do, make having fun a priority, so that they’ll be willing to sign up again next time.

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1. Get some prizes.
2. Sell some tickets.
3. Hold the raffle drawing.

So what could be easier? Well, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re holding a raffle for the first time.

Start small. As noted above, companies and organizations may be hesitant to donate to your cause if it’s the first time. That’s OK. Be persistent in asking for donations; work with what’s given; and do the best job you can with what you have. Once local community leaders see that you are a success waiting to happen, the donations will start to flow in. In fact, the very same ones who say “no” this year will be the first ones to hop on the bandwagon next year – if you do it right.

Get as many donations as possible. You may have to fork out some money for your top “draw” prize—that’s the one that people will say “Want to buy a raffle ticket? You could win a _____.” But if you put in the time and hard work to secure donations for other prizes as well, you’ll have that much more take-home money after it’s all over. Start by meeting with members of your organization and see what the group can come up with in-house for prizes.

Don’t believe the hype. Plenty of fundraisers right now begin with something along the lines of “Even in a bad economy…” There’s a fine line between dealing with objections in advance and giving people a reason not to give. Be sure to not cross it. Sure, the economy is giving some people a hard time—but the amount of wealth in the U.S. is still astounding. Besides, who wouldn’t spend $5 on a raffle ticket to help their favorite charity and get a chance at a new TV at the same time?

Don’t get arrested. As of 2010, in the U.S., the laws governing raffles are determined state-by-state. Some states, have deemed them illegal as part of gambling, while other states allow a raffle fundraiser for just about anything. (For a list of links to each state’s raffle rules, click here). In addition, some cities and even counties in the U.S. require a separate application for a charity raffle. Be sure to find out well in advance what’s required to hold a raffle, and get any applications submitted in time. In fact, because rules can be pretty complicated, it’s probably best to get legal advice before starting a raffle of any kind.

Even if you find yourself having to go with the bare-bones budget plan (read: no money for prizes at all), don’t despair. Use whatever prizes are donated, set ticket prices low enough that everyone can buy at least one, and set aside some of the proceeds to start next year’s fundraiser.

And don’t forget to do something to thank the volunteers and ticket sellers. Throw a party or a dinner and give out awards to the highest sellers. Come this time next year, you’ll have some folks you can count on to help!

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Just Throw A Party!

One classic way to raise money is through a good old-fashioned fundraising dinner, or even dinner and dance. You can charge a flat admission fee to cover your costs and to raise money. You could even add a cash bar for an additional fundraising opportunity. This type of event is easy to pull together as all you need is a proper location, a theme, suitable decorations, tables and chairs, and good food and drink. It could be planned as an informal party at at a community park that includes kids and neighbors, or as a classy dinner party at a country club, or both! Plan according to your supporter base.

Try A Fashion Show

Fashion shows have always been lots of fun and can draw in large amounts of women and men too. You can make a fashion show anything you want it to be and earn all that you need to from the cost of admission. You can use your own volunteers as models – popular community personalities can be a major draw – and/or hire professionals. This fundraising option also allows you to make the event into what you want it to be using the resources at your disposal. You can always tack on an auction to make more money by selling the fashions being shown or selling other donated items.

Serve A Pancake Breakfast

A pancake breakfast is a simple fundraiser that draws all types of people in. Perfect for families, this type of fundraiser allows you to raise funds with only the simplest of preparations. All you need for this pancake breakfast is a place that allows you to set up several plug-in griddles. For a more elaborate breakfast a community room that sports a full kitchen will be more appropriate. Like any fundraiser you will have to put a lot of effort into advertising, but this type of event is a sure crowd pleaser. If you can manage to secure a high traffic location then a few signs outside your venue will probably draw in a fair amount of passers-by too.

Use A Billboard

A large part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life events is that it gives everyone a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer and remember loved ones lost. You can use a billboard to honor loved ones and support cancer research by allowing people to post the name of a loved one who is fighting or who has fought breast cancer and by asking for a donation at the same time. This could be preset amount, or a voluntary donation.

You have to be the judge of how to best combine the billboard with the fundraising activity. In some cases it may only make sense to add the billboard to another event, and in other instances it might be ok to use the billboard as the fundraiser itself. Since writing names on this board will be emotionally charged, it may not feel right to tie a monetary donation to it. On the other hand, people may feel more inclined to give in order to help others fight the disease. You’ll have to decide what will be right for your own event.

In any case, having a billboard is a nice way to honor those who have had to fight this disease. Having a Relay For Life event where the names of loved ones are clearly posted helps to make this event special and personal for everyone whose life has been touched by cancer.

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An Easter Fundraiser With Appeal

Chocolate is one of the staple goodies of Easter. More specifically, chocolate Easter bunnies are one of the most sought-after supplies for the Easter holiday. The demand for chocolates and chocolate bunnies, combined with the ease of managing this holiday fundraiser, sets Easter chocolate fundraisers up to bring in easy money.

Easter Chocolate Fundraiser Options

Easter chocolate fundraisers can be either on-hand cash and carry sales or they can be brochure or catalog sales. In both cases, you will need to choose a good fundraising company for marketing materials, support, and supplies. (Search for chocolate fundraisers.)

In an on-hand Easter chocolate sale, a group pre-buys the Easter chocolates form a chocolate supplier. Then, sales are arranged on one or more dates, at one or more well-trafficked locations.

By far the most popular way to hold an Easter chocolate fundraiser is to go with the brochure sales offered by a number of fundraising companies. This is the lowest-cost way to hold an Easter chocolate fundraiser, and with the help of a good fundraising company, a brochure sale is very manageable too. The reasons why groups prefer Easter chocolate brochure sales include

• No need to front cash (a big benefit for cash-poor organizations)
• No need for long-term storage of goods
• No need to staff volunteer booths or tables
• Support and marketing materials provided by fundraising company
• 50% profit margin on average (of products ranging from $5-$10)

When To Sell Easter Chocolates For Fundraising

Timing is very important for fundraisers with seasonal products. Plan ahead of time, and talk to the fundraising company to help plan the timing of the Easter chocolate fundraiser. Ask them

• How long before you’ll receive your sales kit
• How long they recommend for a sales period (usually between two weeks and 30 days)
• How long for delivery of items
• What requirements there are for delivery (very likely, someone will have to be on hand to accept the order)

Consider how long it will take to get items in the hands of those who sold the product and add in time for them to deliver to customers; remember that not all buyers will be right next door and sellers may need a few extra days to reach them. Plan to have Easter chocolates to buyers at least one week before the holiday.

When all aspects of timing have been accounted for, plan from the holiday out and start your fundraiser from there. This will give adequate time for selling, placing the order, sorting, and delivery of the Easter chocolates.

Good organization is key to a successful Easter chocolate fundraiser! The rest of the process is pretty straight forward, and with a little effort on the part of the sales crew, Easter chocolates virtually sell themselves.

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Then it’s up to you to make sure that the proper publicity and so forth happens, so that when the photographer shows up there are plenty of people to take pictures of. Following that, the photographer takes his cut out of what you’ve collected, you distribute the pictures to those who purchased them, and what’s left over after all that’s done is the money you’ve raised.

Of course, that’s the easy version. The devil is in the details.

Planning a portrait photography fundraiser:

Get the money up front. Don’t wait until the day the photographer shows up to try and collect money. Get people to commit to purchasing a fundraising package (offer two or three different options) ahead of time. If you wait until the day of, and try to have them choose which picture they want and what size, you’ll end the day frustrated, tired, and most likely broke. The best way to go about collecting the money in advance is to designate the members of your group to sign people up for the fundraiser and collect the money at the same time.

Be sure to give out receipts that include the dollar amount and info about the package they’ve paid for. Keep copies and/or good records of who paid for what. A second way to earn money at the portrait fundraiser can be to advertise to the general public, and just give a location where they can come and order their portraits and pay in advance.

Give yourself plenty of time. Don’t schedule the photographer any sooner than 4-6 weeks after you begin publicizing the event and collecting commitments. In fact, if you can start earlier, up to 3 months in advance, it might be even better. Remember, the more time you allow yourself to sign people up for the event, the more money you can earn for your group. If you’re concerned about people forgetting what they’ve signed up for, be sure to get their contact information including e-mail address when they sign up, and a week or two before the actual portrait photography event give them a reminder call.

A portrait makes a great gift!

Don’t forget the add-ons. In sales, something you sell to someone after they’ve already bought something from you is called an add-on. A good example of this is the candy shelves at the checkout stand in grocery stores: you’ve already decided to buy groceries, so now they want to sell you something extra on the way out. With a portrait fundraiser, there are also lots of ways you can have “add-ons” at your event: keychains, buttons, even coffee mugs can be big sellers if you offer to have the portrait on them for an extra fee.

Pick a spacious location. To be on the safe side, pick an indoor location, like a school gym. That way you have plenty of room for people to wait and be comfortable. Be sure to coordinate your event with other events that might take place around the same place in the same location. It would also be a good idea to invite the photographer to come out and approve the space. You don’t want any surprises on the day of the event.

Good communication is key. Keep in contact with the photographer, the party that’s responsible for booking the space and others who will be involved with the set-up and running of the event up until the day of the event. Make reminder phone calls and mention the event in every newsletter or e-mail that goes out to your community or group members.

Two final tips: plan for an area and possibly a small table for the photographer to put his equipment and bags and consider picking Saturday morning to schedule your photographer – most people are free on Saturday.

Good luck!

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Christmas Greenery Fundraiser Options

Christmas greenery fundraisers usually refer to the sale of Christmas green decorating products, such as Christmas wreaths, evergreen Christmas swags and Christmas roping.  A Christmas greenery sale can also include the sale of Christmas trees, but might be more difficult to manage because of the size of the trees.

Groups interested in holding a Christmas greenery fundraiser have a few basic options:

•    Cash and carry Christmas greenery sales
For an on-hand sale, your group will need to purchase Christmas greenery products upfront (from a local supplier is best), and then hold a sale at a designated location.  There is more up-front cost involved, but the right timing and location can net some very good profits, and there is no worrying over delivery and distribution at a later date.  A cash and carry Christmas greenery sale can be managed on short notice as long as you can locate a good local supplier.

•    Craft and sell Christmas greenery sales
As an alternative, your group could make their own Christmas greenery for cash and carry sales.  This works well for scouts, middle and high school groups, and other clubs with many hands that can devote meeting time to crafting hand-made products.  Christmas greens are relatively easy to make as long as you can locate one or two good instructors that will supervise and teach others to assemble the products. The cost of materials is usually very low, which means there is a good profit potential for Christmas greenery sales.

• Christmas greenery brochure sales
Christmas greenery brochure fundraisers are run like any other type of catalog or brochure sale. You will need to choose a fundraising company offering Christmas greenery sales, obtain the needed sales materials, and take orders for Christmas greens. A Christmas greenery brochure sale is probably the most cost-effective way to hold this type of fundraiser, as you will not need to front the cash to purchase products before they are sold.

