Need help with fundraising ideas

[beckyg]

My treasurer for my PFLAG chapter called me yesterday to tell me once again how broke we are. We're down to about $3000 which is pretty low for a non-profit organization to run on. We really need to do a fundraiser that is going to make us lots of money. In the time I've been involved, we've only done two things. We had the Gay Men's Chorus come which was fantastic but we paid too much for our venue and ended up only making about $600. We had a garage sale too which raised about $500.

So what kinds of fundraisers have you guys been involved in that do well? I need some fresh ideas!!!

[Tim]

They might seem high schoolish, but we've always had luck...

Chocolate Bar selling. Like I said, it looks not very helpful, but the companies tend to sell you them cheap if you have a good cause, and then you can sell them back at the normal price and make a profit. Our school orchestra made $1200 on chocolate bars in 2 weeks XD Ask a local business to sell bars outside of their store, most stores will do it.

Car Wash. It may seem not the best idea, depending on how many people you have, but it can really help, our senior class made $5000 over the course of 8 car washes, which funded the senior trip I wasn't allowed on -.- Ask the mall in ur town if you can host it in their parking lot, they tend to want a small rental fee, but it's easily payed off w/ a few cars.

Not much else I can think of...

But did you try doing a bake sale at the garage sale? That's a great way to make a lil extra cash from a garage sell, especially if you sell lemonade or milk with it on a hot day. We even offered popsicles on the really hot days, as parents will tend to buy one for their kids to keep them quiet about the heat XD

I was going to say Car Wash, but Myzou beat me to it.

[beckyg]

Is anybody good at creating logos? I've thought about designing a new logo and setting up a cafe-press store to sell t-shirts, hats, cups, and things with a logo? PFLAG chapters have done different things but I was thinking something kind of unique to our area. We live in the desert part of the state so maybe something scenic or nature orientated with a picture of Central Oregon. But how do I get a picture without violating copyright laws unless I hire a photographer which costs money we don't have?

I was thinking of making those rubber wristbands and it could say "PFLAG" on them and you could orderin bulk and sell them. Bake sales r cool too

Try and get advertisers and sponsors maybe? If any ideas come to mind, i'll say.

[Jeimuzu]

Originally Posted by beckyg

Is anybody good at creating logos? I've thought about designing a new logo and setting up a cafe-press store to sell t-shirts, hats, cups, and things with a logo? PFLAG chapters have done different things but I was thinking something kind of unique to our area. We live in the desert part of the state so maybe something scenic or nature orientated with a picture of Central Oregon. But how do I get a picture without violating copyright laws unless I hire a photographer which costs money we don't have?

Find a photo you like, and email them asking if you can use it for charity?

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by Jeimuzu

Find a photo you like, and email them asking if you can use it for charity?

That's a good idea!

[Dizzy]

Originally Posted by beckyg

Is anybody good at creating logos? I've thought about designing a new logo and setting up a cafe-press store to sell t-shirts, hats, cups, and things with a logo? PFLAG chapters have done different things but I was thinking something kind of unique to our area. We live in the desert part of the state so maybe something scenic or nature orientated with a picture of Central Oregon. But how do I get a picture without violating copyright laws unless I hire a photographer which costs money we don't have?

I'm decent at creating logos, I have done one or two. And if I can't do it, I have some friends who are pretty much professional (as in they have done paid work for some companies over here), so if you need something done I can probably help.

What would you want the logo to be showing? You would want it to be as simple as possible, while representing what your organization stands for.

[trumpetkid23]

You'll have to check out the laws on this, but...

Our high school band does rest stop concessions at the rest stops along the interstate. In VA, it's illegal to "sell" stuff, but we accept donations. We just get the band to make baked goods and we also have hot dogs. We usually make about $2000 on one weekend. Just be careful that you check with Oregon's laws. In VA, we have to get written permission from the state each time we do it. It's a huge money-maker though.

[sexyalex]

Originally Posted by Latinokid

I was thinking of making those rubber wristbands and it could say "PFLAG" on them and you could orderin bulk and sell them. Bake sales r cool too

cake sales were my idea carlos!

