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Planning a fundraising fiesta in the park requires some pre-planning. The first thing to do is secure a park date and grove arrangement with the nearest parks department. Be sure to alert the parks department that the event is for fundraising for your group. Parks departments usually waive any rental fees, although you may be responsible for the grove clean-up after the event. Once the date is secured, the advertising begins. This can be with ordinary flyers at local schools, churches and civic organizations. Don't forget to mention you'd like your event to be printed in their regular newsletters and magazines.
Staging The Fiesta Day In The Park
The best way to plan for a fundraising Fiesta/Day in the Park is to stage the entire event beforehand. This helps avoid any problems or issues that are often unintentionally omitted. Pre-staging of a fundraising event is a handy tool for all organizers to adapt. It often produces hidden costs that need to be ironed out. Staging a fundraising event works well when there's a script to follow. This is nothing more than an event program before it's printed. So, there are already visible needs for several committee organizers: the staging manager, program script manager and advertising manager. If there are to be special guests or speakers, these need to be included in the planning. Add the actual event organizers for each of the day's events and the planning is as tight as a drum.
Fun With A Fiesta/Day In The Park
Staging a fundraising Fiesta is almost as much fun as the day of the Fiesta itself. This is where all of the details of decorations, advertising, programming, special events and speakers are woven into the total script. Instead of spending oodles of money on decorations, why not contact a local school or vocational school to see if their arts department would be interested in creating Fiesta decorations? If they are availed of the historical significance of Maya, Inca or Aztec art, their instructors will be more than eager to assign it to their students as a regular classroom project or homework.
Vocational schools also have culinary students, as do local culinary schools, who are always eager to volunteer for public events to earn scholastic credits. You can also request their help serving foods they've prepared for sale so they can get a bit of public service experience.
Fiesta Day Arrives
Be prepared for a rain even by securing the rental of a tent or check with the parks systems regarding this. Many parks provide rain or shine accommodations. Arrange the event for a duration of no more than 4 or 5 hours. Allot a couple of hours for setting up and breaking down of the pre-staged tables and seating, dais, food tables, games and music area. Station key coordinators at their predetermined control areas. Don a sombrero and bolero vest, and let the Fiesta begin.
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How Your Group Can Earn Money With Magazine Fundraising While Your Supporters Save
Do you buy magazines at checkout? Subscribe to one or more of your favorites?
Nearly every American reads magazines. That's why magazine fundraisers are at the top of the list of fundraiser best sellers, along with the classic candy bar fundraiser.
But did you know your group can have their own free, personalized online fundraising store, with over 650 different magazines – everything from Sports Illustrated to People magazine? And your supporters save money, since the fundraising store gives super special rates.
Most recently, with the show Extreme Couponing, and coupon websites popping up left and right, All You magazine has been selling like crazy.
All You is available only at Walmart for $2.50, but through the magazine fundraising store, it’s $1 or less per issue (15 issues for $15 or 30 issues for $25). Even the coupon sites are telling all their readers about this deal, while raising money for local food banks and other organizations.
There are plenty of combo offers too. With the example of All You, you can double up with Cooking Light and get 12 issues of each for $24 – again, just $1 per magazine. And for the sports fan, Sports Illustrated magazine is LESS than $1 per issue.
With your group’s online fundraising store, you can also sell Restaurant.com ecertificates, cookie dough, and other top fundraising products.
So if you aren’t taking advantage of the coupon craze, start your store for free now, and invite your friends and family to save money on their favorite magazines while your group gets their support.
It's free and as easy to set up as Facebook. Set up your group's free online fundraiser now and start earning on the savings. |
A USA Fundraising reader tells us how their school put their own twist on a school auction - and had their most successful fundraising auction to date!
Our school's "Tasty, Delicious Chinese Auction" Fundraiser was our most successful auction yet. The novelty of standard Chinese Auctions wore off when many of our generous donors of gift certificates, 50/50 prizes and table items for auction grew scarce. Fundraisers subsidize our class trips, graduation dances and other needed resources. Our think tank Fundraising Committee was charged with the job of arranging new and different ways to raise funds. Borrowing from ideas of our previous annual Chinese Auctions, we tested a new path to fundraising success.
Foodies and Fun Equal A Successful Food Auction
The nice thing about our Tasty, Delicious Chinese Auction was that children, parents and whole community were intrigued and eager to be part of this unusual idea. Some of our organizers collected discount coupons from local restaurants and fast food emporiums for dinners for two and a whole family. There were also vouchers for free pizzas at a local pizzeria and a complete Chinese family dinner at a nearby Chinese Restaurant. These items were used as door prizes. The first-prize winner would get cooking lessons with a major chef.