The Value-Added Service

Your Christmas greenery fundraiser does not have to be limited to the sale of the actual wreath or green product; you can also offer decorating and accessorizing, perhaps even hanging.  Charge accordingly for each additional service, and boost your profits even more. Value-added services are easiest for cash and carry sales. Be sure to offer products in various price ranges.

A Christmas greenery sale can be a great way to fundraise.  Christmas greens are products that many people seek out every year, which gives this fundraiser the benefit of being repeatable.  Even better, a Christmas greenery fundraiser raises everybody’s Christmas spirits, and spreads good cheer as you fundraise!

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• Water Bottle Or Sports Bottle Fundraiser

For more creative holiday fundraising ideas that can maximize your fundraising efforts, take a look at what Riverton and Bingham high schools in Utah came up with for their holiday fundraising campaign, which benefited various groups. These industrious students fanned out and did whatever it took to raise funds and ended up raising a whopping $145,534.04 in three weeks!

Raise funds with odd jobs
No job is too little and every dollar raised counts! Take a tip from the kids at Riverton and Bingham and get volunteers out there raking leaves, shoveling snow and doing any other odd jobs they can find for the fundraiser. Kids should travel in groups when knocking on doors or have a parent accompany them.

Sell tickets to events
The Riverton and Bingham students also hosted a benefit concert, a “Battle of the Bands” and an all-night camp out. These kinds of events require more planning, but are obviously well worth it!

Carnival
Bingham also held a carnival to raise money. These students really made sure that their fundraising campaign was going to be a lot of fun! (More about a carnival fundraiser.)

If you don’t have the volunteer base to pull off a large campaign, you can always resort to catalog sales, a time-tested way to successfully raise funds. One of the most popular fundraising items has traditionally been frozen cookie dough. This year you can take it a step further and offer home delivery cookie dough. This means your donors do not have to go anywhere to pick up orders and you don’t have to deliver them. More and more fundraising services are offering this option. Chocolate is another big seller. You can put a twist on this favorite by selling free-trade chocolates.

E-mail campaign

Of course, don’t forget to use your e-mail list for your fundraising efforts. (If you don’t have an e-mail list yet, get one started! Use sign-up sheets at events, or provide an e-mail address or website URL where people can leave their e-mail address. In any case, assure your potential supporters that you will keep their info private and that you won’t share it with anyone.) You can write about current fundraising campaigns, how the proceeds from the last fundraiser were used, and finally, don’t forget to thank everyone. Make sure you add information about how and where more donations can be made. Year end cash donations are often plentiful, because of potential tax write-offs.

Tip: start your holiday fundraiser with a kickoff event to raise local awareness and excitement. It allows you to educate participants about all the details, including the fundraising goal and what prizes will be awarded – if any – for those who raise the most funds.

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Blame Drew’s Cancer Fundraising Campaign

Fall 2009: Twitterer Drew Olanoff, who is currently being treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma, has started a social media fundraising effort for Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong campaign. How it all started: When Olanoff realized that he was blaming everything that went wrong in his life on his cancer, he encouraged his friends to also blame their problems on his cancer and make it known via Twitter by attaching #BlameDrewsCancer to their tweets. From there #BlameDrewsCancer grew into a huge movement.

Drew’s Twitter name is simply @drew. With short Twitter names being highly sought after, Olanoff saw an opportunity to raise money and decided to auction off his Twitter name for a minimum of $10,000. The auction is running until November 9th, 2009 and will take place on Twitter using the merit system: anyone can place their bid on the @drew Twitter name using the #drewbid hashtag. All money will go to the LiveStrong foundation.

Shortly after the auction started, The Price is Right host Drew Carey placed a bid for $25,000. He then promised that he would pay $100,000 if his current account, @drewfromTV, exceeds 100,000 followers by November 9th, 2009. Since then, Carey has raised his offer even more to donate up to $1 million to the LiveStrong campaign if he can reach 1 million followers by year end!

Beat Cancer Everywhere Fundraising Campaign

Fall 2009: The Beat Cancer social media fundraising campaign experiment was launched (and completed) within a 24 hour period. From Friday, October 16th at 9 am (PDT) and lasting until Saturday, October 17th at 9am (PDT) people all over the internet were asked to send tweets, Facebook status updates and blog posts including the #BeatCancer hashtag. Besides raising money for charity, the goal was also to set a Guinness World Record.

Sponsors to this campaign are eBay and Miller Coors. According to Radian6, the official online monitoring company, the phrase #BeatCancer did set a Guinness World record with a total of 209,771 mentions on Twitter, Facebook and blog posts within a 24 hour period. This translates into an estimated number of impressions (during this 24-hour period) at over 100 Million! Total proceeds for this campaign so far are about $70,000, which will be donated to non-profit cancer organizations SU2C (Stand Up to Cancer), Alex’s Lemonade, Bright Pink, and Spirit Jump. (All are 501 (c)(3) organizations and accredited by The American Cancer Society.) The official site for this campaign is at BeatCancerEverywhere.

What can we take away from this?The possibilities for raising funds on the internet are endless! But we’re still in the beginning stages of figuring out what will actually work well. Adding a creative aspect to your campaign seems to be key for getting noticed and partnering up with another person or group will also help greatly.

Obviously having the support from celebrities or large companies doesn’t hurt, but even without a celebrity or large corporate support a worthy cause can raise substantial money through social media channels on the web. Case in point EpicChange’s Twitter fundraiser. (Read about more online fundraising campaigns here.)

Do you have an idea for a social media fundraising campaign? Or have you already tried one? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Although these fundraising ideas can raise a lot of money quickly, sometimes there may not be enough volunteers or financial resources to run these fundraisers, or maybe people are simply tired of them. If you currently don’t have the resources or volunteer base for a larger fundraising project, why not try one or all of the following simple, low key and low cost fundraising ideas. These fundraising ideas are neither new nor exciting, but will over time turn into a steady source of income you won’t want to be without:

The ‘bakeless’ bake sale

The bakeless bake sale was invented for the very purpose of bypassing all the work involved with ‘traditional’ fundraisers. Instead of actually making, selling or buying anything, would-be volunteers and supporters send in a check for the same amount they ‘would have’ spent or raised, thereby circumventing the actual bake sale.

A bakeless bake sale can also mean that you sell easily assembled baking mixes that your supporters can then prepare and bake themselves. Of course, this wouldn’t count as a low effort or free fundraiser anymore, but maybe simply doing things a bit differently may be worth the effort. For a great list of all kinds baking and cooking mixes that you can easily and inexpensively put together yourself, like ‘Brownies in a Jar,’ visit RecipeLink.com.

Fundraising programs at banks and stores

Free ‘loyalty’ fundraisers at banks and stores are especially well-suited to large groups such as schools. These fundraisers require no or very little additional effort for volunteers or supporters, that is, beyond what they already do on a day to day basis: shopping for groceries, buying gas, etc.

Some banks offer programs where a small donation is deposited into a school’s account each time a supporter makes a purchase with their ATM card. The potential supporters usually sign up for the program through the bank in person, or the bank’s website. Once the sign-up is completed, everything is automated. All you need to do is provide your group’s contact info and wait for the check! The main challenge here is to get as many people as possible to sign up. This is a fundraiser that will not yield great results overnight, but with ongoing reminders in newsletters, e-mails and on your website, you will in time have a large supporter base that will generate ongoing income for your group.

Another loyalty program that can be lucrative in the long run is a store sponsored loyalty program. How it works: The store credits a small amount to your school account every time you, or any supporter, makes a purchase. Sales are either tracked with a loyalty or discount card (just about every larger grocery store offers one), or simply by telling the cashier at checkout which group to attribute the sale to. Check with larger grocery stores or variety stores in your area for current programs.

For any loyalty program, your goal is to get as many teachers, parents, grandparents and supporters as possible to sign up so the money accumulates faster and longer. This is a great fundraiser that can run all year long, year after year, without any further effort beyond signing up for the program.

Label collection fundraisers

Remember box tops? Well General Mills is still running this fundraiser and it’s as popular as ever.

Go to General Mill’s Box Tops for Education Program.
(Read more about running a Box Tops For Education Fundraiser.)

Other label collection programs are LabelsForEducation and Tyson’s Project A+.

Recycle!

Another free fundraiser that almost runs itself is growing in popularity and involves recycling ink cartridges. With increasing awareness of pollution and its impact on the earth there is no better time for this excellent fundraiser. Millions of ink cartridges from homes and businesses are simply thrown away each year after the ink is used up. Rather than letting these cartridges go to waste and rot in landfills, why not recycle them and make money for your cause at the same time?

Get the word out to all your friends, relatives and businesses in your community to save their used cartridges for you instead of tossing them in the trash. As with the loyalty programs shown above, the inkjet cartridge recycling fundraiser works all year long. Plus, most places that take ink cartridges also offer a program to recycle cell phones.

What other recyclable items can you easily turn into money? You may generate a decent income with a bottles and cans recycling fundraiser, but this fundraiser usually requires quite a bit of effort and planning. If you do however already have recycling receptacles available, and/or volunteers to collect them and take them to a recycling facility, you may be able to plan this recycling fundraiser with minimal effort.

Although these ideas may not earn money as quickly and are not as exciting as some of the ‘traditional’ fundraisers, they have the potential to earn substantial money over time without exhausting your volunteers or their wallets!

Sponsored link:
FundingFactory specializes in recycling ink-cartridges & cell phones fundraisers.

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Pumpkin Patch

You can purchase pumpkins in bulk from a local farmer and sell them in a location where people might not have easy access to pumpkin farms. Farmers will typically sell to you at a discount if you purchase the pumpkins in bulk, so it will be easy to mark them up for a profit.

To run this fundraiser you need a piece of property on which to display the pumpkins, signs and volunteers. Then, advertise, and schedule your pumpkin patch hours. Be certain that you have enough volunteers to cover the shifts. Volunteers are required simply to collect payments once visitors have selected a pumpkin for purchase. Use wax pencils to write prices right on the pumpkins or simply group pumpkins of similar size together with a sign indicating the price for this size group.

About location and timing:
If the location you pick allows you to “lock up” any remaining pumpkins overnight then you don’t have to arrange for storing pumpkins at the end of each day of the event. If you do have to move pumpkins at the end of each day, make sure you have someone available with a truck and volunteers to move them.

If you carefully time your event, considering back-to-school, or other pumpkin sales for example, and advertise it accordingly (reminding people not to buy their pumpkins at the grocery store), you may be successful by running your pumpkin patch for only one day, which would greatly reduce the need for volunteers and also eliminate any overnight storage issues. You could also partner up with the owner of an existing pumpkin patch and organize your event alongside it.

