Christmas Fundraising Ideas

As they say, Christmas is the season for giving—and who better to give to than to people in need. Fortunately, there are many activities you can do to raise funds for donation to charities you support. Below are a few of them:

Sell Christmas Decorations

If you’re crafty, you can create handmade decorations like ornaments or wreaths. You can then sell your finished products to friends and families to generate money. Be sure to mention that you’re doing this for charity—they’ll be more likely to support your cause.

Sponsor a Christmas party

You can also visit your local children’s center and sponsor a Christmas party there. Bring food and host games wherein kids stand to win a prize. You don’t have to go it alone, though—your friends and neighbors can cook potluck meals for the event or provide the gifts to be given away.

Sell Off Unused Stuff

Are your bookshelves laden with too many books? Is your closet barely able to close because of the sheer amount of clothes in it? Then consider selling off your unused belongings to raise cash for charity. Thankfully, there are now online platforms like eBay Giving Works where you can earmark part or all of the proceeds for one of its many partner charities and nonprofits. 

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3 Fun and Classy Fundraisers

More often than not, a simple fundraising idea is enough to raise a good amount of money for your preferred charity. There are times, however, when donors look for something with a little more “pizazz.” If you get the feeling that your donors are looking for such a fundraiser, here are a few classy ideas that still keep the “fun” in fundraising:

The Five-star Treatment

Do you have a friend who is a culinary genius? If so, you can raffle off a five-star dinner for two. Have several friends tag along to help create a romantic mood for your lucky winners. Don’t forget to ask your guests if they have any food allergies in advance.

Prom 2.0

Many people dream of having the perfect prom night; however, there are times when things just didn’t go according to plan. Give people a second chance to get things right by organizing a “prom 2.0.” See if a local banquet hall is willing to donate their venue (or at least give you a substantial discount).

Wine and Cheese

See if you can find sponsors willing to donate a variety of wines and fancy cheeses. You can then rent a small section of your local park and have a wine and cheese party. Keep the event elegant by asking people to “dress to impress.”

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Viral Fundraising Ideas

With the Ice Bucket Challenge hype in full swing, it's understandable that a portion of the public is starting to wonder if the goal to raise awareness about ALS is lost on some adventurous folks who just want to make their friends laugh. How about taking the time to sit down and think of a few other creative and potentially viral ways to support a good cause?

Forbes writer Kashmir Hill has some ideas.

Planking

Lying down flat on the ground or any surface took to the Internet a few years back. Believe it or not, imitating a wooden plank for charity has been done several times. In July 2014, fitness junkies participated in the Plank 500 Challenge in Newport Beach, CA. The participant who held a difficult planking position the longest won a $500 donation to any charity.

“Let It Go” Video

If the cold doesn't bother you, film your kids singing Frozen's "Let It Go" and then upload it to video sites. Teach your kids about the value of donating to charity, and let them see how well their video is doing online amongst your family and friends. This is a great alternative to the ice bucket challenge as it wastes no water or ice.

No Selfie

Slowly drop that smartphone and walk away; you're participating in a no-selfie challenge. It's like the IBC but with a pact not to take selfies for a period. Like the "Let It Go" Video challenge, this idea would be new and interesting to the online communities. However, a similar idea has been done in March 2014 as part of a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK, which involves selfies without makeup. Take the challenge and make it your own to see the most success. 

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3 Humorous Fundraising Ideas

Get ready to tickle more than a few funny bones as National Tell a Joke Day falls on August 16. To help get the ball rolling, here are three quick fundraising ideas to help you put a smile on the face of both your donors and the people you help:

I bet I can make you laugh…

Walk up to people and tell them you can make them laugh within 3 attempts. If you succeed, they give a donation to your cause. Be sure to stock up on more than a handful of jokes.

You can increase the amount you raise by videoing your attempts to make others laugh and posting the video on YouTube. Don’t forget to add donation details in the description box!

Reverse raffle

Put a clever twist to a classic fundraising event. Hand out raffle tickets for free at the start of the event. Instead of giving away prizes, however, you raffle out funny yet embarrassing penalties! Should the “winner” choose not to accept the penalty, he or she can return the ticket along with a donation.

Beard art contest

Have several friends grow their facial hair and participate as models. Contestants then channel their inner stylist and try to make the funniest look. They can choose to braid the beards, shave opposing halves off, dye the hair, and other silly things they can think of.

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3 Social Media Fundraisers

Social media is the “in thing” today. Many people have a Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube account—which makes using social media as a fundraising platform a fantastic idea. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Facebook

Create a Facebook page detailing your cause and your fundraising goal. You can then start accepting odd jobs from other people to help raise money. By using Facebook, you can easily reach a wider audience in a shorter amount of time.

Twitter/Instagram

Do you remember “Blue’s Clues”? Take a page out of the hit children’s show and hide clues all over town. Then, have participants take a selfie next to the clues and upload it on their Twitter and/or Instagram accounts. Once they find all the clues, they can guess what the clues represent and win a prize if they guess correctly. This takes thorough planning, but it’s sure to be a hit with children and adults alike.

YouTube

Stage a city-wide recipe contest, but instead of asking them to simply send in recipes, have contestants channel their inner-Rachel Ray and present the recipe through a “cooking show”. Raise even more funds by having local food producers sponsor your fundraiser. You can then collect the recipes and fashion them into a cookbook you can sell.

Although we mentioned these 3 platforms, don’t limit yourself to these options. There are hundreds of other social media sites you can use to stage your fundraiser. Have fun coming up with your own unique ideas!

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Exciting Summer Fundraising Ideas

Summer is one of the most exciting seasons of the year for both kids and adults. It is a time when outdoor activities of all different kinds are happening left and right. If you plan to organize an upcoming fundraiser for a non-profit, why not use the warm season to your advantage? Here are a few ideas that might work for you.

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Simple Online Fundraising Ideas

Online fundraising isn’t limited to simply selling items (although it is a great way to raise funds for your preferred nonprofit). The digital plane is a vast world with many opportunities waiting to be discovered. With that in mind, here are a few online fundraising ideas you can try.

Email Solicitations

Email solicitations have been around for as long as most people can remember. In fact, it’s still one of the most effective ways to ask people for donations to your cause. Expand your connections and hone your writing skills, and you’ll soon be raising plenty of money.

Create a YouTube Challenge

Start a YouTube channel and ask your friends to share it on other social media channels. Create a video of yourself explaining your cause and asking people to contribute. Commit to doing something crazy after reaching a certain goal, like shaving your head on camera or submerging yourself in ice water upon raising $1,000. People will be encouraged to donate with the prospect of getting to see you embarrass yourself!

Meme Making Contest

Take a page out of 9GAG’s playbook and stage a meme-making contest. Provide a picture for contestants to use and charge a small entrance fee. Set aside a small fraction of the total donation amount and hand it as a prize to the winner of the contest. Better yet, ask a local business to sponsor prizes so you can give the entire donated amount to charity while giving the winner a unique prize.

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