[Jeimuzu]

Originally Posted by beckyg

That's a good idea!

I'd imagine that a lot of people are willing to offer things like that to charity. It'd not cost the photographer anything, after all.

Hold an event. Go to the local sports clubs and such, try to get random donations for charity (at a charity event near me, the local soccer team donated signed shirts and photographs), and auction them. Approach little local bands, ask them to play. Organise a full one day event in a pub (a local pub to me does both those things, and has a handy little field out the back where they host it). Ask the pub to do it for free, based on the fact that if you publicise it well enough, you'll get more people in to the event, and hence they'll sell more drinks. Keep coming up with more things to do on the day. Comedians? Just local ones, of course.

Charity auction, comedy, music... hmm, there's probably other things you could do on that day, too. Sell PFLAG things? Little rubber wristbands as previously suggested?

Ask the local newspaper to do an article on it before it happens, to drag a few more people down.

Sell tickets for a few dollars, and have a couple of collection boxes dotted about.

[sexyalex]

BECKY BECKY OHH BECKY

i just saw the light! i know the solution to ur fund raisor..u need *drum rolls*

..A FASHION SHOW! tada! and a Bar-B-Que...i mean u live in the desert right? a Bar-B-Que shouldn't be hard to keep..i think and now when it's spring break and all...

so what do u think?

[SlickyPants]

A local GLBT support group where I'm from puts together a "Fall Supper" every year around Thanksgiving (Canada). There were a few hundred people when I went last year and tickets were $15 for adults and $10 for low-wage earners, students and children under 12.

It was basically a Thanksgiving type dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc. and desert). Some volunteer musicians in the GLBT community offered their time to play a little music and some local politicians made a few speeches and one donated a bunch of money to the organization.


On an unrelated note, going to that dinner was incidentally how I ended up coming out to my parents. They wanted to know where I was that evening and I told them the truth and they figured the rest out!

[Jim1454]

Along the lines of a turkey dinner - but less involved - my church does a fall corn roast. It's primarily for the members as a 'welcome back after summer'. People are asked to bring deserts and make an offering to offset the cost of the burgers, hotdogs, condements and corn. They usually make money. It's easier than a huge turkey dinner I would think...

We also have a local band or choir come and sing and raise money that way. Perhaps there's a local church that would allow you to use it's sanctuary rather than renting an expensive hall. That would allow you to pocket more of the proceeds.

Good luck.

[beckyg]

Well as a non-profit, we aren't allowed to have politicians but the food and entertainment thing sounds good. I like the corn feed idea!

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by sexyalex

BECKY BECKY OHH BECKY

i just saw the light! i know the solution to ur fund raisor..u need *drum rolls*

..A FASHION SHOW! tada! and a Bar-B-Que...i mean u live in the desert right? a Bar-B-Que shouldn't be hard to keep..i think and now when it's spring break and all...

so what do u think?

Are you going to come model for us Alex?

Well baked goods are always amazing, esp for little kids.
Or sell candies and chocolates on the parks on weekends but I don't know the local laws.

STEAL STUFF!!!!
no jk. i like the fashion show idea. and the wrist band one.
make it a rainbow design and say PFLAG

[Wired106]

Originally Posted by ppreston9

STEAL STUFF!!!!
no jk. i like the fashion show idea. and the wrist band one.
make it a rainbow design and say PFLAG

YA, I totally agree with ppreston9. I think robbing a bank is the way to go! lol haha jk.

I was thinking you guys could hold some sort of event in a central park where you guys could set up food booths and then have a band play that is willing to play music for free like volenteering. I'm sure there's a lot of people in PFLAG that can play music pretty well. Also, you don't have to make people charge for the enterance or anything (maybe just the food) and instead make sure people know that they can donate there and that the event you guys are holding benefits PFLAG. You can probably pass around like flyers in the city and put the on cars etc. and then people will most likely show up and hang out and donate. Then you can also sell some of the PFLAG merchandise or w/e you are trying to sell there to make money also for a profit. But live music would be the key because I'm sure tons of people would want to go and I'm sure there will be many people already in the park that will see it and stop by.