Search for Halloween fundraiser

Pumpkin Carving

Another fun pumpkin fundraiser is a pumpkin carving event. This event works similar to a pumpkin patch and could be planned alongside a pumpkin patch, if you have enough volunteers available. Visitors select a pumpkin and carve it into a spooky jack-o-lantern on the spot.

For this fundraiser, you’ll need pumpkin carving tools and patterns in addition to the pumpkins. You’ll also need volunteers who can assist families in choosing and rendering their jack-o-lantern designs. This fundraiser requires a few more supplies, since you’re providing the tools and patterns for the jack-o-lanterns. However, the advantage is that you can charge a higher price – or ask for higher donations – for your pumpkins because you’re providing all the implements to make a jack-o-lantern on the spot. And the cost of the tools is minimal, since you’ll use the same sets over and over. In fact, many pumpkin carving patterns can be downloaded off the internet for no cost.

Pumpkin Painting

In addition to pumpkin carving, you could also offer pumpkin painting. This may be a great option for younger kids and would be safer than carving. Be sure to cover the ground with a tarp or newspapers, provide wet paper towels to wipe any dirt off the pumpkins and set up an assortment of brushes, markers and poster paints to work with. For extra special decorations, you can also provide glitter or glitter paint, or anything else that sparkles, items to stick into or onto the pumpkin, like small branches (for arms or hair), or fake spiders and spiderwebs. You’re only limited by your imagination!

In general, working on pumpkins seems to be easiest when they’re about ‘room’ temperature. Chilled pumpkins are harder to carve, any condensation makes them slippery and the paint may not stick well. Also, try to keep the stems dry to keep the pumpkins fresh longer. Once you’re done decorating your pumpkin, it is a good idea to keep it chilled, or in a shady spot, so it stays fresher longer.

With any of these fundraising events, consider adding other amenities to attract more visitors, like a moonwalk for the kids or a haunted house. You can also have a concession stand selling candy apples, popcorn and other fall favorites!

(Images ©iStockPhoto/tacojim, bopp63)

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Where To Set Up Fundraising Booths

Fundraising booths can be set up by themselves in areas of high traffic for a solitary event, or they can be part of a larger event or fundraising carnival.

Many times booth space will be rented to interested fundraising groups for a fee (often between 25 and 100 dollars).

Watch area newspapers and bulletin boards for available rental spaces, or look within your own organization events for opportunities.
.

Events and locations that might welcome fundraising booths include:

* Local storefronts
* Area banks and businesses
* Community tag sales
* Craft sales
* Recitals, plays, or shows
* Community fairs or carnivals
* Trade shows
* Fundraising carnivals
* Events such as games and sporting events, dances, and community dinners

Important: Be sure to apply and get permission much in advance. Popular spaces are often booked many months in advance.

Preparing For Booth Setup

Before the big day, you’ll need to put some time into planning your booth’s display. It should be sturdy, attractive, and inviting. Plan for any kind of weather! If your booth provides shade or shelter from the rain, it may also attract more visitors.

The first thing you will need to know is how big a space you have to work with. Measure out the area and set up a practice display ahead of time.

Collect all needed items and create displays well in advance of the event. Some supplies you might need include:

* Folding tables and chairs if not provided
* Canopy, sun umbrellas, partition to neighboring booth
* Paper/plastic bags
* Small shelves, racks, and display cases
* Tablecloths
* Tape
* Poster board
* Markers
* Decorations
* Calculators and sales inventory materials
* Boxes or totes for storage
* Change and small bills
* Don’t forget your permits, should they require to be displayed

Simple Steps For Planning And Setting Up Your Fundraising Booth

These simple steps will ensure a well organized, successful, and attractive fundraising booth set up.

* Arrange tables and cover with cloths
* Arrange shelving and display cases
* Decorate with seasonal or event-related themed decorations
* Clearly mark prices of all items and/or arrange price signs
* Arrange products so that all are clearly visible and neatly arranged; step back to make sure your booth is attractive, clean, inviting, and neat
* Hide all cartons, trash, and extra items
* Centrally locate seller’s chairs, cash box, calculators, and all sale materials
* If space is limited, put out just a few of each item and restock as necessary
* Plan for keeping cash and expensive or small items safe

Keys To Fundraising Booth Success

There are a few keys to fundraising booth success.

* Have an attractive product and display it invitingly
* Be well organized and staff volunteers ahead of time
* Place reminder calls a few days before the event
* Important: line up plenty of volunteer support, including back-up volunteers
* Volunteers should be scheduled in shifts so that the maximum amount of selling time can be managed without burning out a few volunteers

And last but not least, make it a fun event! Friendly faces representing your group go a long way to making your booth-based fundraiser a positive and memorable experience for everyone!

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Another advantage is the fact that because this fundraiser is a service, rather than goods-oriented, there is no leftover product at the end of the fundraiser. A third, no less important factor is the fact that at the end of the event, there is no clean-up to be done, as there might be with other types of fundraisers. Finally, there’s the weather factor: it’s not likely your event will be rained out, unlike, say, a walk-a-thon could be.

The key to a successful bowling fundraiser – like most fundraisers – is planning. A well-organized plan for volunteer bowlers and sponsors will assure that everything goes smoothly. Depending on which method you choose below, you will also need to publicize the event well ahead of time to your community, so that lots of folks come on the day (or night) in question.

So, are you ready to go for it? Here’s how:

Three ways to hold a bowling fundraiser:

The first is to make arrangements with the bowling alley ahead of time, so you’ll be able to charge a flat fee to the bowlers and then donate a percentage of the profits to your group. For example, if each person pays $15.00 for bowling and shoe rental, and the bowling alley agrees to give 50% of the profit to you, then your organization would receive $7.50 per person. Depending on how big you’re planning for this event to be, you could advertise through mass flyer distribution, internet, radio, or TV. Make sure everyone in your group or community knows about the chance to help you and your organization and have fun at the same time. This could be an all day event, a ‘bowl-a-thon’. A word of caution with this method though: if the cost of bowling will be different or more than usual, make sure this is clearly stated in your promotional materials.

A second way is to go out and get sponsors or pledges before the bowling fundraiser. Either ask for straight donations in return for an ad or a mention in your group’s newsletter or website, or a promise or ‘pledge’ to pay a certain amount per pin knocked down (f. ex. 25 cents per pin). Make sure you arrange for enough volunteer bowlers to bowl through your assigned time! Keep in mind, that when collecting pledges, there is a bit more work to be done after the bowling night, when your volunteers have to go back to collect on the pledges.

A third possibility is oriented more towards businesses or other larger groups. Offer them the chance to rent the lane for the night for flat fee, pay the bowling fees out of that, and your group gets the rest. The disadvantage here is that it may squeeze out single or couple bowlers.

Of course, you can always use a combination of the above three choices if you like more than one. Perhaps advertise to your community using option # 1, and include in that the option to rent a lane for those who want to do so.

Tip: on the day of the actual fundraiser, make sure you designate at least one volunteer as the go-to person, who can direct people to where they need to go, or help them when they have problems with their lane.

>> Have you already done a bowling fundraiser? Please share with us in the comments (below) how you did it!

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There are lots of ways to make a carnival successful as a fundraiser, which is why many schools and organizations do it on an annual basis. The key is to mix it up every year, so people look forward to coming back, but are continually surprised at the new booths, vendors, or games. Some of the best ways to keep things running smoothly are included below.

Put someone in charge

This may seem obvious, but is often overlooked when deciding who does which job. This person doesn’t have to be the one that does everything, but he or she needs to be the one to delegate everything. You need somebody (maybe it will be you) who can ask Mrs. A to be in charge of recruiting vendors for the food booths, Mrs. B in charge of organizing all the games, and Mr. C to bring in the volunteers. However you work it, there’s no getting around the need for someone to follow up with everyone on a regular basis and make sure the job is getting done.

Meet at least a few times

Some folks will tell you that you need to meet every week for six months prior to the event, while others will tell you that their organization only met once the week before. It really depends on how much experience you and your group have doing this sort of thing. If everyone knows the drill and understands what they need to do, you probably only need to have a few meetings. On the other hand, if you have never held anything like this before and this will be your first event together, you probably should meet every week for six months before.

Ensure everyone’s safety

Once upon a time, schools and organizations could hold a carnival without having to worry about what bad things might happen. Tragically, that time is gone. Be sure to put someone in charge of security at your carnival, who has the build of a club bouncer, the eye of a paranoid parent, and the wisdom of the ages! Anticipate junior-high antics like firecrackers in the bathroom, post plenty of security where parents can see it, and have a prominent “Meeting Place” where lost children can go and wait for their parents. That way, you—as well as the parents at your carnival—can rest easy, knowing that whatever happens will be handled promptly and with class.

Sell more than just a hamburger

In business, putting several products together and selling them as one package is called “product bundling.” For example, few people buy just a cheeseburger at McDonald’s anymore—they get a #3, with fries and a coke. You can work the same principle to much advantage at your carnival. Have food booths with various types of food in one area, different kinds of games in another, and vendors selling various items appropriate for a kids’ carnival in another. A side note here: if you can arrange it ahead of time, vendor placement in booths at your carnival is a win-win situation: the vendor gets great advertising and a chance to sell some of their wares, and you get the vendor fee with almost no overhead (just a table with a “reserved” sign is usually sufficient).

Make sure you have enough volunteers

You’ll need lots of volunteers to run your carnival. Examples of jobs are:

• Creating fliers, signs, and ‘ads’ for school newspapers
• Selling tickets before and during your carnival
• Setting up booths, games and decorations
• Running the booths and games and handing out prizes
• Running the PA system for announcements if necessary
• If you decide to have music, assign a ‘DJ’ that is familiar with working the sound system
• Setting up and manning a lost and found station
• Food sales, unless you allow outside vendors to sell their food. When you have outside vendors, you’ll need a liaison that works closely with them and monitors set up, and that the agreed upon food and drinks are offered, etc.
• Setting up trash and recycling cans. Cleaning up during and after the carnival
• Tearing down booths, games and decorations after the carnival
• Have several volunteers on ‘standby’ who could jump in at any time
• Have several volunteers available at the carnival for odd jobs that come up

Make a budget

Be sure you get any needed licenses and reserve a spot for your carnival well in advance of the event. You’ll also need to plan for potential vendors, insurance, table and booth rentals, prizes, decorations, advertising, the actual tickets, the games themselves and security.

To make planning easier for a larger group, it may work for you to set a date and see how many tickets you can pre-sell. That way you might be able to better estimate how many people will come, which will make it easier to plan for how many games to set up, the amount you have available for spending on prizes etc. Don’t forget to plan for a healthy profit for your group!

If you make sure you have all the basics covered, security, fun games and prizes and lots of helpers, you’ll have an event that’s not just fun, but also adds to your group’s bottom line!

