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10 New Ideas for Creative Fundraising Thermometers

If you want to use a fundraising thermometer, but think that the traditional one is boring, you're not alone. Read about 10 new ideas that can make your fundraising creative and effective.

14 Fundraisers that Promote Healthy Living

With our overweight society, it can be easy to buy into fundraisers that support unwholesome eating or living. We’ve compiled a list of 14 healthy fundraisers that are fun to do, involve everyone and support healthy living, while still earning your organization the funds that it needs.

4 Great Ideas For Holding Green Fundraisers

For your next fundraiser why not go green? Holding a more environmentally friendly fundraiser will not only help you raise money for your cause it will help promote awareness to issues affecting the world we live in. Here are some ideas to get started on holding a much greener fundraiser.

A Basket of Fresh Fruit Fundraisers

Baskets of fresh, seasonal fruit are a family treat anytime of year. Since many people don’t have time to go to a fresh farmer’s market to pick from the seasonal bounty of fruits and farm-fresh vegetables, you can bring the market to them in the form of a fresh fruit basket. Everyone looks forward to the appearance of an apple or orange in their brown bag lunch after all! Many fundraising companies specialize in the distribution of fresh fruit baskets. All you have to do is take orders from customers using their fundraising sales brochures, and deliver their basket within the promised time frame—it’s that easy!

A Culinary Twist: Fundraising Cooking Classes

Cooking fundraisers are popular because people love to cook, and more of us love to eat what others love to cook! That’s why we’ve put together five finger-licking cooking fundraisers for your creative and tasting enjoyment. So put on your favorite pair of oven mitts, and get your organization ready to host cooking classes with the help of a local cooking school or culinary celebrity who will teach everyone how to whip up a closely-guarded family favorite. We also give you tips on how to sell community-created cookbooks, or get your neighborhood in the competitive spirit with an old fashioned chili cook-off, complete with salsa or hot sauce tastings. Finally, we give your local restaurants and star chefs a reason to toot their own horns with a restaurant tasting event where folks can sample three to five dishes for a nominal fee.

A Look at Fundraising Software Options

Are you looking to save time and run a more efficient fundraiser for your group? Does your group need a better record keeping program than writing everything in a notebook? A fundraising software program may be the answer to help your group run a successful fundraiser. Here are some tips on what to look for in a program, what are absolute musts for any group, and some extra features that may be helpful to your group as well.

A Sizzling Labor Day Fundraiser

I can hardly believe that the dog days of summer are already upon us. With Labor Day just around the corner, we are about to celebrate the very last holiday long weekend of the summer. And if happen to be looking for a suitable summer fundraiser for your church, school, team sport or favorite charity organization a labor day cookout fundraiser is the ideal theme with minimal preparation time involved.

All Aboard The Haunted Hayride Fundraiser

Halloween was traditionally a celebration of the harvest, but it has long-since morphed into a holiday celebrated with scary costumes, monsters, and trick-or-treating and haunted houses. However, one thing still rings back to the good old days—the haunted hayride. Ideal for Halloween fundraising, a spook-tacular hayride can be organized with as little as a truck with a flatbed, a few hay bales and some Halloween decorations. You can make it a frightfully-good-time with some added scares along the hayride route, such as a haunted house, snack/refreshment stand, a faux cemetery, pumpkin patch and even a corn maze. Enlisting a few volunteers to dress up as scary ghouls to scare people and give out candy along the route will ensure everyone has a screaming good time…

All The Perks of Coffee Fundraisers

Coffee gets the work world rolling out of bed on a Monday morning. This fundraiser offers a high demand market compared to overly sweet candy bar and cookie dough fundraisers. Coffee fundraisers appeal to a wide range of people. Plus, this grocery store item is purchased regularly, so you are providing a convenience to your customers by delivering it to their doors. Coffee also makes a great gift, it’s non-perishable, and it works well in conjunction with other food fundraisers. But don’t limit your coffee sales to door-to-door knocking. Your coffee addicts will come to you if you offer unique yet rewarding java fundraisers such as coffee tastings, and coffee houses complete with entertainment, and gourmet coffee beans from around the globe.

Arranging a Golf Tournament Fundraiser

Hosting a golf tournament fundraiser can be a large project, but with the right plans and a great team of volunteers it can be a very successful fundraiser for your organization. Enlisting the help of a local golf course or country club, local celebrities, businesses, and restaurants will be a huge help in getting attention brought to your fundraiser. There are several ways to raise money with this type of fundraiser and great exposure opportunities for your sponsors.

Back to School Fundraising with School Supplies

As September approaches, so does the back to school pressure. This time of year can be extremely stressful for parents, especially those who have to buy new school supplies and clothing for multiple children in the family. On top of that, the current economy has school districts tightening their purse strings, as government funding does less and less to pick up the slack where classroom supplies are concerned. As school textbooks get older and shabbier, the onus falls on teachers and parents to buy pencils, pens, notebooks, and more. But what about students whose families cannot always afford to purchase school supplies?

Basic Tips for First Time Fundraising Coordinators

Running a fundraiser for the first time is a big job and may leave you feeling unsure and confused about what direction to head in. You probably have many questions that need to be answered. What kind of fundraiser should your group have? What should you expect from your volunteers? Is it okay to purchase products upfront for sale? Here are some answers to your questions and other great tips that you can follow so that you can run an easy and successful fundraiser.

Battle of the Bands Fundraiser

Trying to figure out a great way to raise money for your charity and give your fundraising cause a cool reputation at the same time? A battle of bands fundraiser will draw a crowd and build awareness around your fundraising cause. Battle of the bands events are fairly simple to organize. Simply find a rent-free space, such as a school or theater auditorium and save set-up costs by asking the performers to provide their own equipment. But if you’re having difficulty finding performers, don’t limit your stage to musicians alone. Make it a multi-talented evening with dance troupes, spoken word artists/poets, magicians, and performance artists as well. Or, if your fundraiser is a smaller one, get the music blasting with a video style battle of the bands, and let contestants strut their stuff with Guitar Hero or Rock Band video games!

Be Aware and Raise Money Every Month of the Year

Every month of the year offers an awareness opportunity, whether it's for a disease or some other kind of cause. Whether your organization supports a particular cause or not, you can still use those months for fundraising opportunities.

Beach Party Luau Fundraiser

Say aloha to the sun, sand, and surf with a fruity drink in hand and the sounds of ukuleles playing in the breeze by creating a beach party luau fundraiser. With a luau fundraiser, palm trees, tropical foods, and hula dancers provide the perfect backdrop for your next fundraising event. What’s great about a Hawaiian luau is that it’s a multi-faceted fundraising experience, meaning it allows you to incorporate multiple moneymaking opportunities into one event! Read on to find out how a beach party fundraiser can make your charity a ton of cash by incorporating a Hawaiian-style dinner, frilly umbrella drinks, hula dancing lessons, tropical-themed crafts and souvenirs, and sunset photos all into one fantastic evening.

Beautify your Fundraising Efforts: Sell Cosmetics

Beauty product fundraising is a convenient way for buyers to get their beauty supplies. It’s really a win-win situation. It offers buyers the convenience of ordering their cosmetics through you, and donating to a good cause all at the same time! There are a few tricks of the beauty trade you’ll want to keep in mind before you start selling just any old lipstick or eyeliner. Remember, anything you sell will automatically be associated with your charity organization—good or bad. So before you start selling low quality, high-priced beauty items, we recommend you do your research.

Built to Last: The Thick & Crumbly of Brick Fundraisers

Once a charity designated to churches, colleges and educational organizations, brick fundraising has recently been catching on. After all, how brilliant is it to sell engraved bricks to honor a charity’s donors permanently? Brick charities have established a cherished and very permanent place in many communities. Commemorative bricks can be a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, sporting events—and even a token that give donors the chance to memorialize a lost loved one. In communities that need a bit of a makeover, brick fundraising, basically, requests a cash amount in exchange for donors being allowed to engrave one brick with their personal name or memorial. All of the bricks collected will be used to construct a brick wall, a brick walkway, or other tiled surface to commemorate the charity and its sponsors.

Charity Casino Night

What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily need to stay in Vegas. You can bring it right into your community with a casino night fundraiser! The thrill of the games, the entertainment, and the glamour, all in one sophisticated, fun evening. Whether you set it up yourself, or get a party planner to help you, a casino night can be one of the most successful fundraising events ever.

Choosing the Right Product for Your Fundraising Group

Product fundraisers are very popular. They are a tried and true favorite when it comes to bringing in donations for charitable organizations, non-for-profit teams and church, school and social groups. However, before you decide to depend on product fundraisers to raise needed funds for your organization—you need to decide what kind of fundraising products are most worth investing in for your efforts. Read on to find out how you can align your fundraising products not only with your organizations mission, but also with your donor audience is vital to the funds you’ll raise. After all, with your volunteers selling this product door-to-door, it will virtually be a representation of your organization and its mission to the public.

Cinco De Mayo Fundraising— ¡Olé!

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated every year on the fifth of May to commemorate the 1862 Battle of Puebla. Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and all across North America as a symbol of victory, freedom, and liberty for all Mexican people. Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico typically include elaborate reenactments of the Battle of Puebla, and huge fairs that include Mexican singing, dancing, feasting, costumes, sports, fireworks, and entertainment such as mariachi bands and traditional Mexican dancers. Since it’s one of the largest Mexican celebrations in the world, a festive Cinco de Mayo themed fundraiser can add some heat to your fundraising calendar with Mexican-themed activities such as fiestas, Mariachi bands, taco tastings, hot sauce samplings, and even making your own piñata!

Cooking Up a Bake Sale Fundraiser

How do you make your bake sale the yummiest fundraiser on the block? We’ll tell you how to come up with some truly innovative ideas—everything from playing musical cakes (our tastier version of musical chairs) to hosting a themed bake sale, and from hosting a silent cake auction to selling baking supplies as fundraising products—however whipping up genius in the kitchen is still up to you! The great thing about bake sale fundraisers is that they tug at everyone’s taste buds, while the charity aspect tugs at their hearts. Who can pass up buying and eating yummy treats for a worthy cause?

