Every month of the year is designated as an awareness month for at least one cause. In some cases, certain dates or weeks are designated as awareness times. It may be a disease like cancer, an effort like quitting smoking, or a socially beneficial program like literacy.
It could be that your group supports one of these causes directly, or the cause you support could coincide with one of these awareness campaigns. Either way, there are several ways to raise money for all the good causes that occur throughout the year.
And in some cases, it's not about raising money, but about raising awareness of your group and its goals. This list is by no means all inclusive.
These are just some ideas for a few of the awareness campaigns that come around every year. Get creative with your own ideas too!
January
National Cut Your Energy Costs Awareness Day
Help members of your community save energy, and cut their energy bills, by selling CFL bulbs. They use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, cutting consumption and saving space in landfills since they last longer.
National Folic Acid Awareness Week
Folic acid is an important nutrient that everyone needs. It's especially important for pregnant women. Folic acid is found in fruits and vegetables, particularly oranges. To raise awareness of this important nutrient, and make some money for your cause, sell freshly squeezed orange juice. Pair it with another healthy snack, like mini bran muffins, and set up a booth in the morning to provide a quick and healthy breakfast.
National Poverty in America Awareness Month
Food pantries and shelters are always in need of non-perishable food. Your group can organize a food drive for your local charities, thereby raising your organization's profile, and garnering support for future fundraising events.
February
National Wear Red Day (Heart Health)
Heart disease is a leading cause of illness and death in the United States. Help everyone be more aware of their heart health by hosting a wear red day. Have all your volunteers dress in red, and then sell healthy red foods such as strawberries and apples, paired with sugar free red punch. Ask a local health professional to participate by offering blood pressure checks to anyone who buys a healthy snack.
Library Lovers Month
Despite the advent of the Internet, books are just as popular as ever. Celebrate this month by holding a book fundraiser. Ask your group, and members of the community to donate books they no longer need or want, then sell them to raise money for your cause. Be sure to provide concessions for hungry shoppers.
National Children's Dental Health Month
Help parents encourage their kids to take care of their teeth during this awareness month. Your group can sell dental health kits that include fun character toothbrushes, flavored toothpastes, and dental floss. These things can be bought inexpensively at a discount store. Group the items in colorful plastic bags. You can also ask local dentists to provide coupons for discounted dental services that can be auctioned off to raise even more money.
March
National Poison Prevention Week
Help parents keep their kids safe at home by selling child proofing kits. You can include stickers to put on household cleaners and chemicals to let kids know they're dangerous. You can also sell natural household cleaners that aren't toxic.
National Nutrition Month
Get everyone into the healthy living spirit by offering cooking classes to help participants learn how to make healthy meals. You can offer all kinds of classes, too. Main dishes, appetizers, kids' meals, desserts, anything you think would appeal to members of your community.
National Red Cross Month
When disaster strikes, the Red Cross is there. Help your community prepare for possible natural disasters by selling emergency kits that include things such as flashlights, water purifying tablets, and blankets. You can also ask your community to donate disaster supplies to local shelters. Ask the Red Cross to join your event and have a blood drive.
April
Earth Day
There are all kinds of green fundraisers you can organize for Earth Day. Clean up a local park, sell natural, non-toxic household cleaners, or hold a recycling drive. Instead of a car wash that uses a lot of water, offer car detailing, just cleaning the insides of cars. When holding an earth day fundraiser, be sure to include events kids can help out with so you can get everyone involved in preserving the environment.
National Volunteer Week
This is a great week to get the word out about your organization and encourage people in the community to volunteer to support your cause. You can ask for donations if you like, or you can focus on educating people on what your group does and how they can help.
Stress Awareness Month
Everyone gets stressed at one time or another. You can sell stress balls that are printed with your organization's name and Web address. Also consider a candle fundraiser to sell scented candles for aromatherapy. This would also be a great week to sell spa gift baskets so people can relax at home.
May
Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention Day
Provide your community with information about the dangers of sun overexposure. At the same time, you can sell sunscreen and hats to help people protect themselves from harmful UV rays. Perhaps you can have ball caps printed or embroidered with your organization's name, and sell them for sun protection, and to get your group's name out there. Sunglasses are also a good idea.
Brain Tumor Action Week
Encourage your community to keep their brains healthy with a trivia night. Ask a local bar or restaurant to host it. They'll make money by selling food and beverages, and your group can charge an entry fee. Be sure to offer prizes to the winners.
National Cancer Research Month
No matter what kind of cancer someone has, it can be devastating. Sometimes cancer treatment can cause people to lose their hair. Hold a head shaving for charity event. Have people collect pledges from others, and on the designated day, have their head shaved to show their support for those battling cancer.