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]]> http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/let-the-games-begin-a-carnival-fundraiser/feed/ 1 http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/recycle-ink-cartridges-and-cell-phones-tips-for-success/ http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/recycle-ink-cartridges-and-cell-phones-tips-for-success/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:08:28 +0000 FundraisingIP.com http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/?p=1685 Ink cartridge and cell phone recycling fundraisers are very popular because they are super easy and keep millions of useful cartridges and cell phones out of landfills. There are several things your organization can do to make your ink cartridge and cell phone recycling program even more successful.

Be A Good Partner

Be a good partner to your recycling redemption company by following their guidelines. Be sure to:

• Obtain their latest list of accepted cartridges and cell phones
• Update the list regularly and pass it on to donors
• Sort through donated cartridges and cell phones and weed out broken and beyond repair units
• Follow the company’s schedule for redemptions and payment
• Follow shipping instructions, and package large donations conveniently for easier processing (see below)

Recruit Donations

Remember that you are not limited to your immediate support base for cartridge and cell phone donations; you can reach out to other individuals and groups, too. Some good ways to increase donations are by:

• Calling area businesses and asking them to set aside their used ink cartridges; assign someone to pick the cartridges up to make it even easier on the company.
• Encourage your group’s members to collect ink cartridges and cell phones from their employers, friends, family, and others. You might consider supplying a second outreach letter that can be given to peripheral supporters.
• Set up community collection boxes; attach a letter or sign explaining what can be donated and who will benefit (your group). All you have to do then is regularly check and empty the boxes. Note that some businesses might welcome a drop box at their office, too—they can drop their cartridges and old cell phones in, and so can their employees and clients.


Note that some redemption companies will allow you to supply shipping bags to individuals and groups that they can simply mail in (postage pre-paid) on your behalf; that way, you won’t have to worry about making the rounds to collect donated cell phones and empty ink cartridges.

Protect Your Profits

You can ensure that your collections are protected by packaging them well and according to the recycling companies suggestions before shipping; that way, more of your units will be accepted and paid for. Some tips for packaging large shipments of ink cartridges and cell phones follow:

• Pack larger cartridges first (bottom of box)
• Group ink cartridges and cell phones separately or by type/manufacturer
• Place newspaper or cardboard between each layer
• Fill in gaps with newspaper

Lastly, be sure that your packages are labeled correctly so that they get where they are going. If pre-printed materials are provided, use them—they will ensure that the correct addresses and postage are used, and may include an ID number that lets the company know who you are.

You can feel good about this easy recycling ink cartridge and cell phone fundraising project!

(FundingFactory offers a fundraising program for ink cartridge and cell phone recycling. Sponsored link.)

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What is this fundraiser all about?

All donations and profits arising from this rally go towards building a cheese factory to help poor families in Al Rabiat in Jordan (near Amman) become self sufficient and support themselves. The income from previous rallies was used to buy the land to build the factory on. Other sponsors will donate training to run the cheese factory and a solar power plant to provide electricity. All funds go through the World Food Program which administers the project in Jordan and handles all the bureaucracy. Last year’s rally brought in 80,000 Euros (about $100,000)!

This fundraiser began as a crazy low budget answer to the Paris-Dakar Rally, while at the same time promoting international understanding and communication and also supporting a good cause. It leads from Oberstaufen in Southern Germany to Amman in Jordan. The winner is the team that reaches Amman with all its cars safe and sound and has solved all the tasks requested in the road book. The first prize is a camel! Unfortunately the camel must stay in Jordan, but it can be visited at any time by the winners…

What are the rules?

The rules are that each car used in the rally has to be at least 20(!) years old and cost less than 2,000 Euros. Teams have to sleep in tents, or in hotels that cost no more than 10 Euros a night (about $13). Why the low budget cars and facilities? This ensures that the rally truly remains open for everyone to participate, which was part of the ground rules when this fundraiser started in 2006.

What about sponsors?

This event is supported by big names, like the UN’s World Food Program, the Jordan Tourism Board, and many large and small organizations and companies in Jordan and Germany.

The organizers of this rally had been approached by a production company to do a reality show. They gracefully declined though, after they found out that they would have been required to stage personal drama and several car wrecks. An accompanying reality show would’ve probably brought in thousands more in revenue and more sponsors, but because it would have seriously hampered the spirit of the rally, the organizers of the fundraiser decided not to take the offer.

Is this fundraiser right for your group?

It seems that the hardest part about this fundraiser are the legal issues that arise out of a non-profit project that straddles more than one country. Unless your fundraising project also involves more than one country, this fundraiser requires planning much like many other larger fundraising events: you need to form a planning and oversight committee, define rules for participants, define meeting places, prizes, sponsors, get permits and definitely put up a website for information and updates.

So if you’re tired of conventional fundraising events and you think you can create interest among your members and potential supporters, why not go for it! Would you have only a few teams/drivers, or dozens? Would your rally go between neighborhoods, cities, states or countries? Would you have local media coverage, national, or even international media coverage?

If you’re deciding to do a fundraising event like this one, please let us know and we’ll help promote it through our website! This fundraising event starts on May 2nd and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the outcome.

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To host a car wash, you’ll need just a few items:

Facility

You’ll need access to hoses and a good water supply. This should preferably be in a concrete or asphalt parking lot, to minimize problems caused from the volume of water you’ll have. A parking lot on a street with a lot of traffic is the best location (perhaps a car dealer’s empty lot?), because it helps you to generate business. If you want to provide inside car cleaning, you’ll need electrical access for vacuum cleaners. Be sure to get appropriate permits if necessary.

Also – and you might find this surprising – there are many car wash facilities that are happy to loan out their facility on their off day to organizations that need to raise funds for a worthy cause. Check out several local car washes to see if they’re willing to work with you and what supplies or facilities they would actually make available to you.

Supplies

You’ll also need car washing soap, rags, sponges, tire cleaner and window cleaner. All of these items can be purchased in bulk from your local warehouse store at a very reasonable price. Items like vacuum cleaners and hoses can be borrowed from organization members.

Advertising

Advertise one or two weeks in advance and have a ‘Plan B’ for bad weather. Consider posting an ad in the local paper and the school paper if a school organization is hosting the event. You’ll also need signs for the day of the event, to attract passersby into your car wash. Tip: Selling ‘car wash vouchers’ ahead of the event is a very effective way to boost your fundraiser income.

You could also put an ‘environmentally friendly’ spin on your car wash fundraiser, by promising to use only environmentally friendly soaps and supplies.

Staff

Members of your organization can be on hand for the actual washing, rinsing and drying of cars. You’ll also need a few volunteers for collecting payment. Don’t forget to get change before the event, as lots of people will pay in cash.

Though some organizations offer a few different car wash options at different price ranges, it’s wise to have one price for one set of services. For example, for $10, your car is washed and rinsed, windows and tires are cleaned and the car is dried with a soft cloth. If you want an add on as a profit booster, charge another $5 for vacuuming the inside, if you have access to vacuum cleaners that can easily be moved around and that are OK around water, such as shop vacs.

A car wash fundraiser is a great spring project, and doesn’t require a lot of advance planning. Springtime is the perfect time of year, since the weather is nice and people are anxious to get their cars cleaned, particularly if you live in areas with high pollen. You’ll be amazed at how this fundraiser brings in profits and makes certain that your organization members have some good clean fun!

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Valentine’s Day and spring are the two most popular times to host a dance; though it’s not necessarily a good idea to host one at Valentine’s Day for tweens or younger teens. The implication that one must have a “valentine” or date to attend will discourage many kids who would otherwise be happy to come alone or with a group of friends.

Though a dance is fairly simple to host, there are some important things to consider:

• Location – If you’re hosting a school dance, the school’s cafeteria or gym will likely make a good location. If it’s a community or organization event, you may need to locate a venue. Consider asking local clubs to either donate the use of their location or rent it to you for a lower cost than their normal rental fee. If the proceeds from your dance are going to a good cause, they may be more than willing to help. Eliminating or reducing the cost of the venue should be high on your priority list. If you have to pay for a venue, this will likely be your most costly budget item.

• Food – It’s OK to keep food simple; this is not an eating event. Water, sodas, juices, cookies, pretzels and simple finger foods may be sufficient.

• Music – Consider hiring a DJ rather than a band. DJ’s are typically less expensive and play a wider variety of music. Plus, they will typically be showmen who’ll keep the crowd happy with limbo contests, etc. If you let your DJ know that the dance is a fundraiser, they may lower their price. Or, consider scouring the parent body for a DJ right in your own organization.

• Decorations – Pick a theme and then plan decorations and food serving items around the theme.

• Ticket Sales and Prices – Come up with your budget before you set your ticket sales price. Tickets should be priced appropriately so that they are affordable, yet allow for you to make a profit. Consider setting a certain window for advanced ticket sales and then charge a higher price at the door. This will more accurately help you predict your headcount for food and drink.

• Chaperones – You’ll need to enlist volunteers to take and sell tickets, serve drinks and offer general chaperone help. Schedule volunteers in shifts of no more than 2 hours if possible to ensure that more people are willing to help.

• Advertising – Be sure you get the word out. Use posters and flyers as well as announcing your event as often as you get the chance.

As you can see, with a little planning and volunteer assistance, a dance is a great way to raise funds while entertaining a group of teens or tweens. Your group will probably have so much fun that you’ll consider making a dance an annual event!

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Solicit donations
Ask local businesses and individuals to donate items for auction. For example, ask the local day spa to donate a massage gift certificate and the local pet groomer to donate a free grooming session. When businesses donate items that they sell, the cost is minimal to them, and it decreases your out of pocket expenses. Consider if you want many different types of items for your auction, or if you want to concentrate on one type of item, such as art.

Find a venue
You’ll need a place for hosting your auction. If your organization has a facility, use it to avoid a rental fee. Then spend a little time decorating to dress it up a bit.

Advertise
Let people know about the auction in advance, and let them know some of the items that will be up for auction. If you’re charging admission, offer tickets in advance and at the door for a higher price.

Offer food
A silent auction generally means a lot of walking around, looking at items for sale and checking your bids. Consider providing finger food for your guests. If you’ve charged admission for entry, consider not charging for food. However, if entrance is free, you should charge for the food. Wine, cheese and other small finger appetizers are popular at high end silent auctions.

Stagger Auction Closes
Have the bidding on items close at different times during the night. With one or two items closing at each half hour, you’ll generate excitement and keep the evening moving. You’ll also drive up prices on your late closing items this way. When bidders realize they’ve lost out on one item early in the evening, they’ll be willing to place a higher bid on some other items closing later. So, save your most expensive items for the end of the evening.

Set up bidding by fax, phone or internet
To ensure that you get the highest sales prices for your items, you may want to consider providing a brochure that lists all your items and provides a phone or fax number for bidders who are unable to attend the actual event. You’ll need a couple of extra volunteers to man the phone, fax or computers to ensure that the bids of outside bidders are included as they come in.