Set The Tables Like They Are Groaning Boards
Three long cafeteria tables were loaded with items like cookie dough cakes, hand-turned chocolate in whimsical dishes from the local Chocolatier, bags of popcorn and cotton candy secured with balloons and necklaces with strings of lollipops for the kiddies. A second table was filled with cooking items like various types of kitchen gadgets, bouquets of fresh herbs, large beer steins loaded with sticks of beef jerky, pretzels and cellophane-wrapped cheese sticks. On the third table, there was a T-shirt "tree" created from a 36-inch cardboard pole from an empty gift wrap paper tube. Chop sticks pushed through the pole formed hangers from which t-shirts were suspended. To this table was also added hand-sewn aprons, pairs of baking mitts, tea towels and even a chefs cap.
The Most Popular "Take Home" Food Table
Two round tables were set aside as featured "take home" food tables. The committee appropriated aluminum containers from local takeout restaurants to fill with homemade chile, Boston baked beans, cole slaw, Buffalo wings and finger sandwiches. Not to be outdone by this, desserts were added to the second round table to display homemade cakes, pies, cookies and sweet quick breads like maple walnut, banana coconut and strawberry kiwi wrapped in cellophane and tied with pretty bows.
Doors Open Promptly And Fun Begins
Each item was numbered as regular Chinese Auctions. Patrons purchased a number of tickets in duplicate, holding onto one and depositing the other in a small container in front of items for each drawing to determine winners.
Food and meal fundraisers always draws people out, because everybody has to eat, and most people end up spending money on fast solutions from time to time. A food fundraising auction gives busy people the option of buying home-cooked meals instead of fast food, and to buy something in support of their favorite organization that will definitely, definitely be used!
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Here are six ideas for the next time your 4-H club does a fundraiser. Whether your club is located in a rural or urban location, they can all be modified to fit your needs. The first four ideas work best in conjunction with a community event, so you will need to do more coordination with the event organizers and the dates won't be flexible. You will have the benefit of publicity for the main event and have a whole crowd of people as potential supporters. The the last two ideas can be done as stand alone fundraisers.
Dessert Stand: Many communities have some annual fundraising event involving a meal such as the local beef producers' cookout or a spaghetti dinner to raise funds for a new community playground. Check with organizers to see about letting your club put up a dessert stand selling either a variety of homemade desserts, pies and cakes or just one main dessert, such as strawberry shortcake or ice cream sundaes.
Concessions at Community Events: Some minor league and community sports groups as well as county fairs allow organizations to sign up to work the concessions stand on set days or for longer periods of time. This is quite an easy fundraiser to do since it only involves a bit of labor and time on your part. Supplies are provided for you and then a portion of the profit made during your shift is given to your 4-H club. Several youth and parents can team up to take the shifts and serve customers.
Petting Zoo: This is great for holding at a Fourth of July festival. Get members to bring in some of their smaller animals such as calves, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, piglets, and rabbits to create a petting zoo. Ask members to provide snacks for their animals and then charge a dollar for festival attendees to come in, pet and feed the animals. Make sure to have plenty of water for the animals and keep them in the shade.
Face Painting: This is a very profitable fundraiser as the start up cost is very minimal. All you need are face paints, paint brushes, cups, water, wipes to clean faces, and towels. Give members a short training session to practice and then set up shop at a community event, with permission of course, and start earning cash for your 4-H club.
Rummage Sale: Chances are that if you have plenty of things around your house that you don't need, others do too. Set a date and find a location to have a rummage sale with the proceeds going back to your club. Help the youth set up a lemonade stand too!
Cookbooks: This can be a time consuming fundraiser but many 4-H clubs have found success with this. Ask members to submit their favorite recipes and then either self-publish it or use a printing company. Make sure to just order a reasonable number of cookbooks to start off with; you could expect each member to sell five and print just that many. You can always order more or do a second edition.
Have a great 4-H fundraising idea? Send it to ideas [at] usafundraising.com!
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How to Plan Your Own School Fun Run
Hosting a Fun Run at your school is a great way to get your community involved in raising money for your organization while having fun at the same time. In a traditional Fun Run, students find sponsors to pay them for each lap they are able to run, and students who raise the most money or run the most laps can win prizes for their performance. With the help of your school community, there’s no need to hire an expensive company to coordinate your event. The best part about enlisting help from local volunteers is that your organization will see more of the event’s profits. You’ll also have the freedom to make necessary last minute adjustments without violating any legal agreements or contracts.
