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’re thinking of skipping this fundraising opportunity, because of the tough economy, or you think you don’t have enough time, think again: About half of all charitable contributions are being made during the holiday season. Part of the reason for this is simply good tax planning. Donations can reduce taxable income and tax payers and companies are taking advantage of this by showing their generosity at the end of the tax year.

Even if you’re not part of an official 501(c)(3) non-profit for which donations can be tax deductible, the holiday season puts people in a giving spirit that is unmatched the rest of the year!

To plan a fundraiser quickly is a test on how well organized you are. If you feel that you’re group could have been better prepared for some aspects as you’re preparing for this fundraiser, take note and make it your first project on your to-do list as soon as this fundraiser is completed.

Assess your resources and options

Get together with your volunteer group and assess your resources and options: how many volunteers do you have available and what are their talents and connections? Can you partner with companies, or other organizations you have partnered with before to organize a fundraiser that’s been done before? Or is there a new business or organization in town that you could partner up with and that would appreciate the extra exposure? Is there enough time to reserve space, a booth or table to sell fundraising items (f. ex. holiday decorations) or services (f. ex. gift wrapping)?

Plan your fundraiser depending on your current resources and time frame. If you have only a few volunteers available, you may think it’s not worth raising funds. But even a small fundraiser can yield a few hundred dollars which will boost your bottom line. One of your volunteers may have a great connection with a business, an individual or another organization that you can use to your advantage and may give you an edge, even if you don’t have a lot of volunteers or funds available.

The idea is to use your resources to their fullest potential, which you should always do of course, but this becomes even more important when you don’t have a lot of time and you have to put your fundraiser together quickly and efficiently.

Agree on a fundraiser

Regardless of how much time you have to prepare, or which religious holiday you celebrate, decorative items for the home, wrapping paper for presents and items representative of winter make appropriate fundraising items that are easy to sell and just about anyone will find useful. Beyond these ‘traditional’ fundraisers and provided you have a substantial volunteer base, consider raising funds with odd jobs like raking leaves, shoveling snow or even having a mini winter carnival with food sales and snowman building. If you have a connection with a business for example, you may be able to set up an in-house fundraiser that lets your volunteers sell holiday gifts to their employees throughout their offices.

Visit Ideas For Holiday Fundraisers for some simple holiday fundraising ideas; or Greenery Christmas Fundraiser for ideas on how to make money selling Christmas green decorating products, such as wreaths, evergreen swags and roping.

Market your fundraiser

To support marketing your fundraiser, make sure you have all important information, including financial information, about your group readily available online and in print. Potential supporters of your cause want to know what happens to their donations, how much of their donation will actually support the cause and how much will be spent for administration and materials. Simply having this information available is important and can be the ultimate reason why people decide to give – or not.

Even if you’re just running a small gift wrapping fundraiser at the local book store, if you’ll be able to use 100% of the donations for your cause (because the wrapping paper was donated for example), then make up a sign and let people know!

And now is also the time to make use of your e-mail list, or social media accounts. Especially if you’re planning your fundraiser short term, there may not be enough time to print and distribute a flyer, or you may have already missed the deadline for your last newsletter.

Once you have a time and place (if applicable) specified, spread the word! Even if you only run that small gift wrapping fundraiser, the more people know about it the better.

For more info on marketing your holiday fundraiser, read Fundraising Through The Holiday Season.

As mentioned before, quickly planning a holiday fundraiser, or any fundraiser for that matter, short term is really a test on how well organized and prepared your are: maybe your e-mail list wasn’t large enough to make an impact, or you didn’t have one, or your volunteers didn’t know how to answer questions on how the money will be spent and missed out on a donation because of it. If you’ve noticed some short comings like these, take care of them as soon as possible, so your next quick fundraiser can benefit from it!

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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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Is Valentine’s Day A Good Time To Raise Funds?

Fall is the time of year when fundraising goes onto high gear. Schools and groups everywhere are beginning anew and are desperately competing for supporter dollars to sustain their organizations and projects.