Have one great final item
If you can obtain one big ticket item for the end of the evening, you’ll generate lots of excitement that causes people to linger right up until the end of the night. An item that everyone wants is sure to bring in loads of bidders and make the evening even more fun.

A silent auction is a unique, high energy fundraising event. Your participants and guests just might find this event to be the most enjoyable event of the year – and the most profitable.

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With all the buzz about raising money online these days, you’d think that the only money to be found is on the internet. But the reality is that less than 10 percent of the $2+ billion dollars that were raised last year was online. The rest? Regular old, run-of-the-mill fundraisers like…

Camping Out On The Roof

OK, so this one’s not so typical. Four members of the United Way of Wabash Valley (UWWV) camped out on the roof of a local grocery for 12 hours to create awareness for their organization and the 43 agencies it serves. They had lots of fun talking to the community and media and in the meantime raised a respectable $18,000. Read more…

Dressing Up Like A Cow

Seniors in the women’s history class at Roseburg High School thought their teacher was joking when she suggested they purchase a cow. But the class rallied around Mrs. Gwen Bartlett’s plan to raise money to donate to Heifer International, when they discovered the group’s mission is to help underprivileged families around the world by providing them with livestock and teaching them how to take care of it. They ended up with enough money to buy a cow, a water buffalo, and two goats – and a teacher who had to dress up like a cow per her promise. “If we reach our goal of $500,” she said, “I’ll wear a cow suit to class.” Read more…

Spelling Words In Public

Marion County Literacy Council members decided to stick to their mission when it came time to raise funds and hold what’s better known as a Spelling Bee. Teams and sponsors from all over the area paid $500 each to compete in the Bee and help raise a total of $27,000 toward the council’s operating budget. It will be used to buy things like books and materials for tutor/student pairs. Read more…

What lesson can be learned from these fundraisers? Come up with a fun concept that people are excited to be a part of – not always an easy task, but definitely doable! The number of ways to raise money is countless and the above stories show that even in a tough economy, people are willing to donate to help someone in else.

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Are some of your fundraising profits spent on things like designing or printing marketing materials like flyers and posters? With the current economic slow-down you might already experience a reduction in donations to your group and feel that every dollar earned needs to go directly to the actual program or cause you’re raising funds for. But not having marketing materials will only cause a further decline in donations. So what are you supposed to do?

Instead of using hard earned fundraising dollars to pay for a service, “fundraise” for the actual design or marketing service instead.

That’s exactly what happened when a Design Marathon was held to benefit local non-profits in Charlottesville, Va:

Thirty professionals and students from Charlottesville’s thriving design community donated an estimated $30,000 worth of time to complete 10 projects in just 10 hours.

Projects ranged from creating a poster ad campaign for the Rivanna Conservation Society to designing a low-cost playground for Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS).

How can you apply this information to benefit your cause?

Regardless of what service you’re in need of, local businesses, high school or college students might be able and willing to help you. Businesses will get exposure and free promo, students will be able to put the experience on their resume and get their work published.

There is power in numbers and partnering with other groups in need to organize an actual event like the one mentioned here might be just what’s needed to be successful!

For more information about this fundraiser, click over to their blog.

For more posts like this one, go to our How Others Raise Funds category or our Fundraising Events category.

* * * * *

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Volunteers new to fundraising may not always realize that they have many options beyond product fundraising. And often non-product based fundraisers enjoy greater success because they give supporters fun, easy ways to support an organization at a variety of affordable price-points, without purchasing product they don’t really want or need.

One option for staging a non-product based fundraiser is to hold an event of some sort. If well organized and well-run, event fundraisers are great successes because they provide affordable, fun, community-based entertainment and/or education. Some event-based fundraising options include:

• Community carnivals or fairs
• Craft sales, bake sales, flea markets, or fairs where table space is sold (rented) to vendors
• ‘Taste of’ your town events – sell table space to local restaurants and caterers, bakeries, etc. and invite the town for samples for a small ticket fee
• Car washes
• Plays/theater/dance recitals
• Petting zoos
• Child-centered educational events like bike safety days, child safety awareness programs, youth-group events

Event-based fundraisers are lots of fun and can be hugely successful, but they do have a downside: event-based fundraisers require a lot of planning, man-hours, and initial monetary investment for supplies.

There are several other non-product based fundraiser options that can be completed in record fundraising time, and be very appealing to supporters, such as the following:

• Discount cards – sold for 5 or 10 dollars, worth percentage discounts at partnering local businesses
• Scratch cards – supporters scratch one or more circles on a card and donate the amount of money that is shown (donations are no more than $5 per circle)
• Lotto calendars - calendars are sold for 10 to 15 dollars, and buyers have the potential to win each day for a month (cash prizes are given for each day’s drawing)
• Raffles – sell tickets, draw a winner for the prize; 50-50 raffles are especially easy and popular (winner gets half the money collected from ticket sales)
• Brick fundraisers – sell bricks engraved with donors’ names and use them to build a garden, walkway, or partial building
• Spare-a-dollar campaigns – print letters explaining the campaign and simply ask supporters for donations

Product-based fundraisers give supporters something tangible for their money, but with multiple fundraisers being run in every locale several times per year, product fundraisers can be met with diminishing demand and support. Non-product based fundraisers and fundraising events are better options when the product fundraising pool is overflowing.

For discount cards and scratch cards, try FastTrackFundraising.com.

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How to Get Started With An Online Auction Fundraiser

The basic things your group will need to host a fee-based or free online auction fundraiser are

• A web-based auction company partner
• An auction website
• A small group of volunteers

Although theoretically your group could just post items for sale on a public online auction site like eBay, you’ll find much more profitability and longevity if you partner with an auction website that either specializes in fundraising auctions or has a segment of their company that does.

A good online auction fundraising website will provide you with all the tools you need to get your fundraising auction up and running. They will provide a group website and templates that can be easily customized by group volunteers, and they will handle all transactions securely through their site. For more info about what features to look for, read Online Auction Fundraising Services.

Once you have chosen the platform for your online auction fundraiser, your group could assign teams for the following jobs:

1. One team will handle customizing the website – entering information about who your group is, your cause, how proceeds from the online auction fundraiser will be spent. Once items have been donated, this team could also handle uploading photos and setting auction prices and specifications.

2. Another team will manage the donation of goods. Look to group members, cause supporters, area businesses, and interested supporters for in-kind donations of items to be auctioned. Include everything large and small, common and rare. This increases the appeal of the overall fundraising auction.

The next step is to promote the fundraiser as much as possible. This is done in much the same way as promotion for any other type of fundraiser. Advertise and send appeals out to all group members, the community, and known supporters. Post flyers, send out a press release, write it up in your newsletter, send home a notice, post a memo – whatever you would do to let your group know that your fundraiser is ongoing. Of course, you should also look at the options you have for informing supporters via email, and talk with your fundraising auction website to see what else you can do online to support your auction. Promoting your online auction fundraiser could be assigned to a third team.

The basics of running an online auction fundraiser are fairly simple and straight-forward. The key to your success will be in great organization, great outreach, and a great partnership with a reputable online auction fundraising site. With these things in place, add a few interesting auction items, and you’ve got all it takes to have a raging success of an online fundraising auction!

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How Does A Kiss The Pig Fundraiser Work?

Kiss the pig fundraisers are pretty simple – assuming you can get your hands on a pig.

You’ll need to choose a person to do the honors. It will need to be someone who your audience will enjoy embarrassing, someone with a generous nature and a good-natured, willing spirit. In some fundraisers, more than one person is chosen.

You will need to advertise the event once you know who the lucky smoocher will be to get people to donate and attend the big event. (For marketing tips, click over to Marketing Your Fundraiser.)

The day of, at the designated time, the kisser simply puckers up, as Liberty Elementary School (Georgia) principal Chris Anderson did…

We’re wondering: Is there a more sanitary way to do this fundraiser? Maybe hug the pig? You decide…

How To Make Money With A Kiss The Pig Fundraiser

To make money with a kiss-the-pig fundraiser, you have a few options.

• Sell voting rights
Charge a set fee (one to five dollars, in most cases) for a right to vote for who has to kiss the pig. There is no limit to the amount of votes a person can buy. Choose several potential kissing candidates that your crowd would like to see in the hot seat. You can continually update the public as to who is in the lead to motivate people to vote.

• Admission fee
Who wouldn’t pay a few bucks to see their favorite prominent figure get a big, wet, kiss from a pig?

• Advertising
Offer local businesses advertising space, or ask them to somehow sponsor the event.

• Side-shows
Hold the kissing as the main event (with or without admission) and take advantage of the crowd to fundraise in other ways, such as selling food and refreshments, raffles, on-hand product sales, event hats and t-shirts, etc.

• Collection plate
Take up a collection and agree that the subject (or a secondary volunteer) gets a second kiss if the group can reach a goal amount (of course, all donations are non-refundable if the goal is not met). Alternatively, the deal could be that the pig only gets kissed when a goal amount has been reached

Of course, you can modify the kiss-the-pig fundraiser in any way that suits your group and your public. This crazy and fun fundraising idea will bring out the crowds for some good-hearted public belittling.

Note: Be sure that throughout this fundraiser a handler is assigned to take care of the animal.

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Pizza Fundraising Options:

Frozen Pizza Sales

Frozen pizza sales run similar to pie and cheesecake sales. The product comes fully prepared by the pizza company and all the end consumer has to do is heat and eat. Fundraisers take orders for flavors and quantity, then deliver the product when delivered to them. But like cheesecake and pie fundraisers, frozen pizza fundraisers have the disadvantage of requiring either fast distribution or storage space in freezers.

Make-Your-Own Pizza Kits

Another Pizza sale fundraising option is to collect orders for pizza kits. Consumers receive kits to make one to three pizzas with the sauce, cheese, and toppings chosen included. Like frozen pizzas, distribution and/or storage arrangements are necessary.

Pizza Card Sales

A fast and simple alternative to selling the actual pizza or pizza kit is to sell pizza cards redeemable at local pizzerias. Groups partner with a national or local pizza restaurant and sell cards worth ‘x’ amount of pizzas or worth a percentage off their order at a local pizza store; the pizzeria is reimbursed for their product and the fundraising organization keeps a portion of the proceeds.

>>FastTrackFundraising offers Pizza Card Fundraising…

Pizza Night Fundraisers

Similar to the pizza card fundraiser, a pizza night fundraiser requires partnering with local pizza restaurants. The fundraising group advertises the event and on the designated night, a portion of the sales from pizzas sold to fundraiser supporters goes to the group. Some means of identifying participants as supporters must be communicated or distributed (such as via a card, coupon, or simply telling the counter they are supporters). The partnership can be a ‘win-win’ situation for both the pizzeria and the organization, as sales are boosted for all.