Moran Prairie’s TREK Event
The Parent Teacher Group at Moran Prairie Elementary School in Spokane, Washington, has hosted a successful school Fun Run named TREK for 14 years. Over the years, the actual event has evolved to include a DJ, a concessions stand, a mobile pizza booth and a silent auction, generating substantial returns for the organization. The TREK Committee chairs oversee every part of the event and volunteers report directly to them. Planning an event of this scale is a tremendous job for everyone involved, but the amount of money your organization could earn is well worth the time and effort. From sparking community interest to depositing their profit, here’s how they did it:
Marketing and Preparing for the Event
In recent years, the Moran Prairie PTG tapped into the artistic talents of the elementary school students and asked them to create the design for their promotional t-shirts. After choosing the winning design, they worked with t-shirt vendors to place an order for affordable shirts to sell as they promoted the Fun Run. They also offered free t-shirts to students who raised $50 or more in donations.
With the help of members and volunteers, the PTG's TREK Committee canvassed their community and found people willing to provide food donations for their concession stand, prizes for student participants, and free items to sell for profit at their silent auction. One of the teachers fills in as a DJ for the event every year, and the TREK Committee makes sure one of their volunteers is available to assist him before and during the event.
The entire TREK Committee works closely with the group’s treasurer to make sure that everyone is on the same page about how the money is handled, organized, and deposited. The PTO TREK Committee has found that delegating separate components of the event to different teams, or sub-committees, reduces the overall stress on the group and ensures that the Fun Run and additional events run smoothly.
A new addition in 2011, the TREK Committee has launched a blog and Facebook page to stay in touch and build momentum with everyone who is involved in the event. (Editor's note: Anyone can set up a blog for their fundraiser using a free blogging service such as www.blogspot.com.)
The Fun Run and Other Activities
Since the PTG holds this annual event on a Friday immediately after school lets out, they are able to handle all of the set-up and last minute changes during the school day. One team organizes the Fun Run ensuring that race tags are purchased and available for distribution to the students and that prizes are in place for student participants top finishers, top pledge earners, etc. Another team collects donations, tallies tee shirt orders, and then processes that entire order. Other teams coordinate the music and concessions stand, where the sixth grade students participate by selling items to hungry attendees.
One team oversees and coordinates all of the volunteers that are needed on the day of the event. Roughly 60 volunteers are recruited to make this day happen and fill spots as lap markers, water station attendants, pizza booth helpers, silent auction monitors, concessions helpers, race check-out helpers, set-up, tear-down and clean-up helpers. There are even teams that help two days prior to the event to sort and distribute the tee shirt orders as well as process the food donations that come in for the concession stand.
Another team coordinates the silent auction by arranging the donated items, organizing and monitoring the bid sheets, and pacing the auctioning of items. While the success of the auction largely depends on the quality of the donated items, some of their best-selling items are actually nontraditional. Last year, they sold a coveted reserved parking space for $300 by increasing the bidding time.
When bidders pay special interest to a certain item, the auction team extends the bidding time to allow several people to bid on the same item, resulting in higher bids. When the team is flexible with the pacing, parents have fun with the bidding process and raise even more money for the group. By advertising big ticket items ahead of time, the TREK Committee has been able to increase their attendance and promote the event. In recent years, they’ve even supplemented the auction with a raffle featuring popular items.
(Editor’s Note: The TREK event features a silent auction, but for those interested in conducting a live auction, enlisting a volunteer with auction experience can add a fun and professional tone to the event. Can’t find a professional auctioneer? A local celebrity or comedian could give your auction a lighthearted feel that will entertain participants and generate media interest.)"
Moran Prairie’s annual TREK event has been a community fixture for over a decade, and families look forward to spending time together in such a warm and welcoming environment. With careful planning, strong communication, and community support, your organization can host a similar event and raise money for your cause. |
Now that you have set the date and location and have collected the sale items for your silent auction fundraiser, you need to prepare for the auction day itself. Preparation is key; having things organized before hand will help the sale to run smoothly which makes people stay around longer and keep bidding. Here are tips to help you prepare.
Before the Silent Auction
*If you haven't already, make a spread sheet listing all of the donated items; the item, item description, an item number, who donated it, the retail value, and starting bid. Then print out a paper or two per item listing these details at the top and put numbered lines below for people to write their names and bids.
*For a professional look and to make it easy for potential buyers to bid, place each item's sheet on its own clipboard and attach a pen to it. Alternatively you can tape them to the tables to keep them in place.
*Prior to the silent auction, compile a booklet of items that will be for auction. Some people like to see all of the items listed as a whole before walking into the bidding area.