The consequence of this is that many groups see relatively small returns on their time investments. And although it is true that people are in the market for gifts, it is also true that there is often simply more supply than demand.

Valentine’s Day, on the other hand, is a much less crowded time of the year for fundraisers. The benefit of decreased competition alone is enough of a reason to hold a Valentine’s Day fundraiser, but there are more:

Demand – Valentine’s Day, is a time of year when people have already planned to spend on gifts, candy, and luxury items.

Entertainment – couples young and old are looking for enjoyable ways to spend this special day with their significant other. Dances, teas, dinners, and Valentine’s events are a great way to make money while providing entertainment for couples.

More volunteers – winter is generally a slower time of year for volunteers and supporters, which means you’ll have an easier time of recruiting help.

Product competition – unlike the winter holidays, it is easier to offer products during a Valentine’s Day fundraiser that are very similar in quality and price to those people would buy anyway. Chocolates and flowers are much easier to supply at close to retail prices than toys and commercial products.

With a variety of great fundraiser options, and a decreased level of competition, there should be no doubt that Valentine’s Day could very well be one of your group’s most successful fundraising campaigns! (Read more about holding a Valentine’s Day flower fundraiser.)

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What Is A Valentine’s Day Flower Sale?

In essence, a Valentine’s Day Flower Sale is a pre-order flower sale. Your group

• Advertises the flower sale
• Collects orders ahead of time
• Delivers flowers to recipients on Valentine’s Day

How To Run A Valentine’s Day Flower Sale

You will need to partner with a local florist, or wholesaler who will deal in bulk orders, and/or prepare flowers and bouquets per order specs. When you talk to florists,

• Negotiate the price ahead of time so that you can price accordingly
• Make sure that the agreed upon price allows for reasonable pricing to customers
• Offer timeless favorites like roses, single roses, as well as carnations, or small daisy bouquets depending on your supporter demographic and to increase participation

Ordering is to be kept confidential (this is the mysterious part). You will need to create an order form that includes

• Who is to receive the flower(s)
• What flower(s) are selected
• Where to deliver the flowers to (an office number, a classroom)
• The message that should be included on the tag, including the name of the gift-giver if they choose to make that information known.

You may supply tags or cards to go with the order and let the buyer fill it out at the time of ordering; some buyers will not want their handwriting to tip them off, so you should also offer the option of writing the tag for them.

It is also a good idea to order some extra flowers for on-hand sales for those who didn’t get their orders in on time. This can expand the profitability of the fundraiser, but be sure not to order too many extra.

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Who Should Hold A Valentine’s Day Flower Sale?

This fundraiser work best for larger groups who have access to many potential recipients in a compact delivery area; ideally, a middle or high school, office building, or college campus. Anything else may be too hard to manage.

A Valentine’s Day flower sale is a great opportunity to play a little cupid, and raise funds in a fun way!

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Fundraiser kickoff

Raise awareness and enthusiasm for your fundraising campaign by holding a kickoff a few weeks before your goal date. If you want to raise funds by Christmas, hold your kickoff by December 1. Begin advertising with email lists, newsletters and bulletins. Schedule some time to let people know about your kickoff at a high turnout event, like a weekend football game to get the largest audience. This will ensure a high turnout at your kickoff event and provide you with more volunteers.

Once you raise awareness, you will want to raise enthusiasm by motivating the volunteers. The best way to do this is at the kickoff as well, when you announce the prizes for the biggest fundraisers. You may be able to get good prizes by getting a local retailer to sponsor the event. MP3 players, video games and other electronic gadgets are great student motivators. A good prize will help spread the word among other students to gain even more volunteers.

Communication

Because the market is overcrowded with fundraisers, it is even more important that people know why you need the funds and what the funds you raise will be used for. A statement should be included in every flyer and communication attached to your event. Be sure potential givers know what you need, how much it will cost and why it is important.

Remember that often decisions involving money are based on emotion and then justified by logic. People want to give already, but need to justify the emotion with a good reason. By explaining the necessity of your fundraiser and how it benefits the community, you give people the reasons they need to back up their desire to give.