For many organizations, pizza sales as fundraisers are an obvious choice. Pizzas are also well-liked for fundraising because these quickly consumed products can be sold repeatedly and their high demand makes pizza fundraisers virtually self-sellers. When paired with good planning and organization, pizzas are unstoppable fundraisers with wide appeal.

>> Search for Pizza Fundraiser

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Non-Profit Fundraising Events – Some Things To Consider

To decide on a non-profit fundraising event, your group first has to assess your group’s resources, including the resources within your community capable of supporting a non profit fundraising event. Consider your work-force, planning lead times, available support funds, peripheral volunteer support, in-kind donations, and venue options. When you have a grasp on how many volunteers and how much money is available to get the event off the ground, you’ll know what kinds of events you can consider.

Ideas For Non-profit Fundraising Events

A world of options awaits as you plan your non-profit fundraising event. Your event is limited only by your resourcefulness, your resource base, and your imagination. Here, we’ve provided some popular ideas for non-profit fundraising events, but feel free to add your own creative twist for something new!

• Fundraiser dinners – an affordable dinner for a good cause is an old stand-by that works wonders. Large meals that serve many for pennies on the dollar are great, and remember that the menu choice is yours – Italian, BBQ, Holiday dinner, gourmet foods….also consider that a brunch, breakfast, tea, or mocktail hour might also work well.

• Entertainment – plays, movie nights, concerts, comedy night…all are great non profit fundraising event ideas. Couple these with dinner, too, and you’ve suddenly created a night-out package with great appeal.

• Family fun – parents and children are always looking for affordable entertainment and activities. Any type of family fun event is a great money-maker for non profit events.

• Gala ball – sometimes something a little more up-scale is in order, either because your organization portrays that or because that’s the only thing different you can offer! Plan a gala ball (even a more affordable family version) to spark new fundraising event interest.

• Fashion show – show your class and style and the latest fashion trends. Charge an admission and possibly even hold an event sale or auction (which leads us to…)

• Auctions – non profits have the benefit of generous donor support – and you don’t always have to ask for cash! In-kind donations can go even further when arranged in an enjoyable auction (which can also be extended into the online venue…).

• Tournaments – give supporters the opportunity to compete and show their stuff! Hold a golf, sport, game, or card tournament complete with sales, refreshments, entrance fees, prizes, and more!

Holding a non profit fundraising event is a wonderful way to bring in money and provide fun and entertainment for all. Consider, though, that the outreach of an event fundraiser for a non-profit goes further than its profit – non profit fundraising events also have the potential to educate the public about the organization, gain exposure for your group, recruit new donors and volunteers, and solicit in-kind donations. All told, your group stands to gain a lot by hosting a non profit fundraising event.

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A Duct Taping Fundraiser Is Born

The idea for the “Duct-Tape-The-Principal Fundraiser” supposedly originates with a creative middle school principal in Kansas. Principal Mark Buck, of Medicine Lodge Middle School in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, challenged his students to collectively read 400,000 pages during the school year. He agreed that if the school could read that much, he’d let the students duct tape him to the gym wall.

Each student was allowed to use one yard of duct tape to help cocoon the principal to the gym wall for every 1000 pages read. It was an act in hilarity that really got the attention of the kids, and really motivated them to read!

For lots of photos of fundraising and non-fundraising related duct tapings – and a good laugh – visit the Wall Taping Gallery of the Duck Tape Guys.

Running a Duct-Tape-The-Principal Fundraiser

Originally, the idea of duct taping the principal didn’t start as a fundraiser, just as a motivator to get the kids to read. With a little ingenuity and a few adaptations, this crazy fundraiser could easily become a good money-maker.

• First, start with a subject person whom the target audience will really enjoy sticking it to! Obviously, students will love the idea of sticking it the principal, but other administrators, department heads or public officials might have it coming, too!
• Decide how you can charge to raise funds with the taping. You might sell lengths of duct tape for a set price – maybe one to five dollars or more depending on your group, level of participation, etc.
• Set an amount of time for how long the subject will stay taped; subject willing, set a donation goal to “buy” more wall time, but don’t overdo it. (See “Caution” warnings below.)
• Make an event of it and couple the duct-taping with product and refreshment sales, raffles, and so on.
• Raffle the privilege to place the first piece of tape on, and sell raffle tickets at a set price for a chance to win the right.
• Charge a small admission to the event; this would be especially useful combined with a motivational event such as the reading challenge. The “winning” kids could tape the principal for free, but admission, raffles, and refreshments could be used for fundraising.

Caution!

Depending on how much duct tape is being used, it can get mighty hot underneath the tape! Make sure there are plenty of openings between the tape strips for ventilation and that the time a person is taped to the wall is limited. Don’t leave them hanging! It’s also a good idea (according to the Duct Tape Guys) to have the person standing on chairs or similar, so the body is well supported during the taping. This fundraiser is fun, but it can be dangerous – do this at your own risk!

Once you’ve decided the who and the how of the fundraiser, get the word out! Advertise your crazy and fun fundraiser and get as many people as possible to participate. No doubt scores of participants will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see that deserving person get their due in a fun and productive way!

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What’s A Candy Box Fundraiser?

Fundraising with fundraiser candy boxes is very simple. You order pre-packed boxes of single-serve candies, distribute a box for each child or seller, and send them off to sell their wares!

Candy Box Fundraiser Selling Options

Depending on the distributor, boxes may be provided with a pre-determined mix, single product, or you may be given the option of buying bulk boxes and mixing the fundraiser candy boxes as you choose.

Fundraising candy boxes can be sold by alternative methods, too – such as placing a box in a strategic location (an office, a snack or break room…) with a cashier or collection jar and selling the candy by cash and carry. This option is an attractive alternative to selling candy person to person or door to door, since the sellers’ safety won’t be a concern. Fundraiser candy boxes can also be used as refreshment sales at events and event fundraisers, too.

Another option for fundraiser candy boxes is to purchase custom-printed boxes and fill them with a specialty or variety of candies and sell the complete box, rather than single-sale bars or packages. This would be a more specialized sale that would play off the quality of your product or appeal of your organization.

Search for candy boxes fundraiser.

What Are The Benefits Of A Candy Box Fundraiser?

The simplicity of the sale is the greatest benefit to a fundraiser candy box sale. Items are generally low-priced at a simple, manageable cost (usually $1.00 per bar or package) and the transaction is a simple matter of trading cash for candy. In many cases, fundraiser candy boxes are stocked with coveted, recognized candy brands that sell very well (like Hershey’s, etc.), but sometimes a boutique or local candy-maker will be used.

Moreover, there is no dealing with order-takers, sorting, and distribution of large-product orders. Sellers can take more candy to sell as they need it and the fundraiser ends with just turning in the money.

Is There A Downside To A Candy Box Fundraiser?

Every fundraiser has its cons. For the fundraiser candy box sale, a few might be:

• Storage of temperature-sensitive food items
• Fronting cash upfront for product (check with the supplier; some will offer credit terms for some groups)
• Money and product tracking – who has what out, who owes what
• Chasing money from defaulted sellers – it seems there is always at least one in the bunch
• Unsold inventory – candy suppliers cannot accept returned candy

Cashing In On Fundraiser Candy Boxes

Despite the downside, fundraiser candy boxes are a great way to run a low-maintenance, high-profit fundraiser. Fundraiser candy boxes can go for as long as sales are brisk. Fundraiser candy boxes are great fundraisers alone or in combination with other fundraisers to give your fundraising campaign that added revenue boost it’s needed.

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Stationary Fundraiser Basics

Stationary fundraisers are usually run via the brochure sales method. Your partnering fundraising company will supply brochures and order takers for sellers to present to buyers. Orders are usually paid for at the time of order. After the order taking period is ended, orders will need to be tallied and placed with the company. When the order arrives, the bulk needs to be sorted into individual seller’s orders and delivered.

Advantages Of Stationary Fundraisers

Stationary fundraisers have a number of benefits over other fundraisers, and even over holiday gift, wrap, and seasonal stationary fundraisers.

• Stationary is consumable, so the fundraiser can be repeated in the future
• Stationary fundraisers extend the appeal of seasonal stationary and gift wrap products; all-occasion or year-round stationary options can be run as part of a seasonal wrap/card fundraiser or entirely separated from them.
• Little or no up-front expense
• Non-perishable
• Stationary fundraisers can work well in combination with other product fundraisers (i.e., selling the gift and the wrap or selling as affordable alternative to other pricier products).
• Stationary fundraisers open up the opportunity for unique marketing angles such as ‘Support Our Troops’ campaigns, selling stationary for pen pal programs, or selling to support sponsorships of missionaries, impoverished children, etc.

Personalized Options For Stationary Fundraisers

Groups are not limited to the stationary designs offered by fundraising companies. For a more personal angle, groups can have stationary made from artwork submitted by the children or a talented artist in the group. Personalized stationary fundraising options appeal more to parents, grandparents, friends, and family members who enjoy using their own child’s or acquaintance’s artwork as representation in their communications. There’s a certain ‘brag factor’ involved.

Types Of Stationary Products Available

For both commercially designed and personally designed stationary, a variety of fundraising stationary products are offered. These include (but may not be limited to, depending on your company)

• Greeting cards
• Holiday/seasonal cards
• Personalized CD covers
• Scrap booking prints/materials
• Printed/personalized gift items
• Stationary sets
• Memo sheets
• Gift wraps
• Accessories

Stationary fundraisers are easy to run and work well for groups who have logistical difficulties managing large perishable orders. Stationary fundraisers are one of those events that need to be timed somewhat carefully, but when your group finds the balance in timing and offerings, a stationary fundraiser is one that your group can run year after year with ease.

If you’re looking to implement a stationary fundraiser, consider the following choices:

- you can work with a local printer and get wholesale pricing for customized stationary products,

- purchase stationary through fundraising companies like Sally Foster:

http://www.sallyfoster.com/sally/catalog/thumbnail.jsp?parentCategoryId=1680&categoryId=1686&subCategoryId=1728&WT.svl=11474267681

- sell customized stationary online through your own free online shop:

http://www.cafepress.com/?CMP=CJ-CLICK-10463747

- or you could create your own stationary and calendars. Many computers already include free software for this purpose, or you could engage some of your students or team members who like graphic design or photography to create them for you. “Blank” stationary is readily available at hobby shops.

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• The Warm Glow Of Fundraising: Candle Fundraisers

Candle sales consist primarily of the sale of the very popular scented candles consumers buy to make their homes a better place to be. Scented candles are available in the traditional paraffin variety, and also now in soy-based waxes which are said to smoke less and be more environmentally friendly since petroleum is not needed to produce them. There are advantages and disadvantages to both soy and paraffin wax candles; candle suppliers are well-versed in the pros and cons of each type, and will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Running A Candle Fundraiser

Candle sales can be run as catalog-based order taking campaigns or as “on-hand” selling events.