June
World Environment Day
This is very similar to Earth Day, only it's celebrated around the world. Find out how this day is celebrated in other countries, and try to emulate their efforts. Your group can even find a sister city in another country and hold your events on the same day.
National Headache Awareness Week
Everyone has been affected by headaches at one time or another. Some people suffer from chronic conditions like migraines or cluster headaches. To raise awareness, sell stress relief aids like cold packs, eye masks, or buckwheat pillows. Maybe you can find a few licensed massage therapists to offer their services for a day, and charge people a flat fee for massages, or just ask for donations.
Home Safety Month
Statistics show that most accidents occur at home. Promote home safety by offering a class that teaches people how to stay safe in their homes. Include information on shower safety, wearing the proper equipment when mowing lawns, and how to safely put up and take down holiday lights.
July
Special Recreation for the Disabled Day
Here's a chance for the disabled people in your community to shine. Put together a field day for disabled athletes. Be sure to consult with some of them first to ensure the events you include aren't too difficult of impossible for them. Invite them and their families to participate and watch the events. Sell concessions to those watching from the stands.
International Massage Week
If your community has a massage school, ask them if they're willing to donate some of their time to a charity event. They can provide massages either at discount prices, or for free, and you just ask recipients for donations. You can also sell massage oils, aromatherapy candles, and CDs with relaxing music.
Eye Injury Prevention Month
Promote awareness of this month by selling eye protection gear, like goggles. Give an informational presentation on eye injuries that commonly occur in the home and at work, and offer some tips on how people can keep their eyes safe.
August
Psoriasis Awareness Month
This is a very uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing condition. Many people avoid those with psoriasis because they mistakenly think it's contagious. Offer information about the condition, as well as soothing lotions and bath products to help with discomfort. They're also good for just plain dry skin, so anyone can buy them.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Many communities already hold runs or walks for breast cancer. Your group can participate and promote your local event, or hold your own. Sell pink ribbons, or other pink merchandise to support breast cancer research.
September
World Alzheimer's Day
Aside from holding any sort of fundraising event, this would be a good day for your group to volunteer and raise awareness of your organization and its goals. On this day, your group's members can spend the day at a nursing home visiting residents, playing games with them, or just talking with them. Promote the day around your community to get others involved.
Deaf Awareness Week
Whether you have deaf people in your community or not, a great way to raise awareness for this cause is to show a movie with sound off and subtitles on. Sometimes when people can put themselves in the position of others, it helps them to understand the cause better. Sell popcorn, candy, and beverages.
National Five a Day Month
Five a Day refers to the number of fruit and vegetable servings we should be getting every day. To raise awareness for this health-inspired month, sell vegetable seeds and gardening books. If you have an avid gardener in your group, you can hold a gardening class. If your group has a permanent facility, such as a church or community center, you can even plant a vegetable garden, and then sell the veggies when they mature.
October
National School Lunch Week
Sometimes kids don't get the healthiest meals at school. Promote healthy lunches by offering a class that suggests alternatives that kids can take to school for lunch. You can then sell lunch bags or boxes to class attendees. Your group can also put together a healthy lunch cookbook to help parents give their kids better lunches.
Healthy Lungs Month
The first thing people think of when they think of healthy lungs is not smoking. Yes, your group could promote quitting smoking. But another way to keep lungs healthy is to ensure the air in your homes is clean. To that end, your group can sell air conditioner filters, along with calendars to remind people to change their filters once a month.
November
America Recycles Day
If your community doesn't offer curbside recycling, but there is a recycling facility nearby, why not offer to pick up recyclables and take them to the facility? All you'll need is a truck and some volunteers. Make sure the members of your community know how to separate their items so this is done before you pick them up. Or, you can charge an extra fee for separating, too.
Veterans Awareness Week
Say thank you to veterans by selling small flags for people to display outside their homes. American Diabetes Awareness Month – Diabetes is a terrible disease that kills many people each year. Raise awareness by holding a bake sale, but not just any bake sale. A sugar free bake sale! Make every item with a sugar substitute. Your group can also put together a sugar free cookbook to sell to the community.
December
World AIDS Day
To promote awareness on this day, your group can sell little red ribbons for people to wear on their lapels. The symbol for AIDS fundraising, a red ribbon, is one of the most recognizable in the world of charity fundraisers.
Tolerance Week
Promote tolerance and diversity by hosting a potluck dinner with ethnic foods, presentations about other cultures, and maybe even show a foreign film with English subtitles.
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
Your group can volunteer to be designated drivers. This would be especially effective on New Year's Eve. Groups or individuals can “hire” a member of your group to be their designated drivers that night to make sure everyone gets home safely. Drivers should work in pairs for safety's sake.