*If you haven't yet, decide on how long of a preview time you will have for people to come and look at the items. Usually an hour to hour and a half is sufficient. Also decide the ending time. Silent auctions work best as half day events done in conjunction with other activities. Make sure that these times are clearly stated in the advertisements.
*Create and print up bidding and payment procedures. For bidding people should write their name and a whole dollar amount on the paper of the items they want. When they are outbid they can raise their bid by writing their name and higher bid below the previous high bidder. For paying it is best to set up two areas; one where people pay and one where they collect their purchases. Direct them to pay first, get a receipt and then show the receipt to the people who are distributing the items.
*Obtain a cash box and plenty of change and/or a credit card procesor.
*Set out donations. You can sort them by price or by type such as gift cards, foods, services and clothing. Don't put two similar items near each other; spread things out to keep people moving around. It's better to use two rooms rather than stuff everything in one room.
Day of the Silent Auction
*Post bidding and buying procedures or hand them out to attendees.
*Have items arranged and with bidding papers and pens next to each item.
* Open the doors on time.
* Make closing announcements one hour, thirty minutes and ten minutes prior to ending the auction.
*At ending time, have appointed volunteers collect the item sheets and items, taking them to thier own respecitve areas.
*As customers pay, make sure to mark the item as paid and then have them take their item sheet to the other area to pick up their item. Make sure to keep the bidding sheets for your records. |
When planning a silent auction fundraiser, here are five simple steps to follow to help make it a success.
Find a Location: School gymnasiums, community centers and church reception halls are great places to hold silent auctions since they are large and can be rented for a small fee.
Advertise: This is key to your success. Make sure to start advertising as soon as you make the event public and then follow up with posters in the businesses who have donated items. Also be sure to use local television, radio, newspaper, community websites and social media to get the word out. On the day of the silent auction, decorate and sign it well so that people know where to go.
Get donations: Ask local businesses to donate both high and low ticket items in order to attract buyers of all income ranges. It is good to have a mix of physical products and service vouchers up for auction.
Acquire Supplies: You don't need much to hold a silent auction, but you will need plenty of tables and space for items to be put on display. You will also need at least one sheet of paper with the items description and minimum bid, if any, plus lines for people to write their name and bid. It is wise to tape a pen to the table next to each item for convenience of the buyers and so that you don't lose a bunch of pens. On the day of the fund raiser you will need a cash box with plenty of change.
Create Set Procedures: You will want to have some rules for your silent auction. When will the items be available to be seen? When will the bidding start and end? How will payment be accepted? When will the items be released? To avoid any confusion and problems, it is good to post this information on the day of the fundraiser. |
There are thousands of fundraising ideas for sports teams. So how do you know what will work? Here are five tried-and-true sports fundraising ideas that will have you winning this spring.
Candy Bar Fundraising
Believe it or not, you can make a lot of money selling chocolate bars for a dollar or two. The project is rather simple. Each member of the team that is trying to raise money is given a box or several boxes of candy and they sell the sweets to their family, friends and people in the neighborhood. An incentive can be given to the person that sells the most product. In the end, all the money is gathered together and used for the common cause.
Selling Raffle Tickets
Everyone is usually willing to chip in $5 or $10 to buy a few raffle tickets to help out a local sports team that might need new uniforms or money to take a road trip. The way this works is that you contact some local businesses and ask for some donations that you can use as raffle prizes.
Car Wash
Set up a spot, preferably at a local gas station where there is easy access and start washing cars. The enthusiasm of kids holding signs and making noise will attract customers. It does not hurt to have a couple of nice looking young ladies holding the signs dressed in bikinis.
Yard Sale
Have a big communal yard sale. As a group, gather up all the things you do not need or are willing to part with and hold a big yard sale. Place signs a few days in advance of the event and note that the proceeds go towards helping out the local team.
Charity Golf Tournament
On a much larger scale, organizing a charity golf tournament can bring in big bucks. Golfers, as a group, are very generous and they also have the means to donate substantial sums of money. There is a lot involved in such event so plan early so that everything will go smoothly.
Have a great sports fundraising idea? Email ideas [at] usafundraising.com and let us know what you did for your fundraising grand slam.
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Inexpensive meals such as spaghetti dinner fundraisers and barbecues are a great way to get your school's families together, providing them the opportunity to get out of the house without having to spend a lot of money, and of course, letting you raise funds with an offering that everyone will love!
Here is a complete list of everything you will need to do to to plan your next barbecue fund raiser. Depending on your time frame, the number of volunteers involved, and the number of people that you think will attend the barbeque, you may need to make some modifications - this as a general guideline that has worked for other schools in planning their fundraising event.
