Health Fair, morguefile.com
Non-profits constantly struggle with raising money. Whether churches need money for special programs or administrative costs, or a homeless organization wants to keep a soup kitchen open, fund raising is critical to organizations whose primary purpose is helping people. These ideas for benefit events may give your organization the boost it needs to provide better service to those you serve. You will find many contacts for these ideas on the fundraising-ideas.org website. (See References 1)
The Basics
Organize and plan your event in plenty of time to enlist the help of local businesses that may participate. If you have been doing the same benefit for years, consider trying some new ones to appeal to different people in your community. Many organizations depend on one large annual fund-raising event. Try doing several smaller ones throughout the year to keep money flowing into your bank account on a regular basis.
22 Ideas for Fundraising
1. Sell frozen cookie dough. It is available in many flavors.
2. Choose lollipops children can sell to support a youth group at your church.
3. Buy beef sticks or beef jerky to sell for sports or school groups.
4. Sell Smecils pencils for schools or youth groups. These are made from recycled newspapers.
5. Little Caesars Pizza sells fund-raising pizza kits.
6. JustFundraising.com and Revere Fundraising sell first aid and safety kits that are perfect for Scouts, Little Leagues, churches or schools.
7. Reusable grocery bags help the environment. Sell them in front of grocery stores.
8. Gather empty inkjet cartridges and resell them for as much as $4 each to empties4cash.com.
9. Have a recycling fair and sell back cans, bottles, glass and plastic to recycling companies. EcoPhones.com will buy cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, inkjet cartridges and more.
10. Have a health fair. Get local merchants to donate door prizes, services such as blood testing, massages and karate lessons.
11. Plan your Christmas fund-raising event to include selling wreaths, candles and ornaments, all available online from a variety of vendors.
12. Consider having a Fun Jell wrestling party with products from JelloWrestling.com
13. Have an entertainment event that includes a hypnotist, local bands or other celebrities.
14. Have a mystery dinner with the Wesleyan Thespians.
15. Make baskets filled with soaps, lotions, candles and bath salts, then sell them door-to-door during the holidays.
16. Sell magazines, music CDs and DVDs online through your website.
17. Buy dog and cat treats to sell door-to-door.
18. Buy nine-inch teddy bears from Beary Thoughtful to sell for people to send to their relatives serving in the military.
19. Gourmet pies, desserts and cheesecakes are available for bake sales.
20. Buy customized scratch cards to sell at your events or door-to-door.
21. Buy cookbooks with or without pictures from Heritage Cookbooks or Morris Press Cookbooks to sell at your bake sales or other events where there is food served.
22. Plan to sell trees, plants, flowers and bulbs at a spring garage sale or other event.