Cool Fundraising Ideas to Beat the Summer Heat

Summer means holidays, long weekends, and trying to beat the summer heat with some cool and fun outdoor activities. That’s why the perfect summer fundraisers are all about drawing a crowd with the promise of cooling off! We’ve got some cool activities that include outdoor exercise, such as a community Bike-A-Thon, a splish-splashing Pool Party Fundraiser, and a massive soaker (aka the Water Balloon Fight Fundraiser). Likewise, you can’t go wrong with a cool fundraising treat like an Ice Cream Fundraiser or a Frozen Popsicle Fundraiser. After all, nothing sells faster than the sweet stuff, especially when it’s frozen and it’s hot outside.

Custom Bracelet Fundraising

Custom bracelet fundraisers are a hugely popular way to raise money for charity. Plus, they are very in demand with teens. These popular silicone bracelets can be customized for any fundraiser or charity cause by stamping them with a positive slogan that is impressed in the rubber using a machine. Silicon fundraising bracelets come in pretty much any color in the rainbow, with the brightest, most vibrant colors catching attention for many worthy charity causes.

Cutting A Rug With A Fundraising Dance

Break out those blue suede shoes, and get dancing! A dance marathon fundraiser brings to mind the sock-hopping teens from the 1950s, but dance marathons are still very popular today. They are also a great way for schools and youth groups, and even adults, to raise money for their teams and charity organizations. A dance-a-thon is a high-energy fundraiser that most teens will be excited about. And if your school only holds one large fundraiser, a dance-a-thon is social and entertaining, and will get the most folks out and participating, either as competitors or as spectators and pledgers. Dance-a-thons make money via pledges. You can either take flat fee pledges, or you can let pledgers decide on the amount they want to pledge for every hour the contestant lasts on the dance floor.

December 1st is World AIDS Day!

According 2008 AIDS statistics, there are currently 33.2 million people living with HIV, around the world! With AIDS and HIV posing as much of a threat today as ever, World AIDS Day, which occurs every December 1st, plans to increase AIDS awareness, fight prejudice and improve AIDS and HIV education and medical services around the world. But how can you remind people in your community and those that matter the most (your children) that HIV and AIDS is a very real threat? You can do your part to help prevent further AIDS and HIV affliction—especially through educating your schools, community and workplace. Read on to find out what you can do to support World AIDS Day.

Delicious Thanksgiving Fundraisers

Did you know that Thanksgiving is a prime time of year for successful fundraising? Your charity organization can take advantage of the scrumptious holiday by offering Thanksgiving themed fundraising efforts to help busy families pull off their perfect turkey dinner, and give thanks for what’s truly important. Many families don’t realize, as they sit down to their overloaded table, that there are hungry people in their own community. To help raise awareness, get your family involved in some charity work this holiday season by lending a hand at the soup kitchen, collecting canned goods, organizing a bike ride for charity and more.

Disaster and No Notice Fundraising Efforts

Disasters leave little notice for fundraising efforts and often need help and support right away. Choosing the best way to raise funds and deciding what help is necessary right away and for the long term are all issues that your group will face. Learn about creating an emergency fund to have money on hand for immediate disaster relief and how to reach out to replenish the fund for ongoing recovery efforts. This article also discusses finding out what items are needed in the disaster zone so that your group’s efforts go towards helping people get what they really need.

Does Aluminum Can Fundraising Really Work?

The great thing about aluminum is that it’s a highly available material. It’s what your pop cans are made from, you use it to cook baked potatoes, it’s even on your house! Aluminum can be recycled over and over again. It’s helpful for the environment, it saves the manufacturer money, and it can be used to raise money for charity organizations as well, in the form of aluminum can fundraising! A popular fundraiser for churches, boy scout or girl guide troupes, kids’ teams, or any one, can fundraisers are completely passive and safe for kids—meaning they don’t require volunteers to go door-to-door to beg for funds, so kids don’t have to talk to strangers. Instead your volunteers can depend on the bins to collect the profit. But here’s the big question: how much money can you expect to pull in from aluminum can fundraising?

Double Feature, Movie Night Fundraisers

If you are looking for your next appropriate church fundraiser or elementary school charity event, why not gather everyone together for a double feature? Everyone enjoys a movie marathon fundraiser, especially one with a good theme. Think a James Bond Spy-a-Thon or a 1980s Cheese-fest. A movie night fundraiser is a real crowd pleaser. It’s also an inexpensive way to raise funds and an acceptable activity for your next school or church fundraiser. You can keep things simple by organizing a small movie night in your church recreational area by borrowing a DVD player and a few favorite movies. Or you can plan a full-fledged movie marathon in a local theater or drive-in, complete with concessions. Either way, making money with movie fundraising is easy.

Dress up Your Fundraising With a Halloween Costume Ball

Vampires and werewolves and zombies, oh my! Parties, balls, and dances work well for raising money, so why not hold a Halloween costume ball fundraiser? Give the grownups a chance to dress up, play some spooky games, and maybe win prizes for their imaginative costumes. Set up a haunted house to scare guests into donating money. Ok, maybe just ask them nicely, but stay in character while you do! Who can say no to Frankenstein's monster?

Earth Day Fundraising Ideas

On April 22, 2009 celebrate Mother Earth and all of her blessings along with more than 140 countries around the world. You can do many things on Earth Day in recognition of Mother Nature and her various bounties, starting with cleaning up our beautiful planet to make it a healthier and cleaner place to live. Earth Day offers the perfect opportunity to start incorporating environmentally-friendly practices into our lives. And better yet, we have taken the guess work out of it for you by offering our favorite green fundraising ideas—for instance making a choice to use and plant organic fruits, vegetables and meats; recycling with a pop can or bottle drive; composting; and saying no to pollution by helping to clean up our natural resources. We also suggest cutting down on plastic consumption with reusable shopping bags, environmentally-friendly water bottles, and don’t forget to give a nod to Earth’s creatures (especially our feathered friends).

Easy Elementary School Fundraising

Elementary school fundraisers are a great way to raise money for all the extracurricular sports teams and clubs your child wants to be a part of. As parents or teachers, you want the most bang for your buck when it comes to organizing elementary school children for a fundraiser. It can be exhausting, and if you still don’t make enough money, it can be very disappointing for everyone involved. Never fear! You can approach the new school year with confidence because we’ve done the fundraising homework for you! Check out our most effective and easy elementary school fundraisers including elementary school talent shows and concerts, hassle-free school calendars that features a variety of student artwork or pictures of favorite school teams and clubs for every month of the year.

Eating Al Fresco with a Picnic Fundraiser

Are you looking for a fundraising idea for your school? A simple fundraiser that will get parents and kids outside to enjoy the day, network, play games, and even raise some needed funds for your school activities? What about a school picnic fundraiser? Charity picnics are great events for school kids. All you really need is a good basket of yummies, willing picnic participants, and a scenic spot to spread out your meal. Picnic school fundraisers are easy to organize, and also a great way for parents and kids—pre-school to high school—to enjoy a social afternoon and raise money for their school teams or events.

Fabulous Makeover Fundraisers: A New Look for the New Year!

There’s no better way to get past the anxiety of the holidays than with a night of stress-reducing pampering! Get your new year fundraising efforts off to a positive start by giving the ladies in your community just what they’re after—a new and improved look for the new year! A makeover fundraiser is easy to organize. Keep it simple with a collection of beauty supplies and a group of ladies eager to try new makeup and hairstyles on each other. You can also invite cosmetic professionals to do your guests’ makeup and hair. Makeover fundraising is a great way for your charity organization to provide an esteem-boosting event for the busy women in your community.

Find Treasure With a Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser

Who hasn’t dreamed of finding buried treasure, or of going on an adventure like Indiana Jones to find hidden artifacts? Make those dreams come true with a scavenger hunt fundraiser! Get people active while getting them involved in your cause. A scavenger hunt is a challenge that requires creativity, thought, imagination, skill, and speed in order for the participants to be successful. It has something for everyone. Make it as easy or as difficult as you like, as long as you make it fun.

Firing up Your Barbecue Fundraising

A barbecue fundraiser is a tasty way for school sports teams, charities, and youth groups to make money to support their costs, and eat a lot of yummy foods. It’s true—food-related fundraisers always draw a crowd! And what passerby can resist the smell and sizzle of a barbecue? To get your grilling items, look to local businesses in your community, such as butchers, grocery stores, markets, farmers, and restaurants. Ask them to donate grillable goods, condiments, and hamburger and hotdog buns in exchanges for your posting their advertising, fliers, or posters at your barbecue. And remember to make your barbeque an all-day event by incorporating some games and contests for kids and adults alike.

Fitness for Fundraising

While people always make New Year's resolutions to get in shape, it rarely happens that way. That's because they don't have the support of a community behind them. Your organization can people pick up the slack from the winter months and start to get in shape for spring and summer. Having the encouragement of a big group will help everyone attain their goals.

Flaunt Your Artistic Side with a Craft Fundraiser

Do you write poetry in the park? Or do you prefer painting watercolors when it rains? Pottery, glass blowing, fashion design, quilting, or cake decorating—it really doesn’t matter how you flaunt your inner Picasso if it’s to raise money for a good cause! Arts and crafts sales are a great way to make money. They can be as simple as setting up a booth at a local market, or even selling your art at a yard sale in front of your house. Handmade crafts will sell like hotcakes in the fall as folks start to stock up on Christmas gifts. Artsy, unique, handmade gifts are easy to sell and affordable to make. To raise money, ask local shopping malls or even bookstores if they’d be willing to sell your gifts on consignment. Better yet, offer classes or weekend workshops in your art of choice for charity donations.

Four BlackBerry Apps That Can Help Your Organization

If your organization isn't already using smartphones, what are you waiting for? They might cost a bit more than traditional cell phone service, but they're becoming indispensable tools for planning and organizing. Effective organizations use them to their fullest. That means using them to coordinate events and tasks with all workers. It can also mean promoting the organization through social channels. Whatever your organization's goals, a smartphone can help further them.

Four Unique Auction Fundraisers

An auction is a great way to raise money. It lets people participate, allowing them to feel like they're really contributing to your cause in a more substantial way than just handing over a donation or buying a product. The interaction fosters a connection, and can encourage more support for your organization. Plus, it's just a fun way to spend an afternoon! Find out about these popular auctions and how to plan them.