Two-Three Months Before
* Set a date and location.
* Create a menu and price food items; determine the cost per meal and what you will
charge.
* Create a list of community business who might be interested in sponsoring the barbecue.
* Write up and send out sponsorship letter.
* Make a budget of how much will come from appropriated funds and how much you expect
to collect from sponsors.
* Create advertisements and press releases for any of the following that you will use:
newspapers, television, radio, social media, school website, local businesses.
Six Weeks to One Month Before
* Follow up on potential sponsors. Call or visit the businesses and answer questions that
they might have.
* Find volunteers to help with setting up, preparing food, serving food and cleaning up.
* Start advertising campaign.
* Create signs to put out the day of the barbecue. Consider a large sign to put outside of
the event location and paper signs to put on street posts.
Two-Three Weeks Before
* Buy all paper products including table cloths, plates, cups, silverware and napkins.
* Buy non-perishable food items.
* Hold a short meeting with volunteers and explain their roles to them. Assign shifts, if
necessary.
One Week Before
* Buy perishable food items.
* Contact volunteers to remind them of their shifts. Find back up volunteers just in case
they are needed.
Day Before
* All volunteer groups should finish up their preparations, set up tables, prepare the foods
that can be made in advance.
* Get a cash box and plenty of cash to make change. Don't forget a calculator and paper to
track attendance
Day of the Barbecue
* Arrive early.
* Put out signs to advertise the barbecue.
* Finish preparing food and have them set out just as the doors open.
* Make sure all volunteers arrive. Contact back up volunteers if needed.
* Clean up afterwards.
* Deposit money in the bank.
Day After
* Return any borrowed or rented items.
* Send thank-yous to sponsors.
* Prepare and send out a report on the fund raiser, if necessary.
Additional Fund Raising Opportunities at the Barbeque
To raise additional funds and add to the atmosphere of your barbeque you might consider having some extra activities that will bring in more funds for your school. To simplify the meal, you might omit dessert but then have a stand serving dessert a la carte for those who want them. What about having a silent auction or bake sale? You might as well take advantage of already having people present and earn a little extra money. Finally you could have a few parents organize face painting or children's games to give the kids something to do while adults eat and chat. |
Fifty years ago, children were encouraged—in some cases, even required—to make door-to-door sales a central component of their fundraising. Since then, the world has undergone drastic changes. Even if parents know most of the people in their neighborhood, it’s no longer safe for children to approach their neighbors without proper supervision.
In fact, the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers (AFRDS) no longer endorses door-to-door solicitation due to serious concerns for child safety. So how are young students supposed to sell their products and raise money for their schools in the new millennium? Fortunately, there are five safe alternatives to door-to-door sales that are actually more effective.
1. Storefront Sales
Setting up shop in front of a busy store is a great way to ensure a steady flow of foot traffic. Along with the natural flow of customers, your group will also enjoy the benefits of selling in a well-lit area supervised by the store’s own security team. Parents should encourage their children to decorate their sales table and create signs to promote their products. If they are polite and friendly when approaching perspective buyers, their sales are sure to soar.
2. Product Parties
Remember the classic Tupperware parties where neighbors came together to socialize and stock up on plastic containers? The same type of party can breathe life into any fundraiser, allowing parents and children to spend time with their friends while raising money at the same time. The host family can organize icebreakers, games, and snacks to share with the group, and children can raise money in the safety and comfort of their own homes.
3. Virtual Fundraising
Almost everyone is familiar with Facebook and Twitter, and these networks can make it easy for children to fundraise without going door-to-door. Families can post status updates about upcoming sales events and locations. They can also take direct orders online and arrange a time and place to meet for payment. Before you announce the location of a public sale or product party, make sure to check your privacy settings so that you’re comfortable inviting certain people! Aside from Facebook and Twitter, you can also open a free online fundraising store, where the company will deliver the products right to your supporters' doorsteps.
4. Festival or Concert Partnership
Local festivals and concerts are perfect places to set up sales tables. Since these events are likely to be heavily populated, students will always have a steady flow of customers. Curious buyers are bound to take a look at a well-organized and decorated table near the entrance or exit, and it should be easy for children to sell their fundraising products there. Make sure to check with the venue first to see if a sales permit is required.
5. Yard Sale Fundraising
Since people who attend yard sales are ready to shop, why not take advantage of the fiscal atmosphere? Parents should first check with the family hosting the yard sale to see if their children can set up a table nearby. Most families will be happy to have the additional attention. Young students can then make their own signs and sell their products in a fun, well-supervised environment.
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