Catalog Order

In a catalog order fundraiser materials will be supplied by the candle supplier. Customers choose the size and scent of the candles they want and payment is collected upfront. Upon delivery by the supplier, orders are sorted and distributed.

Disadvantages of catalog sales are:

- Sellers cannot see and smell the candles.
- Distribution is more time consuming.

Advantages of catalog sales are:

On the upside, however, consumers have a wider variety pf both candle scents and sizes as well as accessories available through catalog sales. Also, your group has no upfront investment in product.

On-Hand Direct Selling

On-hand candle selling consists of your group spending money upfront to buy candles at wholesale price from the distributor, then selling them at one or more candles sales.

Disadvantages of on-hand candle selling events include:

- Need for the group to purchase candles upfront.
- Need to staff sellers at tables for several hours during the event.
- Need to store and transport large number of candles to sales events.
- Limited inventory depending on what the group purchases upfront.
- Group may be left with excess inventory which they either keep at a loss or return to the company; before buying, make sure you know the company’s return policy, including shipping charges.

Advantages of on-hand candle selling events include:

On the upside of on-hand sales, candles can be tested for size and scent by the customer at point of purchase. Groups also have the advantage of the convenience of cash-and-carry and impulse buys, without the need for sorting and distribution. Profits are also immediately available to the sponsoring group.

Whatever route your group decides to take for candle selling, a candle sale, particularly near the holidays, can net great profits. Whether through a catalog sale, cash-and carry event, or combination of the two, candle sales are an excellent way to raise sizable funds in relatively short amounts of time.

Sponsor Link: Candle Fundraiser at the FundraisingZone.com

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CD fundraisers are not strictly limited to Music CD’s; DVD movies and computer software programs are available as well. By fundraising with a company who is contracted with major production studios, the offerings available to buyers through a CD fundraiser can be very inviting. Top recording artists and A-list Hollywood movies drive interest and sales. Buyers get top-quality entertainment CD’s and videos for competitive prices while supporting their favorite groups at the same time.

In addition to production CD’s, DVD’s, and computer software, some CD fundraising companies also offer the ability to fundraise by selling custom recorded and edited videos of special school or group events, such as prom videos, homecoming, class/group trips, graduations, ‘year-in-review’, recital, concerts and performances. Custom video productions can be a great way to provide memories for a lifetime and raise funds.

Running A CD Fundraiser

CD and DVD fundraisers are normally run as catalog sales. The fundraising supply company will provide catalogs of your choice with a wide selection of music CD’s, DVD movies, computer software, or a combination all three. Sellers can then present the catalogs to potential supporters, collect payment and orders, and turn them in at the close of the fundraiser.

Once all funds and orders are collected, the order is collated and placed with the supply company. Upon delivery, the order is sorted and distributed.

An alternative to collecting orders for individual CD’s and DVD’s is to sell CD/DVD gift cards redeemable through the company for any title of the customer’s choice. Profits are similar to product sales and distribution, but the fundraising group is saved the hassle of order placing, sorting, and delivering the CD’s and DVD’s.

There are many CD fundraising companies who offer online ordering capabilities in addition to catalog sales. Online ordering may consist of asking supporters to visit the parent site of the company, place an order, and designate the proceeds of the order to go to the organization of their choice. Some CD fundraising companies will go as far as to set up a page devoted exclusively to the sponsoring group; demonstration pages are usually available through these companies as examples of what a group’s page can look like.

Profiting With CD Fundraisers

Profits from CD and DVD fundraisers are significant. Many companies boast a profit margin of 50% to the fundraising organization per CD and DVD sale. Some boast profits as high as $10 per unit. One question to ask, however, is whether there is a minimum number of units that must be sold in order to reach the best profit tier.

All in all, CD and DVD fundraisers are successful because they provide a product with high customer interest, competitively priced for the consumer. Profits of $5 to $10 per unit translate into sales that add up quickly for the group without selling unwieldy amounts of merchandise.

To easily receive updates on new articles, subscribe to FundraisingIP.com today.

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Many fundraising committees make the mistake of looking for the best product that supporters will buy; what they fail to realize is that supporters are happy to lend their support to worthwhile causes, and that they usually could care less about buying anything from them. Many times, supporters only buy products because it is the available means of supporting the organization.

A brick fundraiser is not really a product-centered fundraiser; it is a unique way to both raise money and build something memorable.

What Is A Brick Fundraiser?

In a brick fundraiser, an organization sells actual bricks to supporters for a set fee. Often, the brick can be engraved with the name of the supporter and/or a short phrase or quote chosen by the buyer.

The bricks that are sold during a brick fundraiser are used to actually construct something. The structure may be a walkway, a garden wall, patio, or even part of a building. Engraved bricks become lifelong tributes to each and every supporter who bought a brick and donated to the cause.

Preparing For A Brick Fundraiser

Two steps need to be taken before a single brick is ever sold.

First, your group will need to decide what will be built with the bricks and a design needs to be drawn out on paper, or designed with the help of an architect.

Secondly, a company to supply and engrave the bricks needs to be located and chosen. Be sure to ask companies any questions you may have, including cost for engraving and delivery.

After these two tasks are addressed, orders can be taken for the bricks, and be placed with the brick supply company.

Plans will also need to be made for the actual construction of the chosen structure. This should also be discussed early on in the process because if professional help and labor will be hired out, brick sale prices need to reflect that.

Potential For Profits

Brick fundraisers carry a high potential for profit. Individual bricks are inexpensive, and even with engraving can be marked up from between 300% and 1000%. With good outreach and support, brick fundraisers can net large profits.

Brick fundraisers are growing in popularity for a number of reasons. One of the biggest reasons of all is that brick fundraisers have not been done over and over, and offer a refreshing alternative to product-based fundraising. In addition, supporters enjoy the fact that they are not only aiding an organization in need, but they are beautifying their community in so doing. Brick fundraisers are well received, and with good planning, marketing, and organization, a brick fundraiser can be a lasting fundraising success.

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Box Tops for Education—Simplicity In An Ongoing Fundraiser

Very few fundraisers are as easy to implement and maintain as the Box Tops For Education ongoing fundraiser. All your fundraising group has to do to get started is register with General Mills (call 1-888-799-2444 to register). After that, your group gets the word out to as many supporters as possible to start clipping the 10 cent ‘Box Tops’ coupons from participating General Mills products. Participants can turn their coupons into your group (or drop them in a designated drop box) at their convenience. All that’s left for your group to do is tally them and remit them to General Mills for compensation.

Expanded Box Tops Programs

General Mills has recently expanded the reach of the Box Tops program to include an online Box Tops marketplace and a book club.

Your supporters can shop online at the Box Tops marketplace from more than sixty major retailers (the likes of JC Penney and Land’s End) for other needed items. Your group receives a percentage of every qualifying purchase.

The Box Tops program will also offer your school group book order forms several times each year. Students can buy books (for personal use) and your school will receive one 10 cent box top for each dollar spent.

Boxtops4Education.com

Benefits Of The Box Tops For Education Program

Box Tops is a great program to participate in because it is easy to register for and easy for supporters to participate in. Supporters simply clip coupons from items they need to buy anyway and turn them in. There is no cost to anyone to get the Box Tops program started.

Potential funds raised can reach a very handsome figure if your group is able to access a good supply of Box Tops. Even small to moderate sized schools find it easy to raise one to two thousand dollars with little effort. General Mills caps the Box Tops collection reimbursement at a lofty $20,000; in addition, the two expanded programs, Box Tops Marketplace and Box Tops Book Clubs, can earn up to $20,000 each for a potential grand total of $60,000 for your group.

A Few Tips For Box Tops Success

The Box Tops program is so easy that it’s tough to add a lot of pointers to it. You can, however, make the life of those redeeming the tops easier by asking supporters to trim the tops before remittance, and asking them to check the expiration date on the coupon.

The real key, though, is getting people to turn tops in. A classroom incentive program, such as a pizza party (donated from a local pizza restaurant) or other reward for the most successful classroom, can go far towards getting kids to get the word out for you. Box Tops programs are most successful with a good outreach for collections and registered marketplace/book club users, which means getting the word out is your big key to success. Once you’ve accomplished that, your battle is mostly won. The Box Tops for Education program is an excellent ongoing fundraiser that helps to supplement larger fundraisers and fill in the fundraising gaps.

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Many states have a refund policy in one form or another and will pay a set amount per bottle or can or pay by the pound for collected and returned containers. Groups should check their state’s guidelines to find out what cans and bottles can be refunded. Basically, all that is needed for a bottle and can collection drive is a collection place, and volunteers to help youngsters collect, sort, and return the collected bottles and cans. Note that recyclables are usually bulky and that volunteers will need larger vehicles to transport them to the recycling center.

Here’s a basic rundown of how the drive works:

• Before you start your fundraiser, be sure to ask your local recycling center what the requirements are for dropping off the recyclables, like using specific bins or trash bags, specific drop off times etc.
• Get the word out: post flyers and advertise the upcoming collection in newsletters or local newspapers. Be sure to send out an e-mail if you have a mailing list, and post the information on your group’s website as well.
• Provide a location for drop off, or place clearly marked collection containers in public places; one suggestion is to cut a can/bottle-sized hole in the center of a piece of plywood and use to top the can or bag so it is more obvious the bin is not to be used for trash
• After collection, cans will need to be sorted to remove unacceptable bottles and cans before being returned to a redemption center for cash

Tip: Be sure to ask if your recycling center would rather have the cans un-crushed.

Groups can also collect cans and bottles as part of a roadside, beach or river cleanup effort and do even more for their local environment by cleaning up refuse. Another option that has proven to work very well in many communities is to place collection bins at local dumps and/or recycling centers; people who do not care to redeem bottles and cans themselves can donate bagged items easily when they go to drop off their trash and recyclables.

Bottle and can collection drives are ideal fundraisers for scout troops, sports teams, school or youth groups; bottle and can drives naturally inject a community service element into fundraising efforts, so they are the perfect complement to these groups whose focus is on global and community living and building the consciousness of young people. With the easy organization and fast cash-in, bottle and can collection drives are a way to make the world and your fundraising efforts greener all around.

For more green fundraisers, go to our Green Fundraisers category,
Or read about Recycling Ink Cartridges

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Portrait Of A Good Fundraising Company

There are a few criteria that good fundraising companies should meet:

• They should have a reputation for success and customer service.
• They should be able to be a resource for you, offering tips, marketing help, fundraising materials, and seller’s resources.
• They should be fairly well-known; everyone on your block doesn’t have to know their name offhand, but you will want to know that others have used their services and know something about them. Ask the company for testimonials and references as well.
• Companies should have a website that is searchable and is a resource for your fundraising campaign; it should also offer online ordering and a toll free number for customer service.