Free Non-Profit Advertising with Google

One of the biggest obstacles a non-profit group faces is getting word out about their group and reaching out to the greatest number of people. If your group has taken steps onto the Internet and created a website, then your next step is advertising. You can get free advertising by applying for a grant with Google. Google’s Adwords program can bring much needed traffic to your website if your group qualifies. Learn more information here about the program and how to apply.

Fundraising Book Drive for National Reading Month

Every month of the year has a different theme. Many months have multiple themes. For instance, March is National Frozen Food Month. That, of course, isn't the most important theme to this month. In addition to celebrating Lean Cuisine dinners, March is also a time to celebrate the written word. It is National Reading Month. This can present your organization with a chance to make a difference in peoples' lives, and raise funds along the way.

Fundraising Calendars: A Quick & Easy Moneymaker

Fundraising calendars are a quick and easy annual fundraiser. They are so successful because of their perfect timing at the beginning of each year. Think about it, everyone is looking for a new calendar to put the wall to usher in the New Year—an opportune time as far as calendars are concerned. Designing a fundraising calendar with a little bit of market research in mind will ensure that you choose a calendar theme that will appeal to a broad audience, a location for sales that will garner the most charitable dollars and a professional calendar design (even though it might not be created by a professional per say) created using the right computer software, design and illustration skills, or free online templates. Read on for the most efficient fundraiser you’ll probably do all year long, charity calendars…

Fundraising for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month occurs during the month of January. It was established in 1996 for the purpose of educating the public on the threats of Human papillomaviruses (or HPV) and cervical cancer. Approximately 473,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed per year across the globe. Another 253,500 succumb to the disease on a yearly basis. Still unknown to many around the world, an HPV vaccine is now available to protect girls and young women from the four types of HPV most prevalent in causing cervical cancer. Even though a simple Pap test can sometimes detect the presence of the HPV virus, only 11% of women in the US go for their annual screening. You can help by spreading the knowledge of HPV disease and cervical cancer, as well as the importance of early detection.

Fundraising For National Heart Health Awareness

Taking care of our tickers should be a top priority year round, but it is in February that we take particular care to focus on heart issues. It is National Heart Month, and it brings about some troubling statistics.

Fundraising for Wildlife Lovers

The summer is an active season, with everyone outside to enjoy the warm weather. That includes plants and wildlife. Flowers and bushes are blooming, and animals are scurrying about preparing for winter. Be kind to the environment by planning an animal-friendly fundraiser. Sell things to animals lovers so they can help animals and enjoy watching their activities, or take pledges to clean up the community. Your group can be environmentally conscious while earning money for your cause with these fundraisers for wildlife lovers.

Fundraising for your School's Summer Fair

Summer is one of the best times of year to fundraiser for your school. This is because the summer months are when kids are free to help out anytime of day, and kids and parents alike are looking for fun ways to get outside and enjoy the weather and community. So why not create a town-wide social event that will draw a crowd of happy donors to support your school fundraising campaign. School summer fairs or street fairs can range from a small group event with a few games and contests; while a summer street fair fundraiser can be a larger affair, with arts-and-crafts booths, games, a petting zoo, and clowns and entertainment.

Fundraising Fun with a School Field Day

Fundraising with a school track and field day means getting the kids outside for some exercise, all in the name of a good cause. All you need for a successful school field day fundraiser is a big, open field, which most elementary and high schools have right outside their doors. Otherwise, you can use a church property, recreational space or even a community park, with permission of course. Participating will be a sure thing from your school’s young athletes, especially if your fundraiser is raising money for their school team’s equipment, travel expenses, and uniforms.

Fundraising in Honor of Flag Day

Wave your fundraising flag in celebration of Flag Day every June 14. This patriotic American holiday honors the nation’s stars and stripes, and the country’s history. A national holiday since 1949, it’s not as widely celebrated as it used to be. Help spread the word, and the patriotism, with a Flag Day fundraiser.

Fundraising Letter Writing 101

One of the toughest tasks you can face during your fundraising efforts is composing an effective fundraising letter. Make sure you make a great first impression with this article on the basics of writing letters for your cause.

Fundraising Letters - 25 Quick Tips For Attracting Readers

With all the details you need to coordinate during your fundraising efforts, it can feel overwhelming to come up with compelling letters as well. A successful fundraising project inevitably includes not only an introductory letter describing your fundraiser and asking for donations, but can also include thank you letters and future letters to ask repeat donors. Furthermore, targeting each letter in the entire project to your repeat donors can make a huge difference to your fundraising efforts, yet certainly incurs even more of a time cost to you. How can you entice, engage, and encourage your readers, when so many things are fighting for the attention of your potential donors? How can you use news headlines, get readers emotionally invested in the importance of your organization’s work, and show appreciation for each individual who contributes as well? Read on to see our quick tips for achieving fundraising dreams.

Fundraising Through A Consignment Sale

Babies and children outgrow clothing and toys so quickly, often before they are worn out. Host a baby and kids’ consignment sale the next time you need to raise money for your organization. This makes an excellent church fundraiser. Host it in a large building with a cafeteria or gymnasium, like a school, or in your church, if there's enough space. Use long tables to display the merchandise. Clothing racks would be helpful, but not necessary. Set a day to have the sale, preferably a Saturday or Sunday to maximize the number of shoppers. Determine beforehand what percentage of the profits will go to sellers. Charge an entry fee to shoppers. A dollar would be appropriate. Provide a monitored room where sellers can place their large items for sale, such as high chairs, strollers, and cribs. Mark each item so you know who gets the money when it sells. Have a concession stand with drinks and food for your hungry shoppers and sellers. Make it an annual event (kids grow fast!) and people will look forward to it all year.

Fundraising Through Weight Loss

With Christmas past and the sugary sweetness of Valentine’s Day on the horizon, many of us are in the same boat, carrying around a few extra pounds that we could do without. Unfortunately, many employers feel the repercussions of our less than ideal health and poor eating habits. If you are trying to lose weight to benefit your health, you might be interested in one of the newest fundraising ideas to hit the corporate workplace—weight loss fundraisers! Not only does this charity event help give participants the motivation they need to stay on track with their weight loss goals; it also benefits company owners looking to increase productivity, teamwork/bonding, and decrease workplace absenteeism and medical costs. But the main focus, of course, is that weight loss can take the form of a fundraiser to better help humanity and the organizations that need more fat—in monetary terms that is.

Fundraising with eBay

eBay.com is the largest auction website and receives millions of visitors a day. Your group can use that to their advantage and use eBay to raise money. eBay makes it easy by running a charity section called “Giving Works” and will help you set your charity up in their system. Your group will be able to earn money in two different ways. Visitors to eBay will be able to use their search feature to find your auctions, giving your charity free advertising. Find out more here.

Fundraising with Gift Baskets

School fundraisers are starting to make parents all across the globe cringe with memories of selling chocolate bars, scented candles, and poinsettias to their coworkers. That’s why the idea of a gift basket fundraiser is a welcome breath of fresh air. This fundraiser is a great class or group event because it’s all about the collective coming together in one gift wrapped basket. Collecting for the perfect gift basket is easy. Simply send home a note with each child asking them to donate one item each for the basket—that’s right, only one item each. You can also set a theme for your basket with the help of the entire class. If your gift basket will be auctioned off around the holidays you can choose a Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Easter, Halloween, Valentines Day, or Thanksgiving theme. However, you can also theme the basket for sports fans, animal lovers, chocolate lovers, or music lovers.

Gaining Fundraising Parental Support

As school funding continues to be cut, teachers and school staff have started to ask parents to take a vested interest in neighborhood schools by donating much needed money and volunteer time. However, how do you establish and maintain a good fundraising relationship with your students' parents to ensure that you can count on them time and time again to support your school fundraisers? Communication is key, and keeping them up-to-date of your yearly fundraising plans well in advance will go along way in gaining and maintaining that crucial support.

Garage Sale Success - Turning your Junk into Fundraising Profit

Garage sale fundraisers are simple to organize. With a collection of unwanted items—old clothes, outdated household items, toys that the kids have outgrown, tools and exercise equipment that you no longer use—you can turn your household junk into much needed fundraising profits. However, throwing a rummage sale takes more than a bunch of used items; it also takes organization and a sensible marketing plan. Follow our helpful garage sale tips and tricks and you’ll turn your unwanted junk into someone else’s’ favorite new yard sale find—and even better, into cold much needed fundraising profits for your charity group.

Gearing up for a Tractor Pull Fundraiser

Get your motors running! Tractor pulls mean roaring engines, raging horsepower, and the classic battle of machine vs. machine. Tractor pulls are always a popular fundraiser, even though their a little too hard on the eardrums for some. But with your earplugs in tow everyone from engineers to car buffs to die-hard fans in for the occasional engine explosion will be thrilled. However, if you’re not a fan of the revving engines, you can still enjoy this farm favorite fundraiser. Tractor pulls range from basic farm equipment modified with motorsport parts to regular ol’ farmer Joe tractors with no modifications at all. The day is up to you—regardless of if it’s how many bricks, cars, or bales the tractor can pull, or how many beefy volunteers can pull your tractor.

Get Sporty with Tournament Fundraising

The weather is fine—just the reason to take your fundraising outdoors and make it active. Theme your charity drives around a sport, such as golf, tennis, baseball or even beach volleyball—is an ideal way to raise money for charities with serious sports contenders as the draw!

Getting and Keeping Great Volunteers

The secret to any great fundraiser is your volunteer staff. Finding good ones and then retaining them throughout the fundraiser and for subsequent ones can be a challenge though. Discover some of the best ways and places to find volunteers, how to keep them from getting burned out and the best way for them to get their work done. You will also learn some ways of rewarding your volunteers to keep them motivated and to show your appreciation for all of their hard work.

Getting in the Spirit of Cheer Fundraisers

Did you know that on approximately 85% of cheerleaders has a B average or higher? It just goes to show that the cheerleading squad is made up of highly competitive individuals. It’s tough to get on the squad, but it’s even more difficult to have the finances to join the cheerleading squad in the first place. Why is cheerleading so expensive? And with September behind us, what are you going to say to your son or daughter if they want to join the cheerleading squad? Read on for our cheer fundraising tips, and find out how to alleviate some of the financial burden from parents, and bring the team together with fundraising efforts that will help to decrease the total yearly costs from the additional funds they raise.