Don’t forget e-mail reminders

Send out a weekly progress newsletter explaining how the event plans are progressing. One update per week should be sufficient to help everyone remember the event. Include a link to your PayPal donation page in your e-mails and newsletters. This gives people a chance to donate as much as they can afford when budgets are tight. Most people will participate in some form if you offer them good reasons and an opportunity to give as much as they can afford.

Consider limiting the number of fundraising products

Because the market for fundraising during the holidays is so crowded, it’s important to keep things simple. The most popular fundraisers have been frozen cookies, bake sales and candle catalogs. Choose what works best for your group and focus all your efforts there. Surveys show that well-meaning people who are offered too many choices will pick the cheapest item in a catalog just to get it done. By offering just a few choices of products that people enjoy, your fundraiser is likely to enjoy higher sales volume. It may also help to find out what other fundraising groups in your community have planned in order to avoid selling the same products etc.

As with any fundraising campaign, keep in mind that your volunteers represent your group. Especially during the holidays it is important to pay attention to the image you’d like your group to portray and to train your volunteers accordingly. Yes, raising funds is important to fill up your group’s bank account, but spreading some holiday spirit throughout your community is priceless!

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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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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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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.
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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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Planning An Easter Bunny Hop

Essentially, a Bunny Hop is nothing more that a themed dance. In this case, though, you are marketing to a much younger crowd. A Bunny Hop is probably most fun for those who still believe in the magic of the Easter bunny.

The Basics

• Finding a location suitable to accommodate the expected size of your crowd
• Checking local ordinances for permits, if necessary
• Booking the Easter Bunny to come and hop with the kids
• Planning for any extras like refreshments, contests, prizes, etc.
• Arranging for music
• Determining ticket price
• Locating area sponsors (optional)
• Advertising the event

Adding The Extras

A few hours of dancing with the Easter Bunny is enough of a draw to bring kids in, but throwing in some extras – both free and for a charge – will increase participation and profits. Some things you might add to your Bunny Hop fundraiser might include:

• Easter basket raffles
• Bunny petting zoo
• Pictures with the Easter Bunny
• Dance instruction – which naturally means including the ‘hop’!
• Refreshment sales
• Candy sales
• Fun contests
• Awards – best dressed, best dancer, funniest dance…
• Easter face painting
• Games
• Prizes
• Easter egg hunt
• Easter scavenger hunt
• Easter crafts
• Easter egg coloring

This list could go on and on. Anything extra that you can do to add to the fun, make your admission price well-worth its while, and increase your profits will serve you well.

Remember that you are dealing with a young audience, and while the dancing and instruction will be great fun, it might only hold the attention of your Easter Bunny hop participants for a short period of time. Also remember, that some kids just don’t like to dance (or at least in public), and will be looking for something else to do. Arrange for a few activities to keep the crowd moving and engaged.

A hop with the Easter Bunny is great fun for young children. This is a good Easter fundraiser for organizations that serve young children, but also for community groups, scouts, education programs, schools, and others who have an interest in serving young kids. The Easter bunny hop is a great way to reach out to potential program members, and a great way to show off the good-nature and personality of your organization!

For lollipops and snacks to sell at your event, visit eFundraising

More seasonal fundraisers…

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Gift Wrap Service Fundraiser – The Basics

Running a gift wrap service fundraiser is fairly simple. You’ll need supplies, volunteers, and a high traffic shopping location.

First, the location:

• Talk to owners and managers of area shops, shopping malls, and seasonal stores, and ask them if they would be willing to allow your group to set up a gift wrapping station in or near the store (make sure it’s indoors).

• Choose a time when holiday sales will be at their peak and when you have enough volunteers available.

• Consider partnering with a local craft store, or rent a space at a local craft fair to set up your gift wrapping service.

Next, the supplies:

• You’ll need a budget to get you started, unless you have very generous donors who will donate gift wrap supplies. If you shop for discounted items online or by catalog, make sure you leave plenty of time for delivery.