Choosing Fundraising Companies

You can research a company’s profile to learn more about them, read up on them on the internet, and ask other fundraising organizers which companies have served them well and made them money. There are many great companies out there, but to get you started, here are a few suggestions of popular fundraising companies who meet the above criteria.

Magfundraising.com – run and manage your magazine fundraiser entirely online with the help of the reputable Reader’s Digest Company

FundingFactory.com – save the earth and raise funds by simply collecting cell phones and used computer printer cartridges; this site offers excellent support and tools for groups.

eFundraising.com – another division of the popular Reader’s Digest Company which offers product-based fundraisers, numerous resources, tips, and help, as well as free information kits and Prize Programs.

While this list is by no means inclusive of all the reputable and worthwhile fundraising companies out there, it is a good place to start for well-known, proven sales and service. Working with any of these companies, or any who similarly meet these company’s standards, will help you on your way to reaching your fundraising goals.

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What Can An Online Fundraising Auction Service Do For Us?

Expect the basics like managing auction transactions. But you’ll have a much higher level of success with your online auction fundraiser if you partner with a company that offers an extra leg up.

At the very least, your online auction fundraiser service should provide you with the tools and templates you need to set up your auction. These should be complete with secure services for bidding and processing of transactions.

In addition, the service you choose should offer live and ongoing support to help you work your auction and customize your website.

Still, a good fundraising auction website will do more. Some of the services that online auction fundraiser websites are offering include:

• Resource Library – a resource library still might be considered basic; look for a website that offers a host of free tips, tutorials, and articles to help you increase online auction fundraiser profits and manage the behind-the-scenes of fundraising with an online auction.

• Price breaks for extended contracts – some sites are offering unlimited auctions for up to a year for one set fee. This means you can run as many online auction fundraisers with as many items as you like for the contract period.

• Training classes – online training classes, sometimes free with contract, are offered to groups so that the key players can become adept at running the online auction fundraiser.

• Auction marketplace – some sites offer a marketplace so that you can purchase auction items (below retail) through them and offer them in your auction to increase appeal. This is a great way to expand a catalog of goods, and is a good option for a group that has few donations of auctionable items. On some sites, there is no exchange of money unless the item actually sells above cost; that means there’s no up-front expense for using this service.

• Public bidding – groups are offered the option of opening up bidding to the general public – anyone who visits the parent website. It’s simple to choose this profitable option and expand the outreach of your auction (simply opt in to this in the admin panel). This way, your auction is never limited by your advertising ability.

• Sponsorships and advertising – some companies allow you to place ads and sponsors on your website so that you can generate profits by selling marketing on your site.

Different online auction fundraising websites offer different value-added services. Knowing what is out there will help your group weigh one site against the other, so that you can be sure you are partnering with the best service, the one with all the best ways to increase the profitability of your online auction fundraiser.

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• T-shirts and apparel are fun and fashionable
• T-shirts and apparel are useful; they are needed items that consumers would be buying anyway
• T-shirts and apparel can show support for secondary organizations (such as save the whales, save the earth, support education…) while financially supporting local groups, schools, and organizations at the same time
• T-shirt and apparel fundraisers lend consumers access to selections they might otherwise have a hard time locating

Selling T-Shirts And Apparel

Fundraising groups enjoy several benefits of working with t-shirt fundraisers as well:

• Organizations can choose themed t-shirts and apparel which coordinate with their own philosophy
• Printed apparel raises awareness of the organization and their activities
• A variety of items can be chosen to suit consumer interest including tote bags, backpacks, sweatshirts, hats and coats
• Profit on single items is significant, often starting at $5.00 or more
• With high individual profits, the sale of just a few items per seller can add up to big group profits
• Apparel sales run via catalog order, require no upfront costs; additionally, many suppliers now offer online ordering so out-of-town supporters can also participate
• T-shirts and apparel can be screen printed or embroidered with group/school/organization logos or mottos

Many schools and groups hold an annual t-shirt and apparel fundraiser selling custom-printed group, school, or team apparel. Some even purchase quantities of apparel to have on hand for on the spot and ongoing sales. This method can serve double duty by supplying students and group members with the team, school, or organization apparel they want and need while raising funds for the group at the same time.

Theme and design offerings vary by company. A few designs that are commonly available include:

• Categorized t-shirts and apparel such as sports themes, the environment, pets, kids, teens, humorous, and endangered species
• Occupational t-shirt and apparel designs like teachers, nurses, firefighters, and so on
  Custom-printed apparel

With so many options on so useful a product, it’s easy to see why many groups make a t-shirt and apparel fundraiser an annual event. T-shirts and apparel can help raise awareness of an issue, advertise your group and even your need, or just be a good, plain fun way to raise some significant cash for an organization.

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Bakery goods, such as cookies, pies, cheese cakes, cookie doughs, and gourmet food and baked-goods mixes, do well as fundraisers for a number of reasons:

- Products are highly consumable, and so do not last and can be sold again every year.

- Bakery products and mix programs usually require no upfront expenditures, and so they can be very manageable for a small or cash-poor organization.

- Consumers enjoy great quality bakery products in their own homes.

- Bakery products are convenient, yet needed items during the holidays.

- Profits may be made immediately available to fundraising groups, so there is no long-term turn around.

- When bakery product fundraisers are repeated annually at predictable times, buyers will come to rely on them and plan ahead to buy them.

The only real downside to fundraising with baked goods (excluding dry bakery mixes) is that the delivery and distribution of the foods can be tricky. Many gourmet foods (in particular cheese cakes, pies, and cookie doughs) are frozen and must remain frozen until they are used. That means that having people on hand for delivery from the company is a must, and fast distribution and/or storage of frozen goods is also needed. However, if these hurdles can be overcome (either by storing goods or having same-day pick-up), bakery fundraisers often prove to be very successful, repeatable money-makers.

In addition to fundraising with baked goods, ready-to-bake goods, and mixes, the bakery market can also be tapped by selling cookbooks. Personalized organization cookbooks can either be collated, published, and sold entirely by the fundraising organization, or a group can purchase pre-printed cookbooks and have the organization’s name printed on the cover. Cookbooks are often popular because they offer a unique set of recipes which can be revised yearly, profits are turned immediately, and sorting and handling is minimized as all items are the same.

Whether the choice is actual baked (or ready to bake) goods or simply the recipes to make them, fundraising with bakery products is usually met with great success. Baked goods are products that are consumed in practically every home and so the potential for outreach is vast. Consumers enjoy having great items with little or no fuss, making baked goods successful annual fundraisers; and any time a fundraiser can be repeated, life is made easier for the next crew of fundraising event organizers.

eFundraising – Cookie-dough, lollipops and chocolate fundraisers

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Basics Of Running A Water Bottle Fundraiser

Water bottle fundraisers are run primarily through on-hand sales events. Your group will purchase water sports bottles in bulk, then increase the price and sell them to interested buyers. Water bottle sales generally do well at sporting or similar events, or as offered to and through team members. The disadvantage to on-hand water bottle sales is that your group will have to pay cash upfront to buy the bottles and if you are unable to move them your profits will be limited. Prices for waterbottles for fundraisers vary depending on the type and style of bottle purchased; prices range from $.55 to around $3.50 per unit. (*Tip: you may consider filling the bottles with ice water or offering a fill station to promote sales to thirsty patrons.)

To organize a waterbottle fundraiser, you first need to identify a water sports bottle supply company or fundraising company offering water bottle fund raisers. You will then work with a company representative to design your bottle logo and choose the type, color, and style of bottle. Companies will work with you to help you choose a fun and interesting message and you can submit your own organization logo to go on the bottle.

Advantages Of A Water Bottle Fundraiser

• Water bottles are reusable
• Reusable water bottles help save the environment from discarded plastic bottles
• Printed water bottles serve as constant marketers every time they are used and seen
• Water bottles do not perish and can be stored for future sales events
• Water bottles are continuous fundraising products that you can sell over and over at each event
• Water bottles are affordable
• Your group can buy just enough to get the fundraiser started, then reorder stock as needed

Search for water bottles, sports bottles.

Custom Printed Private Label Water Bottle Fundraising Options

There are other ways to fundraise with bottled water and still take advantage of these printed “in hand” marketing agents.

Instead of buying printed water bottles, you can purchase bottles of drinking water in a variety of sizes complete with custom printed labels for your group. These are often available from bottled water suppliers; to save on shipping costs, find a local bottled water supplier.

Another option is for your group to buy bottled water in bulk from a local retailer and print your own labels.

The disadvantage to these options is that you will need a lot of space for product storage, product is heavy and unwieldy, and of course, you lose the advantage of promoting environmental friendliness. (Be sure to at least have a recycling bin ready for all the empty water bottles.) However, selling bottles of water at a sporting or outside event can be highly successful when you have a ready stock of thirsty buyers, and you still have that ever-important marketing angle regardless of the water bottle fundraising option you choose.

For more green fundraisers, go to our Green Fundraisers category.

(Image: iStockphoto/eurobanks)

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Quick-View Of Ink Cartridge Recycling

Setting up and running an ink cartridge recycling program couldn’t be easier. A few simple steps and you’re there.

Here’s what you’ll have to do:

• Identify your ink cartridge recycling partner – this will be a company who buys used ink cartridges so that they can refurbish them and resell them. Most of these companies operate primarily online, and that is where you can expect to find several good ones.
• Register your organization – pretty much anyone can set up an account for ink cartridge recycling—and it’s all free! At registration, you’ll receive all the information you need to start recycling. Soon after, you’ll be provided with bags, boxes, or envelopes to send the collected ink cartridges to the company in. In most cases, the postage is prepaid—the whole program could be run entirely free!
• Start collecting – you’ll need to do something to get the word out about your program; utilize all your information disseminating resources. Blurb the fundraiser in a newsletter, send out letters explaining the program, write a press release for the local paper, send around an email and/or post the collection on your website. (Note—you don’t have to wait until you get you materials, you can start collecting any time.)
• Remit Collections – remission guidelines vary by company, but by and large they are pretty open-ended; you just send in your ink cartridges whenever it best suits you. On average, a monthly remission works well, but if you collect a lot of cartridges regularly you could send them in more often. On the flip side, organizations that have just a few sometimes prefer to send in the ink cartridges when they’ve collected a fair amount to make the postal trip worth their while.

How Much Will You Make When You Recycle Ink Cartridges?

The potential for profit is limited only by your access to ink cartridges. The more you collect, the more you can remit; on average you’ll get between one and four dollars for each accepted cartridge (depending on the type and your company). The nice thing is that ink cartridge recycling doesn’t have to cost you a thing and the fundraiser can continue on alongside other efforts without competing. If you can partner with some area businesses and/or organizations that go through lots of cartridges, you can turn quite a nice profit. At any rate, ink cartridge recycling is something every needy organization should undertake because the extra income can’t be gotten elsewhere as easily.

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Raise funds and recycle used ink cartridges and cell phones at FundingFactory. (Sponsor link)

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