Go Crazy with March Madness Fundraising

Are you ready for some...basketball?! It's that time of year again, when the NCAA tournaments are going on, and 65 teams are vying for the biggest prize in college basketball. It's also a great time of year to hold a fundraiser. Sporting events make a great backdrop for fundraising because they bring out people's competitive nature. Take advantage of that to raise money, and to have some fun.

Going to the Dogs! Fundraising with Fido

If you have a fuzzy best friend who’s warmed his or her way into your family and your heart, you have all the more reason to focus your charity efforts on animals. Shelters and animal hospitals need community funding in order to keep up even the most essential services. It doesn’t take much effort to fundraise for those furry and less fortunate. It just takes a little bit of creativity and a lot of love. Why not teach Fido a little charity spirit by putting on his leash and taking him along for the fundraising efforts? Our collection of creative animal-focused fundraisers range from doggie washes and doggone bake sales to movies for Fido and pet sitting services.

Having Some Fun at the Office with a Business Fundraiser

Corporate social responsibility, also known as CSR, is becoming a hot and sought-after trait that many employees are looking for in potential employers. Many major national and international corporations are now starting to contribute to charity causes—be it as simple as a cash donation or an entire fundraising campaign where staff donates portions of their weekly paychecks to a charity effort. Smaller companies unable to give financially can still offer volunteer opportunities for staff, or provide pro bono services to aid the less fortunate within their communities. Supporting charities through the workplace carries many benefits for both the employees and the charity in need.

Health Fair Fundraisers

Healthy living is tops on everyone's mind. That's why health fair fundraisers are a great way to help your charity raise some funds while doing your community a whole lot of good in the long run. Health fair fundraisers introduce the folks in your community to the various health organizations they might not know even exist. Health fair fundraisers can include a multitude of services, demonstrations, and information that will help your guests find the road to healthier living.

High Time for Afternoon Tea Fundraiser

High tea is such a popular relaxing activity that its cherished break by the peoples of the United Kingdom and many other cultures around the world as part of a staunch afternoon tradition. With so much tradition behind it, why not use your next fundraiser as an excuse to throw a fancy tea party? It’s not only a great way to entertain and catch up with family and friends—it’s also a great way to make money for a fundraising organization through tea sales. A tea party is an elegant way to expand your guest’s tastes for the finer things in life. Whether it be enjoying a steaming hot mug of tea or sitting down with the ladies to enjoy tea served out of dainty fine bone china tea cups with a selection of elaborate desserts and sandwiches.

Ho, Ho, Hosting a Photo with Santa Fundraiser

Why do you continue to line up year after year at a crowded mall for a blurry photo of your child on Santa’s knee? And why isn’t your charity organization taking advantage of the money to be made with quality Santa photos in the name of fundraising? Santa photos are a great way to make money for your cause. All it just takes a little planning, a festive location and a bunch of willing volunteers to ho, ho, host a successful Santa photo fundraiser complete with decorations, free photography, entertainment for the kids (including Christmas crafts, festive choirs, yummy bake sales and face painting). And oh, don’t forget the star of the show a Santa that could be as close as your neighbor’s husband (complete with the belly). Read on for our complete guide on how to host a Santa photo fundraiser…

Hockey Team Fundraisers

Tis’ that time of year again! It’s the time of year when busy hockey moms and hockey dads wake up at the crack of dawn on weekends to cart junior and all of his or her gear to their next hockey game. And it’s time for hockey team fundraising as well. Don’t forget hockey fundraising—a successful hockey season always includes fundraisers that will keep money in parents’ pockets by helping cover the costs of travel to away games, uniforms, hockey jerseys and old equipment. All that you need is a strong plan and a little organization to score big fundraising success for your son or daughter’s team.

Holding an Independence Day Fundraiser

As the largest national holiday celebrated across the United States, the Fourth of July is the ideal time to build your summer fundraiser around the patriotic weekend, and all of the community parades, concerts, picnics, and fireworks that will take place. Choosing to incorporate an Independence Day fundraiser with the celebration will bring out the crowds, especially when you offer patriotic products and services like U.S. Flag Sales, Flag Raising, and outdoor events such as a Run or Walk-a-thon or a sports tournament. Regardless of which fundraiser you choose, Independence Day fundraisers are money-making events that will take advantage of the existing patriotic pride.

Home Safety Fundraisers

Home safety is an important issue for many families across North America, especially if you have young children or elderly loved ones at home. Your home can contain unknown and potentially dangerous hazards—especially when you consider that approximately one third of serious injuries happen in the home. Supervision is always the best injury prevention method, but fundraising organizations can help to create further awareness around safety in the home by spreading education about fire prevention and the importance of fire extinguisher installation, home safety seminars –that promote shower safety, lawn mowing precautions, how to safely clean eaves troves properly, the importance of strategically placed home lighting on your home’s exterior, and protecting your personal information and well being with online safety. Read on to find out how home safety fundraisers can make your home sweet home even safer…

Homerun Ideas for Baseball Fundraising

If your child is on the school or community baseball team, you know the season is not cheap! When times are tough, corporate sponsorships are often the first thing to dry up, and parents are left looking for any way to defray some of the cost of organized sports. Baseball fundraising is a great way to help support the costs associated with a successful baseball season.

Host a Healthy Skating Fundraiser

Even in winter, you can incorporate some good healthy physical activity into your fundraising calendar. Parents, you will probably appreciate a fundraiser your kids can participate in that doesn’t involve candy or cookie dough. Schools concerned with healthy eating will also be happy to hear ideas for a healthy fundraiser. A fundraiser that entails physical activity is a great way to get everyone involved. Read on to find out how skating fundraisers bring out the crowds.

Hosting a Charity Walkathon

Hosting a walkathon fundraiser for your charity or group can be a great way to raise money. At the basic level all you need is to find people willing to walk and people willing to sponsor them with a cash donation. There is a good amount of planning and other details that need to be attended to though. Find out what they are and everything else that you need to know to host a successful Walkathon.

Hosting a Fundraising Event

A fundraising event is usually a one day event in which you only have one opportunity to raise a large amount of money. Careful planning can help you get the most exposure and attendance to your event. It is helpful to not put all of your efforts into one avenue of fundraising, but to spread it out into multiple ways of earning money throughout the day. Also learn how to keep your event from being a wash out due to the weather or other disaster.

Hosting a Haunted High School Fundraiser

Host a proper scare-fest by making your next charity event a Halloween fundraiser! Halloween fundraisers are cheap and easy to coordinate. Gather some Halloween decorations, creative games, and a group of willing Dracula’s and mummies as volunteers, and you will have your guests screaming with the joy of giving to your charity organization! Haunted houses fundraisers can bring in the funds by charging visitors a small admission price at the door. But what do you do once you enter? We have some scare-iffic tips to help make your Haunted Halloween Fundraiser the event of the year.

Hosting a Photography or Portrait Fundraiser

People love pictures and they can be a treasured item for a family, passed down through the generations. Take advantage of this by running a photography fundraiser for your group. People can help out your group and get a nice photograph in return. There are many different options for hosting one, from how to find a photographer and what kind of portrait sessions to offer. Learn more about how much your group can earn and how to go about hosting one here.

Hosting a Show-Stopping Theater Fundraiser

Dim the lights, cue the cast, pop some popcorn, snuggle into your seat, and enjoy a night of theater. Many people go to the movies at least once a month. It’s a great family outing because it’s fun and entertaining. Charities can theme their next fundraising event according to this trend, and offer something just a little different with a theater night. It’s a great way to raise money, have fun, and entertain the community with something a little different than the same old movie night. Your community base doesn’t need to be refined theater-goers. Instead, pick a popular movie script and turn it into a play.

Hosting a Summer Ball

A swanky summer ball is a great way to celebrate the coming season, network with the community, and raise much-needed funds for the charity of your choice. A debutante ball is a popular spring and summer event, and one that formally introduces the eligible ladies in the community to society. That being said, a summer star-gazing ball or black and white soiree is just as elegant, and it might be more suitable if your guest list is made up of married couples or business contacts. Good organization is key to a successful summer ball, and that is done by organizing a stellar fundraising committee to oversee and delegate all planning aspects of the summer ball and fundraising efforts.

Hot Apple Cider Fundraiser

Nothing stirs the heart nor warms the soul quite as much as a hot apple cider fundraiser. This time-honored, autumn beverage can warm the cockles of any doubtful fundraising volunteer. Not only is it a comfort beverage that’s hard to resist; it’s also the perfect accompaniment to an open house or bake sale event. Its true, hot apple cider by itself does not a fundraiser make. However, combining an apple cider tasting with an open house or a bake sale can turn your fundraiser into a day-long or weekend event. Just think, a mug of hot apple cider accompanied by other apple themed baked goods, like apple fritters, apple sauce, apple crisp, apple tarts, homemade apple pie and caramel apples will create the sweetest fundraiser ever…

How Car Donation Fundraising Works

Many people have cars taking up space in their garage, driveways and backyards that they just don’t need or use anymore. Your group can raise money by asking these people to donate those cars to you. Both junk cars and running ones have the potential to earn money. Non-running cars can be sold to a junkyard for scrap metal and running cars can be sold at auction. Learn how to maximize your profit and how your donors can use the tax laws to benefit as well.

How to Get Online Visibility for your Non Profit Fundraiser

Online fundraising is the ideal way to get your charity organization in front of the world. Internet fundraising is fast, up-to-the-minute and it allows you to expand your charity donor and volunteer base to willing givers who would otherwise not even know about your charity cause and mission. However, little might you know that non-profit fundraising organizations must adhere to governing rules when it comes to online fundraising? The National Association of Attorneys General will demand that your non-profit organization register their online fundraising. Ignoring the rules or setting up shop without filling out the proper registration papers, can find you slammed with hefty fines or the revocation of your fundraising rights. Read on before you set up online fundraising efforts.

