Holding an Independence Day Fundraiser

The Fourth of July is perhaps the largest national holiday across the United States. Each Fourth of July celebration commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776. Today, it’s best known for summer fun—including community parades, concerts, picnics, and fireworks.

Choosing to incorporate an Independence Day celebration into your fundraising calendar will bring out the crowds. Here are some patriotic and fun Independence Day fundraising ideas:

Flag Sales

Raise awareness and funds for your group with an Independence Day flag selling fundraiser. Sell small flags that people can display on their homes or in their yards. There are even special attachments that allow a flag to be displayed on a car window. Let the kids have some fun by coloring their own flags, and charge their parents a small fee for the coloring pages. Turn it into a coloring contest with prizes for the kids!

Flag Raising

This is a great fundraiser for a community—especially if you have many older folks who can’t hoist and maintain their own flags. Basically, a flag raising fundraiser is a service where volunteers supply and raise a U.S. flag in the front yard of the subscriber in celebration of Independence Day. The flags are raised early in the morning, and retrieved in the evening. The subscriber pays for the flag rental, a flag raising fee, and pick-up at the end of the day. You can raise extra money by offering flag accessories, like flag poles, for example. You will also need some rope to raise and lower the flag properly. The volunteers in this endeavor must also be versed in flag protocol in order to treat the flag with the proper respect. The flag raising fundraiser is a great all year round, ongoing fundraising opportunity. For instance, you can charge a subscription cost per year, and offer paying subscribers a flag-raising either on either a quarterly basis, or on other patriotic holidays such as Veterans Day, Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Presidents Day.

Run/Walk Events

A great excuse to get outside with the kids, an Independence Day run or walk in the name of this patriotic holiday will draw a crowd. You can charge a registration fee for teams or per individual, and sell drinks and snacks along the walking or running route. In addition, those involved in the walk-a-thon or run-a-thon can take donations through sponsorship. They can ask for a flat donation from sponsors, or request sponsorship per mile completed. Don’t forget, this is a money making opportunity for your charity. Many spectators will be out to cheer for their family and friends taking part in the walk-a-thon or run-a-thon, so you can offer local artisans the opportunity to set up booths and sell their wares for a small fee that will go towards your charity fundraiser.

Any type of outdoor sport is a great idea to celebrate Independence Day. For instance:

• Golf fundraiser
• Softball tournament
• Touch football tourney
• Tennis for charity
• Bike race fundraiser

Or for the non-sporting community, perhaps your group would prefer one of these crowd-drawing fundraisers:

• Classic car show
• Community Raffle
• Kids Circus and Magic Show
• Craft Show and Sale
• Charity concert
• Dance-a-thon
• Battle of the Bands
• Teen or Singles Dance
• Oldies Dance-a-thon
• Chicken & Ribs Charity Barbecue
• Lemonade Fundraising Stand
• Bake Sale for Charity

No matter which fundraiser you choose, be sure to choose a money-making event that will fit well into a huge July 4th parade or fireworks event that is already taking place in your community. The crowd will already be out, so take advantage of the holiday and throw your fundraising event at the same time.

For more information on Independence Day fundraising, contact the National Flag Day Foundation.

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