• The amount of supplies you need is dependent on the space, the number and size of tables and the number of volunteers you have available. Your gift wrap supply should include:

- Tape dispensers for each volunteer, extra tape
- Scissors for each volunteer
- A variety of wrapping paper for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa; don’t forget to have some Birthday and also generic wrapping paper available
- Gift boxes and bags
- Ribbon
- Accessories
- Gift bags for oddly shaped gifts
- Tissue paper
- Gift tags
- Markers or pens

• You will also need some larger items to set up your booth, including

- Tables
- Chairs
- Cash box and cash – remember that you’ll need to make change
- Display materials/posters

Also consider a few nice touches that will make your customers’ experience more enjoyable: provide chairs and magazines for them to relax with as they wait; offer refreshments or cookies, if you can have someone donate them; and some nice holiday decorations will make your gift wrapping station even more inviting!

Volunteers:

The number of volunteers you’ll need for this kind of fundraiser greatly depends on how much space you have available and how many tables you will set up. Each volunteer should have an assigned job, but should be able to take over for another volunteer, just in case.

There could be one volunteer just for taking the money; two gift wrapping volunteers per table; and one additional volunteer to keep things neat and to keep supplies handy and fill in for others when needed.

Determine your pricing:

Set a price for your gift wrap service that is fair for your customers, covers all your costs and leaves you with some profit in the end. Remember your customers can afford a little more because you are saving them the hassle of gift wrapping and the expense of buying wrapping paper. You might also want to leave out a “Tip” jar for extra donations – these, too, should go to the group!

Create some professional looking, clear signs for information about your group and pricing. If applicable, mention any businesses who’ve donated supplies or refreshments. Be open about who you are and let your customers know what they are supporting. They’ll be happy to pay a few dollars to a good cause and check another time consuming task off their to-do lists!

It doesn’t take a lot to plan a gift wrap service fundraiser, and this is a fundraiser that any size group can manage. The key is to find a location with high foot traffic, so that you can keep your gift wrap location busy and profitable!

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Gift Wrap Fundraising Why And When

Gift wrap and greeting card fundraisers have been popular for several years now for one elemental reason – everyone uses gift wrap and greeting cards!

Gift wrap fundraisers are obviously best suited to the Winter holiday season, or the months immediately preceding the holiday rush. People will buy gift wrap in abundance with an eminent need, but sales will be low when consumers don’t feel an emergent usefulness for the product. Gift wrap fundraisers do also include wrap selections for other events and multipurpose ‘all occasion’ sets, but sales of these pieces will be largely for future convenience, and will not match the demand for holiday wrapping paper.

Tips For Successful Gift Wrap Fundraisers

Timing is everything; choose a season when large amounts of gift wrap will be in demand in the foreseeable future.

Sell the convenience; remind customers that stocking up now will eliminate the need to run out for gift wraps and greeting cards later, and that holiday or event (birthday, wedding, etc.) shopping can center on the gift, not the mundane, forgettable details like wrapping paper.

Sell wrap as ‘hassle-free’; include all-inclusive sets of gift wrap in fundraiser offerings. Many companies have complete packages that offer not only the wrapping paper, but also coordinating ribbon, bows, tags, dispensers, and more.

Sell all occasion and future stores; include offerings that can be used for a variety of purposes, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and greeting cards to grab and go, will boost sales beyond the Christmas season and serve nearly every customer’s needs regardless of religious affiliation.

Plan for delivery time; be sure that your fundraiser is completed well enough in advance so that customers not only receive their wrap in time for the holidays, they receive it in enough time to use it. Always remember that customers will want to get their product and start wrapping well before ‘the big day’. If you fail in this aspect one year, count on severely diminished sales the next. No one wants to buy their gift-wrap twice and be left hanging with useless fundraiser gift wrap to store.

Gift wrap is a highly consumable and necessary item, making it an ideal choice for an annual fundraiser. Your good planning, service, and excellent product will ensure that your buyers will continue to make your organization their source for holiday and all-occasion gift wrap year after year.

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