How to Get People to Give Time Instead of Money

There are many reasons why people volunteer their time for fundraising efforts. They may love the sense of giving back to the community and the opportunity to get out of the house and meet with new people. Finding people to volunteer for your fundraiser and encouraging them to do so can be a challenge though. Learn the best ways to find people, how to get great work out of them, and above all, how to make it fun.

How to Get Permission for Storefront Fundraising

Setting up a booth at the front of a store during the height of your fundraising drive can be a great way to reach out to large number of people, pick up sales and earn extra money. There is a right way to approach stores and conduct yourselves while there that will likely allow you to go back to the same store year after year. Local regulations within your community must also be followed. Working with the store to find the right location and following their rules will help to ensure that you have a great sale.

How to Get Your Supporters in Shape for a Walk-A-Thon

A walk-a thon is a great way to raise money for charities, but it takes one thing that might be hard to come by—willing walkers! However, since the volunteers in your walk-a-thon will typically be amateur athletes—or maybe haven’t even exercised since they were in college—you will want to ensure their safety by ensuring that they are comfortable, remain uninjured, and are in the physical shape they should be before they lace up and take to the pavement. Walk-a-thons for charity can have volunteers treading 5K, 10K, 15K or even 20k in some cases. Take for example large charities like the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Susan Coleman Foundation, which host 10k to 30k walks and runs—that can mean a day of walking that last anywhere between 1 hour to 6 hours!

How to Host a Blood Drive Fundraiser

Have you always dreamed of saving lives, but didn’t have the trust fund to go to medical school? Well there’s another way to give the gift of life without a scalpel. Your company, school, church or team can lend a hand, or rather arm, in the effort to save lives by hosting a blood drive fundraiser.

How to host a Silent Auction Fundraiser

A silent auction fundraiser is an excellent way to raise money for all sorts of charity events—and even stag and does. The key to any silent auction charity fundraisers is gathering desirable items from your sponsors—but once you’ve done that you need to make sure you have people bidding on them. The most successful silent auctions take item placement, item promotion, item descriptions and etc., into consideration. That’s why we’ve put together a list of silent auction tips and trick to help you raise the most money possible by getting your items out there in front of bidders.

How to host a Successful 50/50 Fundraising Raffle

The 50/50 draw is a tried and true fundraiser for stag and does, hospital charity events, team fundraising drives and workplace social events for decades. The concept is easy! You simply purchase a roll of raffle tickets, go from person-to-person or desk-to-desk and sell as many tickets as you can, rip the ticket in half, placing one end in the box and giving one end to the donor, draw a ticket from the bucket, and split the fund in half. However, even though it might sound simple, the most tried and true fundraisers, like the 50/50 draw can go wrong if you don’t plan ahead.

How to Organize a Fashion Show Fundraiser

Fundraising is always in style—especially when you raise money with a fashion show fundraiser! It takes some work, planning, and participation, but a fashion show is a great way to help your organization and provide fun for everyone at the same time. Learn the basics here, and then use your imagination to put your own spin on it. It’s an opportunity to be creative while raising money. Strut your stuff on the catwalk!

How to Pull Together a Quilt Fundraiser

This isn’t your grandma’s quilting bee! No, quilt raffle fundraisers offer folks in your community the opportunity to get crafty, bond, learn a new skill, and create a treasured family heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation. Quilt fundraisers are ideal charity events for local town fairs, church bizarres, holiday fundraising (imagine bundling up under a comfy quilt at Christmas), and various community fundraising drives. Making a quilt bonds a community together because the raffle winner often knows the people who had a hand in making the final prize. Read on to discover how creating a quilt can be a real reflection of your community, and how it can bring in much needed funds.

How to Tell if and when You Need a Fundraising Consultant

If your charity or group is new to fundraising or if you are trying to reinvigorate your fundraising efforts, you may want to look into hiring a fundraising consultant. It is a big decision thought that may cost your group a lot of money without a big return on your investment if you rush into things without assessing your situation. Here are some tips on how decide if it is a good idea for your group, how to decide on what you would like the consultant to focus on, what they will do for your group, and how to choose a good one.

I Like to Ride My Bicycle Fundraisers

Bike-a-thon fundraisers are a great way to get fit as you raise money for your favorite cause! Plus, bike-a-thons promote healthy exercise and environmentally friendly practices within your community. Your school group, sports team, or church group will learn that healthy fundraising means getting outside and getting active. Setting up a successful bike-a-thon fundraiser means finding a safe, flat surface with little traffic. A local church or business might be open to you using their property during the weekend when cars aren’t parked in the area and traffic is almost non-existent.

In Bloom: Flower Bulb Fundraisers

We enjoy the beauty of flowers when they make their appearance in spring, and continue to bloom all summer long. With fall in the air, it’s time for gardeners to stock up on their favorite flower bulbs for the winter so they will be ready for next spring. In fact, fall and winter are the perfect time for a flower bulb fundraiser because many people like to give bulbs as Christmas and holiday gifts. The best time to plant flower bulbs is in fall, or they can be stored, and bloom for many years to come. A flower bulb fundraiser will have a lot of pull with the green thumbs in your neighborhood. It’s a unique way to beautify your community, and if you are raising money for children or health care, it’s a great way to show that you support the continued growth of these services in your community. It’s also a wonderful way to show your donors that you support a green mandate.

Incentive Ideas to Keep Your Salespeople Motivated

With any fundraiser where you sell items, it is absolutely essential that you have salespeople. Keeping those salespeople motivated and selling the most that they can is the key to running a successful fundraiser. You want to keep them from getting burned out, so learn how to keep things fun and social for your volunteers. You will also learn how to keep your volunteers informed as to how close you are to meeting your goals and why that is important.

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With a Chocolate Fundraiser

In fall, thoughts turn to colored leaves, cooler weather, and...chocolate? Yes, chocolate! Halloween means candy, and the holidays are coming up. You've dieted all year in preparation, so give in to the sweet decadence. Chocolate also makes a great gift, and is the perfect confection to share with the office or the book club. Almost everyone loves chocolate, so make your next group event a chocolate fundraiser!

It's in the Stars: Astrology Fundraising Ideas

Is there an astrology fundraiser in your future? A zodiac-themed evening filled with tarot card, palm, and tea leaf readings, a fortune teller with a crystal ball, numerology, past life regression sessions, and zodiac readings is sure to draw some intrigue! Setting the atmosphere has absolutely everything to do with creating the perfect setting for a zodiac charity event. Creating that perfect tarot evening is easy with some simple items you can borrow from your more mystical-leaning friends. Read on for our starry-eyed tips for hosting the perfect astrological fundraising event.

Keeping Church Fundraising Efforts Fun and Creative

Many churches are experiencing a lack of interest from the youth population of their congregation. If you are looking to gain more involvement at church events from your teen members, you need to make fundraising not only fun and creative, but also social. Creative fundraising that promises a fun evening will bring in a big crowd, and possibly add to your youth group numbers as well. Focus on fundraising ideas that will introduce new members of the community and helps kids and teens feel appreciated when they lend a helping hand to elderly members of the congregation. Check out our list of creative church fundraising ideas that will have your youth memberships soaring on high…

Keeping Fundraising Efforts Safe

In this day and age, safety while fundraising is the most important thing. Door to door sales are now a no-no unless the proper precautions are taken. There are also very profitable alternatives that will have your group out selling in public to large groups of people, which are very safe. Learn about ways to make your public fundraising safe, how to protect your participants and the money you earn, as well places that are great for fundraising at.

Kicking Off A Successful Soccer Fundraiser

Parents with kids who play soccer have a vested interest in planning successful soccer fundraising events that will draw the most participation and profit. Oftentimes, parents end up picking up the where the school or community funding go flat, and successful fundraising can help many of the expensive sport-related costs, especially for traveling teams.

Kicking Off Football Fundraising Season

Help the eager young athletes in your community fulfill their championship dreams with some unique fundraising efforts to help raise money and funds for out of town games and equipment. You might be surprised at how many members of your community would love to help support your sports team. Don’t simply rely on players and their parents to fund your season, and stop using the same tired old candy, fast food, and baking tactics. Try some truly unique and specific football-themed events to ensure their support for years to come. For instance, selling personalized player and team paraphernalia; hosting fun, football-focused sports games; and creating efforts that will help the greater community.

Last Minute Christmas Fundraising

Did you want to give this Christmas, but got into the spirit a little late in the game! Don’t worry, no one thinks you’re a Grinch—yet! Giving last minute during the holidays can be just as effective as if you start your giving a week before Santa slides down the chimney. The key to last minute Christmas fundraisers is to take advantage of those last minute holiday shoppers. You know who you are! Many are looking for a unique gift idea, so why not help local businesses and neighbors get in the last minute holiday spirit as well. Especially this year, given the slumped economy—try to focus your giving on those who need it most—individuals who find themselves out-of-work, the sick, the elderly, children, and those unable to work. Christmas gives you the perfect reason to spread some holiday spirit to those who only hope for a warm meal and a warm place to stay.

Make a Hole-in-One with a Miniature Golf Fundraiser

Are you looking for a way to make a hole-in-one with your next corporate or church fundraising opportunity? A golf tournament is a great way to get everyone outside and participating. Besides, most people don’t need a reason to get out on the golf course instead of working, especially in the name of charity.

Minimize Up-front Costs, Maximize Fundraising Efforts

The recession has negatively affected the budgets of many charity organizations. If you are one of these unfortunate charities, you might be wondering how so many church groups, school teams, and community not-for-profits operate on very tight budgets while maximizing charity take-home. There are many collection drives, donation opportunities, and sponsorships you can take advantage of. Better yet, these opportunities don’t ask you to buy product up-front, or put out mega funds to host a lavish event in hopes that you'll make the money back.

Multicultural Fair Fundraiser

Multicultural fair fundraisers teach our children to respect and celebrate ethnic differences within our diverse population, and they’re a first step towards building a respectful and supportive environment for our children to grow up in. Multicultural fair fundraisers are a wonderful way to teach kids tolerance, and raise money for a great cause. These fundraisers offer a mix of cuisines, traditional dances and music, and arts and crafts with events like pen pal exchanges, global villages, cultural potlucks and traditional storytelling.

