The Most Popular Fundraising Idea
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Other Great Fundraising Ideas
Carol Singing
The holidays are hard for our servicemen and women who are many miles away from loved ones, so they really need our support. If you want to send donations around the holidays, consider a caroling fundraiser.
Recruit your carolers to walk your neighborhood and bring cheer door-to-door. Have them carry a donation jar to collect funds.
Make sure your carolers take a moment to explain who and what they’re fundraising for. That way, your carolers will be raising cheer and awareness.
Engraved Bricks
Engraved bricks work well for folks looking to build memorials in honor of fallen servicemen and servicewomen. This is especially true if the structure will be made of bricks.
Sell engraved bricks to donors and either set up the bricks as an art installation or incorporate them into the actual structure you’re building.
Donors will love the permanence of your recognition and you can get creative with how you display them. There are even companies dedicated to providing this kind of fundraising brick.
Grocery Store Fundraisers
With grocery store fundraisers, you can see if the store has a corporate giving program or would be willing to do a checkout charity arrangement. Try checking in around 4th of July or Veteran’s day.
Additionally, you can set up a grocery delivery program within your community. Have volunteers shop for and deliver groceries to members of the community in exchange for donations.
When it comes to grocery stores, you can fundraise and serve your community. Visit your local store to see what opportunities abound.
Charity Concert
Charity concerts for our troops are extremely popular, and for good reason. They raise money and offer entertainment to the deserving women and men of our armed forces.
To be successful, you’ll need a venue, performers, promotions, concessions, proper equipment, and decorations. The less you spend on those essentials, the more you’ll make for every ticket sold.
Know your audience and plan your event accordingly. A concert for kids and families will have different needs than one aimed at only at active duty servicemen and women. The audience should inform all planning you do.
Walkathons
Walkathons are the perfect fundraising idea for military and servicemen because they’re active and healthy, which mirrors the lifestyle of our soldiers, servicemen, and veterans.
Usually organized by a specific community or organization, walkathons ask participants to secure donation pledges based on the distance they’re able to walk.
Pledges will be the driving force of the fundraiser, but make sure that your walkathon offers items for sale such as concessions and commemorative t-shirts. Also, plan around weather and look for indoor venues during winter.
Restaurant Partnership
Many local and national restaurants are open to partnering with charities and organizations for fundraising nights. You can either work with a major chain, like Panera Bread, or talk to the owners of a local joint.
Typically, the way restaurant partnerships work is straight forward. Restaurants will host a night in your honor, where a portion of all sales are donated to your cause.
The restaurant makes the donations and you work to promote the evening and ensure all the tables are full throughout the night. You’ll likely have more success if you plan the fundraiser close to the 4th of July or Veteran’s Day.
Product Fundraising
When running a product fundraiser, you are selling products (often times products that are branded to your organization) in exchange for donations.
Pick a product (from t-shirts to water bottles to key chains), customize your product design, gather your inventory, and sell, sell, sell.
We recommend selling your product online so that servicemen and women who are stationed abroad will have the chance to purchase the products as well. You can supplement with in-person sales in your community, too.
Envelope Fundraiser
Envelope fundraisers aren’t that well known, but they’re quite easy to plan and execute well. To prep, you’ll need envelopes and a bulletin board in a prominent location.
Put your envelopes on the bulletin board and assign each a dollar value. Then, interested donors walk by and put cash that matches the dollar value in the envelope.
Just be strategic about the number of envelopes you put out and the dollar amounts you assign them. Find a central location for the bulletin, too, such as the VA.
Charity Auctions
Charity auctions put the fun in fundraising. They bring out everyone’s competitive spirits for a night of bidding and excitement.
For your auction to be a smash hit, you’ll want to secure a bunch of sought after items and auction packages. Then, you can either run a silent or live auction to start raising money.
The best charity auctions have a live and a silent portion, allowing your organization to capitalize on the fundraising opportunity and give even more to a worthy cause, such as health care for veterans.
Want to learn more about corporate giving programs?
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