National Diabetes Awareness Month

1 in 5 survives. When diabetes strikes, blood sugar needs to be managed through diet, exercise, and insulin control. Otherwise side effects can include damage to the eyes, kidneys, and the heart, leading to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, or amputation. Over time 4 out of 5 people with diabetes die of heart disease, due to high blood glucose and blood pressure, poor cholesterol, and being overweight. Ultimately heart disease is the greatest danger resulting from poorly managed diabetes, and stunningly, its believed 1 in 3 people who have diabetes aren't aware of it. That's why November is Diabetes Month, and why it's so important to get involved with diabetes fundraising for research. Scientific studies continue to develop and perfect various medications and treatment methods, but only through the generous help of people like you.

Need to Raise Funds? Trivia Night is the Answer

How can you raise money and have fun all at the same time? A trivia night fundraiser is the answer! Put your guests' knowledge to the test while raising money for your cause with one of the easiest fundraisers to plan and execute. Depending on how you set it up, it can be a great time for the whole family. Bone up on how to put a trivia night together!

Never Fail Fundraising Tips

Having a great fundraising idea is not always enough. More often than not you have to get the word out and, if need be, become a shameless self promoter. These surefire tips will help you get the money rolling into fundraiser in no time.

November 11th A Day for Remembering Those that Served

Each November we have the opportunity to recognize our heroes; those veterans who gave so much to uphold our freedom and protect our country. Veterans Day reminds us of solemn ceremonies, and silence broken only by bugle notes. Flags are posted, allegiance is pledged, and the anthem is sung, as we recognize those who have served and those who do now. Veterans Day also reminds us of all the work done by the Legion, and other organizations that honor, respect, and celebrate veterans every day of the year. Each post offers various programs to build friendships, enjoy social events, and offer leadership to the community. Legions also organize various fundraising events year-round, whether they benefit veterans, or allow those veterans to continue serving their community by helping other organizations.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer across the United States this year, worse; approximately 43,000 will die as a result of being afflicted with the disease. Why is this so vital to October? Well, because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! If you belong to a charity organization that supports breast cancer awareness, or if you would simply like to raise money for breast cancer research and education then you might want to get in the Pink, which means embrace your inner salesperson and market pink-themed products of your choice. However, if you run at the thought of selling products, we have some fun and unique ways to support the cause without selling a thing.

October is National Pizza Month!

October is National Pizza Month, so break out the fixin's and heat up the ovens. Ask a local restaurant to donate or discount pizzas, or host a make-your-own-pizza night. Maybe host an international pizza night with unusual toppings you don't normally see offered anywhere. Whatever you decide to do with your pizza fundraiser, tell everyone to arrive hungry because it's pizza time!

Organizing Your Fundraising Strategy

Disorganization can be the biggest hurdle to a successful fundraising campaign. It is important to have a clearly outlined strategy with goals to be met in order to maximize your group’s earnings potential. Learn the importance of having strategy meetings and the right people to invite to them. You will also learn about creating small goals for working up to your large monetary goal and how to create a timeline to get there.

Original and Product Free High School Fundraising Ideas

“Product Free” fundraising or “No Sell” fundraisers, are catching on more and more because these charity events raise money for your school or organization—without putting pressure on students and family to sell candles, cookies, magazine subscriptions or chocolate bars. Product free fundraisers are a great way to make money for your school or charity organization, but they don’t have parents and the PTA putting up a ton of money for products beforehand, without even knowing how well they will do. Product free fundraisers take away the monetary risk associated with so many other fundraising ideas, and better yet, the less overhead you have going into a fundraiser—the more chance you will have of using the money you make as pure charity funds!

Our Favorite Festive Four Fall Fundraisers

Does fall bring to mind beautiful colors, fallen leaves, dried corn over the threshold, bobbing for juicy apples, decorating round gourds, carving jolly pumpkins, and enjoying a bountiful harvest? If so, then fall fundraising is for you! So in celebration of fall, we’ve put together a list of our Favorite Festive Four Fall Fundraisers that put all kinds of fall treats to good and yummy use.

Our Five Favorite Wacky Fundraisers

Wacky fundraising events go a long way to creating a bit of fun in the community. Create a little laughter by trying out one of our favorite five wacky fundraising ideas, and find out how to promote your charity in a more social, lighthearted setting. Fundraisers include dress-up or down related fundraisers such as ugly shirt day, Hawaiian shirt day, tacky holiday sweater day, mad plaid shirt day, or ditch the tie day…all in the spirit of charity. Or maybe you’d rather walk the plank for your favorite cause on Talk Like a Pirate Day. We’ll also help you leave your neighbors in shock and surprise when they wake up in the morning only to find a zoo in their front yard. You’d be surprised how these fundraisers improve morale and teamwork around an otherwise stuffy workplace or school thanks to a little bit of creativity and a whole lot of laughter.

Personalized Book Fundraisers

Raising money for your child's school, sports team, youth group, or church can be difficult when you’re a parent who has never organized a charity event before. Personalization is the key to a successful charity event, and a fundraiser focused on reading is always wise. That’s why a great way to raise money is the book fundraiser. After all, books make great gifts, especially around the holidays, and books that feature the artistic talents of children have more meaning and can be kept as a family heirloom and given as holiday gifts to every member of the family.

Planning your Fundraising Campaigns for the New Year

The early bird does get the worm when it comes to your fundraising efforts. While you might think laying out an entire annual charity plan in advance is a headache, an unorganized fundraising organization makes a poor impression to potential donors, loyal donors and volunteers. The first rule of running a successful business is developing a solid business plan. A charity is no different. After all, if your fundraising organization plans to pitch successful corporations for charity donations—you better speak their language! That starts with setting reasonable expectations for your fundraising events and monetary goals for the year. It also means planning out a solid schedule to keep everyone involved (member, donors and volunteers) informed. Read more and download our handy fundraising planner.

Plunging Into Winter Fundraising: The Polar Bear Dip

Would you take an icy plunge in below-freezing water to heat up your fundraising efforts? The polar bear swimmers are a devoted batch of people, not actual bears, who descend on the icy lakes and rivers around the country to take their annual plunge. You can use this enthusiasm to help raise much-needed funds for your church, school, team, non-profit organization, or other worthy causes.

Promoting Lung Cancer Awareness

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, but do you know why there are numerous national efforts around the United States in support of the fatal disease? Even though folks are aware of the dangers of lung cancer, many are unaware of the developments and progress in lung cancer research, and the people touched by this tragic disease in their own country and community. Lung Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to shine a light on the vital issues. You can do your part by getting involved in the efforts of some of the larger and more established lung cancer charities, or you can do just as much good fighting the disease and raising awareness on a local, grass-roots level.

Putting on the Ritz at a Fundraising Dinner

Put on your tails and top hat and snazz up your next fundraising event by making it a formal dinner party. Invite your donors to enjoy a fabulous night of luxury and class—with fine food and even finer company. A classy dinner party is all about the setting! So invite guests into an evening of extravagant formal dining by creating an atmosphere comparable to the Ritz Carlton, where they can dine and dance like royalty. Set the stage further by creating elegant invitations that let your guests know that the attire for the evening will be formal. This guarantees your guests will arrive in their best tuxes and gowns.

Quick and Easy Team Fundraisers

Raising funds is a realistic part of keeping a team functional and in competition. However, your athletes need fundraising ideas that require little to no preparation so they won’t take away from vital training—and actually playing the game. If your sports team desperately needs funds for uniforms, equipment, transport to games, skills training, and etc., coaches and parents are likely left to handle the bulk of the fundraising brainstorming. If you’re looking for fundraising ideas that are quick and cost-effective for your favorite team, check out our creative, yet inexpensive charity events that will put much needed funds in those shiny new uniforms. Read on for our list of easy fundraising ideas for athletes…

Quick and Simple Fundraisers

Many smaller charities and nonprofit organizations need funds to continue free and vital services in your community. With small, mainly volunteer-based operations, small fundraising organizations may believe their efforts are limited. But simple fundraising ideas that take up minimum time and effort don’t always equate to small returns. Even the quickest fundraising efforts can earn a sizable return when they are unique and valuable to the community at large. Our list of the top six quick and easy fundraisers includes a new take on the typical charity dinner, potluck, rummage sale, silent auction, bake sale, and gift-wrapping services—we even have some fun festivities for the kiddies.

Raise Money With a Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction

Raise money and possibly make a love connection at the same time by putting on a bachelor/bachelorette auction. Reach out to singles in your community to get them to participate in an evening of fun with other singles. You may even be able to get a local single celebrity or two to take part, and that’s when it really gets exciting!

Raise Money With a Spring Brunch

A lot of fundraisers are centered around meals. Usually, it's a dinner, or a pancake breakfast. Do something a little different and put on a spring brunch fundraiser! Brunches offer all kinds of different foods covering breakfast and lunch, so there's sure to be something that appeals to everyone. You can go fancy or casual, and even provide entertainment, if you like. Keep in mind a few simple guidelines, and your brunch fundraiser may be so successful, it can become a regular event.

Raising Funds by Doing Someone Else's Dirty Work

Some of the most successful fundraising events are no-brainers. School groups, churches, youth groups, and sports teams can base their next charity event around doing other people’s dirty work. In other words, the donor pays for the volunteer to do simple household chores such as cleaning house, yard work, pumping gas, serving food and drink, painting, and doing dishes in exchange for a cash donation to charity. No one likes to do dirty dishes, prepare and serve their own food, pump their own gas, paint their own chipped fence or door when they can have someone else do it for them. And better yet, if you had the chance to have a butler for the day, wouldn’t you take it?

Raising Money with the Ultimate Chili Cook-Off

Chili contests can mean “full-blown” competitions among aspiring chefs in your community or friendly feasting among community members. Regardless, you’ll need to decide on a few particulars—such as theme, location, date, chili tasting etiquette, prize categories, judging, and whether to make the winner spill the beans on Grandma’s secret recipe or not. Before you take a bite out of an ol’ fashioned chili cook off, there are some important tricks of the pot that we need to share with you…Read on for more ways to host a successful chili cook-off…

Reaching For The Stars With Karaoke Fundraisers

Maybe you have the next American Idol at your school, or perhaps you've just got a lot of people are ready, willing, and able, to embarrass themselves for a good cause. Even better – maybe you've got a teacher who has offered to do something a little silly if a certain donation amount is raised. Karaoke fundraisers are a lot of fun and easy to organize, especially if you're fundraising at school, in a youth club, or just have a wild and fun-loving group of people at any age. Whether you rent equipment and spin your own CDs, or book a professional Karaoke Jockey (KJ), you're sure to have an exciting, if LOUD, karaoke fundraising event.

Revving Up For a Fundraising Car Show

“Get your motor running. Get out to the fairgrounds. Looking for the car show…or whatever comes my way!” Ok, so those aren’t the exact words, but you get the idea. Car lovers jump at the chance to congregate and show off their prized automobiles. And that’s exactly why car show fundraisers are such a hit! They get everyone in your community—car lover or not—outside and focused on your charity event. Even if you don’t have enough classic cars in your community, if you cater the event to your audience, you will be sure to draw out enough folks who want to show off their trucks, mud-loving autos, and old jalopies. If your community is green, you might even choose to invite everyone out to admire the eco-vehicles such as scooters, skateboards, Segways, Smart Cars, and bicycles.

Say Fundraising with Flowers

Spring means flowers will soon be in bloom, and the world will be a more colorful place. But what about fall and winter when flowers are rare unless someone treats you to a special bouquet or arrangement? Everyone enjoys receiving flowers, and they are a treat any time of year. That’s why flower fundraising based around special holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Halloween is a surefire way to raise money for your cause. Focus your charity drive around holidays where you can make special arrangements and corsages ahead of time, and offer delivery services for extra donations. Also, focus on the times of year that folks are too busy to remember to order holiday wreaths, table arrangements, and outdoor décor like jack-o-lanterns.

School Fundraiser Dos and Don’ts for Success

Schools are constantly in need of money to fund everything from band practice to the football team, the computer lab to the volleyball team, and from the chess club to the prom. However these funds don’t come easy—they come via fundraisers. When it comes to new sports equipment, musical instruments, travel expenses and team uniforms, charity funds are often collected to pick up the bill. But how do you make sure your fundraiser is a success?

Score Big With a Bowling Night Fundraiser

How do you mix fun and fundraising into one action-packed evening? With a bowling fundraiser of course! A bowling for charity event is easy to organize, and it doesn’t require a lot of overhead costs in order to host it. In fact, bowling fundraisers are ideal for small non-profit organizations with even smaller operating budgets. Bowling night fundraisers are perfect for any time of year because they’re not dependent on weather.

Scoring a Fundraising Goal for Your School's Sports Team

What is the best bet for a school fundraiser for my sports team? This one of the most commonly asked questions we get from school administration, athletes, parents, and coaches. We wish we had a standard answer for the basketball team and the debate team, but we both know that those differ greatly. What we do know is that all school sport fundraisers have the same goal—to drum up school spirit and money for their cause. No school fundraiser is successful without fun and school spirit, that’s why we’ve made a list of the most tried and true fundraisers that incorporate both, thanks to something we like to call spirit items (otherwise known as team memorabilia). Our recommended school fundraisers may suggest customized pom-poms for the cheerleading squad and mini footballs or foam fingers for the football team, but you can’t ignore the fact that they all create a sense of school spirit in the stands, and among your fans

Scrapbooking Fundraisers

Scrapbooking fundraisers turn a popular pastime into cash. Scrapbooking fundraisers are similar to quilting bee fundraisers. They gather a group of scrapbookers from your neighborhood, city, state, and even country, calling on their passion for scrapbooking to help the less fortunate. Scrapbooking fundraisers can raise money via several easy methods.

Second Hand Book Sale

A used book sale is a great way to raise funds for your school, church, library, or daycare facility. With International Literacy Day just around the corner, a second hand book sale promotes literacy and reading in your community to people of all ages, backgrounds, and educations. You can combine a used book sale with a celebration of literacy achievements at your high school, university, or elementary school. You can also use a book sale to host a learning center open house, a reading festival, a local book or poetry reading, a literacy display, and many other causes that raise literacy awareness in your community. Literacy is vital to North Americans, so read on to discover how beneficial a second hand book sale is to literacy in your community.

See Spot Run a Pet Show Fundraiser

Bark up the right tree to raise money—put on a pet show fundraiser! Get the community involved, along with their four-legged, furry, or perhaps feathered or scaly friends. This is a great way to raise money for an animal shelter or other animal-related charity, but it can work for any organization. It’s also a fun, family-friendly—and pet-friendly—event.

Sell seeds and flowers to raise money for your organization

With spring comes an array of scents that tickle the olfactory senses. There's nothing quite like the smell outside after it rains, or the smell of blooming flowers. A great spring fundraising idea: a flower and seed sale.

Setting up a Local Community Fundraiser

Would you believe me if I told you that the perfect fundraising idea can be found right in your local community? You’d be surprised how many crazy looks I get when I say that, however, your community probably already has the resources, volunteers, great ideas and skills available for your fundraising efforts. Who knew you didn’t have to look much further than your front door. A successful fundraiser with a great community turnout almost always focuses on a community activity and interests—be it pets, children, music, or bettering the community itself—in some way. Learn how the people in your community will be more willing to support your charity event if they know that your fundraising organization is passionate about the community they belong to.

Snow Shoveling: A fundraising Service People Can Use

It seems as though every week some area or another gets buried under snow. While this can be an annoyance to those who need to get places regardless of the weather, it can also be an opportunity for your organization to raise some money.

Spelling Bee—Getting the Word Out

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G. Yay! Doesn’t the spelling bee bring back a flood of childhood memories? The competition, the teamwork, the spotlight, and the frustration of spelling difficult words. Well there’s no reason why adults can’t hold their own spelling bee and set it up as a charity fundraiser. Everyone loves an entertaining competition, and other than a little planning and organization, a spelling bee can be a very profitable fundraiser that requires very little overhead and very little work to put together. Read on for our spelling bee fundraising tips—including how to recruit spellers, how to promote the event, how to find a free venue, how to set guidelines for the competition, and how to get the crowd to support the competitors.

Spring Clean your Fundraising Efforts

Spring is in the air! And after a long, cold winter of being locked up in the house, the dust bunnies and cobwebs have made themselves at home. You know spring sets the mood for a good house cleaning. As your neighbors get out the cleaning products, broom, and dustpan, remind them of how important the earth is with some eco-friendly fundraising efforts. Every household could use some environmentally friendly cleaning products. And many fundraising distributors supply collections of earth-friendly soaps, cleaners, and pet products. You can also find fair trade chocolates, coffee, and tea, and recycled totes and water bottles for catalog sales. Fundraisers based around green fundraising or greenraising products do their part to clean house and keep us earth-conscious at the same time.

Spring Has Sprung - Let’s Fundraise!

No one can resist Easter! With spring in the air, it’s time to inject a little Easter spirit into fundraisers that will have the whole family, church, or community planting seeds, spring cleaning for a yard sale or garage sale, washing cars, baking yummy treats, using their creative juices—and most importantly, enjoying some sweet treats from the Easter Bunny himself! Fundraising for Easter gives us a reason to take advantage of some fun and creative traditions that surround this lovely holiday, such as egg painting and chocolate—yum! All you need is some spring music, a little glitter, paint, stickers, and markers for egg decoration—and of course don’t forget some Easter-themed prizes for the winning egg. So hop on over here for a list of our favorite sweet and easy Easter themed-fundraisers. You will have the whole community involved in egg races, egg painting, Easter egg hunts, and pancake breakfasts.

St. Patrick's Day Fundraising Ideas

Every month there is a significant date or two around which you can create fundraising events. Usually federal holidays don't work so well, since people tend to have plans. But for St. Patrick's Day, March 17, the possibilities are endless. If you and your group get organized quickly, you can take advantage of his opportunity and raise money.

Summertime is the Right time for a Car Wash Fundraiser

Summertime and car wash fundraising go hand in hand. Why? Because as soon as the warm weather hits, the motors get revving and everyone wants a clean car to cruise around town. Car wash fundraisers are the perfect way to get people out because they provide a service that many will pay—or rather donate—for. If you organization or team is raising funds for a group with large base of teenagers or adult volunteers a car wash is ideal for getting everyone involved in set up and scrubbing

Sweet Fundraising Ideas for Valentine's Day

organization; they are also one of the most promising fundraisers you can host. Everyone is a romantic at heart, and Valentine’s Day continues to be one of the most famous holidays in the world. Everything from dances and kissing booths, to singing telegrams and classy wine tasting events—Saint Valentine should have been a charitable cause! So we’ll teach you how to bring in needed funds for your organization this February 14, by tugging at the heartstrings of lovers, those with secret crushes and those who are looking for their perfect soul mate.

Take A Swing At Car Smash Fundraising

What does charity giving plus a little destruction equal: a smashing fundraising event! That’s right, a car smash is a unique fundraiser that never fails to draw an excitable crowd. By combining the best of two worlds: fundraising for a worthy cause and beating the heck out of a car, the car smash fundraiser appeals to basic human instinct. It can also be the perfect outlet when someone we love is suffering from a disease or illness. The car smash not only provides a safe outlet; it also encourages us to funnel that anger into a good cause, be it by donating dollars toward the treatment of a disease or by raising funds for medical research as you strike an old car with a sledgehammer. Read on to find out why so many are taking a swing at fundraising with a car smash…

The Ins and Outs of Hosting a Gaming Night

What do kids, young and old, love more than an evening of games with their friends? So why not take a hint and make your next charity event a board game—or even a video game (gasp) tournament. Gamer nights are safe and supervised atmospheres for kids and teens to gather. When you think about it most parents would donate handsomely for a safe and age-appropriate appropriate evening of fun for their children! Read on for how easy a board game competition can be to put together. Not only that, but it can be an ongoing fundraiser that your organization can throw once a month or a few times a year with a theme. You just pay per admission and per game and watch the dough roll in with every roll of the dice.

The Ins and Outs of Online Fundraisers

Using the Internet to help your charity or group raise money can be a profitable avenue to follow. Cyberspace is a big place though and it can be easy for your group and your mission to get lost. Learn the best way to utilize email marketing and about using a website to ask for donations and to sell items. You will also learn how to increase traffic to your website using both offline methods and online methods.

The Top 11 Scrumptious Food Fundraisers

There are plenty of scrumptious ways to work food into your next charity event. Dig into some of our favorite culinary fundraisers to raise money for your organization. What better way to tempt donors than through their tummies? Check out our list of 11 of the yummiest ways to raise funds. Warm the bowls of your donors with a soup fundraiser. Get guests to pitch in for a potluck fundraiser that’s easy on the host and has each guest only contributing one dish each. Dress your spud in your favorite fixings at a potato bar fundraiser. Sizzle up your next barbecue lickin’ good fundraising event. Steam things up with a chili cook-off fundraiser. Give your donors a sense of adventure with a blue plate special fundraiser. Or break out the hot dogs, soda pops, and chips with a hot dog concession on wheels.

Tips for Getting Local Businesses Involved with your Fundraiser

Your successful fundraising efforts depend on loyal volunteers who are not only enthusiastic, but able to share that enthusiasm with local businesses in order to gain their financial support. Since many charity outfits are made up of volunteers who volunteer their time out of the goodness of their hearts, it’s hard to expect those without a background in sales to be comfortable or able to pitch to local businesses for financial donations without some sort of guide. That’s why we’ve put together a handy list of tips that you can distribute to your volunteers—so they will be able to approach small businesses to request financial donations, prize donations, free space, and equipment with confidence.

Tips for Holding School Fundraisers

Elementary and high schools have a lot of kids that utilize their facilities, which means that a lot of money goes to upkeep. What about teams and clubs who need money, too? How can a school fundraiser earn enough to please everyone? We’ve addressed this in our Fundraising for Schools article.

Tips for Marketing Your Fundraising Program

Just as the right marketing program can make or break a new product, the right marketing program for your fundraiser can mean the difference between meeting your goals and coming up short. There are many free and easy ways to get the word out about your fundraiser. There are basic word of mouth methods and more elaborate ways, such as using the local media with press releases and phone calls. Learn the different ways and how to be creative to get the most exposure.

Tips for Pitching a Fundraising Idea to a School PTA

PTA committees can be pretty close-minded and tight-fisted when it comes to their opening themselves up to ideas from parents. The PTA must adhere to certain regulations, and they are responsible for a school’s financial well being so who can really blame them. However that doesn’t mean you won’t stand a chance at pitching your great fundraising idea to the PTA. Check out our helpful hints so you don’t get blown you off the next time you come to them with a good idea. Remember all good ideas look better when presented in a professional manner.

Tips to Maximize your Fundraising Efforts in Times of Economic Uncertainty

Fundraising dollars are in need—especially now in times of economic strife. And unfortunately it’s the nonprofit and grassroots fundraising organizations that need every dollar and cent most to keep operations and valuable services operating. Organizations like the food bank that keep our less fortunate warm and fed in times of need. Continuing to help charities in times of need is important—even if you can’t give as much. It’s a sad reality that slashed budgets and layoffs are commonplace in most parts of the world. But with all of this added economic stress, many individual donors and large corporations are focusing on simple survival, not on donating to charities. So what can fundraising organizations do in hard times to stay afloat? Tough times do not mean business as usual in the fundraising world. Instead, it’s time to re-evaluate fundraising goals to survive you must adapt to the current economy.

Tis the Season to Scream for Ice Cream!

Ice Cream Social fundraisers are so popular with youth groups, as school and daycare fundraisers, and to raise funds for sports teams because—let’s face it—no one can say no to delicious ice cream. The Ice Cream Social is for any organization with a large base of children in their midst; because it helps raise money for your cause, but it’s also a great way for parents to get involved and to network with other parents in their child’s sports team or youth group.

Tis’ the Season for Fundraising with Holiday Decorations

Budgets are reduced during the Christmas season so many charity organizations give up hope for fundraising during this time period. However, we believe that the trick to holiday fundraising is selling holiday décor or thoughtful gifts that fit into the budgets, and make Christmas decorating a shopping less of a chore. So quiet your “bah humbugs” over holiday fundraising and enlist a group of festive elves (aka: volunteers) to do some holiday window painting, crafty memorable and touching Christmas cards, decorate businesses with busy staff, sell handmade holiday ornaments, and add special meaning to charity. Read on for our tips and unique ideas for fundraising with festive holiday decorations...

Top 12 Environmental Organizations Who Use Their Donations Well

We’ve compiled a list of twelve well-known environmental organizations that do the best job in handling their fundraising and supporting their causes. After all, when you put your money into something, you want it to pay off, and when it comes to the environment, you want to make sure that your personal beliefs and causes are being adequately supported.

Top 6 Fundraising Tips for Marathons

Holding a marathon for your fundraising endeavors takes a lot of organizing and preparation but the rewards can be amazing. These six tips will help you with the planning of the event, finding sponsors and even provide a little help to ensure you don't “run” out of energy.

Top Four Mobile Apps for Your Fundraising Efforts

These four apps are some of the best in the industry when it comes to recruiting supporters, taking donations, and tracking fundraising progress. Since each serves a different function, downloading all four will start you off with a dynamic mobile fundraising strategy.

Top Holiday Season Fundraising Ideas

The perfect time of year to get into the fundraising spirit is during the holiday season. After all, it’s the time of year when people are more apt to give a little more, but it’s also the time of year when people have less time on their hands and are willing to pay a little extra for some help. As a charity organization, you can help folks who suddenly find they have less time than they thought they did to complete all of their Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa plans. You will become the hero as you step in and offer helpful services in exchange for fundraising donations.

Tropical Getaway Fundraiser

As we move into February and winter is at its bleakest, we oftentimes want to get away. But for many reason it's tough to do so. You can use this to your advantage in raising money for your organization. A tropical-themed night can draw plenty of people in the dead of winter.

Vacuum Your Way to a Successful Asthma Fundraiser

Spring is allergy season and the month of May was National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. We take a look at one our favorite causes and a how to turn the mundane task of spring cleaning into a unique and highly effective fundraiser.

What Food Banks Need During the Holidays

You might think that a food bank purely makes and hands out meals to the needy in your community, but you would be underestimating their charity. Food banks not only provide meals, they also act as wholesalers, who sell food at discounted prices or for food stamps directly to patrons or to the soup kitchens that prepare and distribute made meals. They also buy in bulk to provide the staples that every soup kitchen, community center and church needs to feed its most destitute. With an economic crisis looming, food banks are seeing drastic need and lower donated supplies at food banks this year more than ever. With the holiday season approaching, you help those less fortunate—the elderly, parentless children and youth, the unemployed, the unable to work, the sick and the mentally unwell—by donating in two very important ways. Read on to discover how you can give in the most effective manner to your local food bank.

What to Know about Candle Fundraising

Candles are a pretty popular item with a majority of households burning them on a regular basis. Hosting a candle fundraiser is a great choice, but there are many considerations to make when deciding on one. Should you make your own candles if you have crafty people in your group or go with a candle manufacturer? What kind of candles should you sell? Does it matter from what material they are made of what type of theme they use? Find out what you need to know before jumping in.

What to Know Before Choosing a Fundraising Company

There are literally thousands of companies out there that want to help your group raise money with a fundraiser. You should be able to find all kinds of products to choose from in order to make your fundraiser unique and standout. Choosing the right company for your group or charity can be a difficult decision to make though. Learn about deciding to order products in advance or pre-selling, what to look for in sales materials, and researching a company and their reputation.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling: Hosting A St. Patrick's Day Themed Fundraiser

St. Patrick's Day is a great date to host a fundraiser because the theme is already set for you. Leprechauns, kissing the Blarney Stone, tipping a green brew—all the traditions are already in place! St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a holy day, but it’s also a day devoted to drinking and merry making. It’s hardly a stretch to get people to attend a St. Patrick's Day event or party for charity…most are putting on their green attire and singing their old Irish tunes already. So why not make your fundraiser a mixture of Kissing the Blarney Stone, Finding the Lucky Leprechaun, and Counting the Four-Leaf Clovers. Bless your fundraiser with a little bit of Irish luck, and read on for more festive St. Patrick Day fundraising ideas…

Why Fundraising Timing is SO Important!

Fundraising timing is so very important. What time of year, season, day of the week and hour of the day that you decide to go door-to-door can really make or break your fundraising success. For instance, charities that go door-to-door at Christmas have received plenty of success in the past. However, new fundraisers trying to make their holiday mark have done poorly during what is supposedly known as the “giving season”. The goal of your event, the fundraising audience, your proposed budget and the number of volunteers that you have on hand will really determine the format that your fundraising event should take.

Why Thanksgiving Is A Great Time To Discuss Fundraising

'Tis the season for apple cider, warm mugs of cocoa, and curling up with your afghan on the couch to read a good book. Don't get too comfortable though; it's also the season to cook big turkey dinners, host family, and celebrate all we're thankful for. While you're at it, why not share the spirit and give those in need something to be thankful for as well? You can help people donate canned foods, raise funds to buy turkey dinners or give gift baskets, and volunteer your time as well. This is a great time to talk to your family about your cause and why it's so important to you. We have some ideas here for you to make the best of the Thanksgiving season, along with a reminder to enjoy some appreciation for your own efforts.

Winter Fundraising: When Lemonade Turns Into Hot Chocolate

Selling lemonade on street corners has been a childhood favorite for generations. But in the dead of winter lemonade just doesn't hit the spot -- but hot chocolate sure does. It might not be as comfortable, but you can apply the lemonade concept to your child's organization in order to raise money.

Writing a Successful Fundraising Letter

A fundraising letter soliciting donations for your charity or group can be a great way to earn money. It has to be a carefully crafted letter though that knows its audience in order to be a success. Choosing the perfect person to write the letter is a critical first step. Learn why you should never use a committee to write a letter. Also learn about choosing the right length, design, and format for your letter.

Yard Work Fundraisers

Yard work fundraisers are a great way to make some money for your fundraising efforts, especially when the weather is nice. Yard fundraising can feature the sales or raffling off of yard duties to elderly or busy people in your community. Plus, yard work is a great school fundraiser because it gets the kids outside and away from the video games, helping to improve the community. Yard fundraisers are ideal for raising funds for special improvement projects for the community and churches, or for school teams or youth organizations. Depending on the season, your list of yard fundraising services can feature a lot of different tasks.