Tootsie Roll Drive
- Main stay of annual drive to raise money for people with intellectual disabilities.
- Ask an associated school to help as the school children need service hours and most councils need the help. It’s a double winner.
- Matching funds from companies. Many councils receive matching funds or donations from Wal-Mart. Each Wal-Mart store is authorized to donate funds at their discretion. Contact the store manager to inquire what information they require.
- One council presented Wal-Mart with an appreciation plaque which hangs on the wall in the store. It gives Wal-Mart 365 days of recognition a year and it gives the council a segue into talking to the manager year after year.
- Contact fellow council members asking if they can help with the annual drive. If they cannot help, maybe they will donate to the drive.
- Conduct a drive at church at the end of masses with announcements from the pulpit. Gets the parish members involved. Send letters to fellow parishioners asking for donations (but make sure the pastor approves).
Breakfast with Santa – Great for the children at Christmas.
Luau – Hawaiian themed cookout or picnic (or any kind of cookout).
Smoked Turkeys for Thanksgiving
Consider other prepared meats for different occasions. – Barbeque pork, butts, ribs or chickens for Fourth of July, Labor Day or Super Bowl.
Sell Halloween Candy
Buy at wholesale, sell at retail. Possibly have orders placed by parishioners and picked up after mass on a certain day.
Company Donations
Get a list of companies within your area from the Chamber of Commerce and send letters requesting donations.
Bowling League
Involve families, seniors, children and challenge other organizations.
Face Painting
Children love to have their faces panted. This is a popular activity at carnivals, fairs and picnics. Set up a face painting booth at your next craft show or fair. Enlist the help of the youth, women’s group and others.
Fall Color Cruise
Reds, oranges, and yellows – It’s nature’s art show and it’s free for everyone to enjoy. This is great by walking, riding or on the river in areas where trees change colors in the fall. Organize and provide transportation.
Holiday or Seasonal Festival
A Festival can be held for any season or Holiday (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Easter, Fourth of July or Halloween) and can be a great way to raise money.
Field Day
Remember when you were a kid and it was a daily goal to get outside, run around and play games? Who says you can’t do that now and raise money.
Fill’er Up Car Service
Full service gas stations used to be a way of life in America Bring them back by cleaning windshields, checking oil level and fluids, tire pressure and even a car wash to raise money.
Funny Photo Contest
This is a chance for all aspiring photographers to show off their funniest pictures. Have a funny photo contest and ask for submissions from your group. Setup pictures like an art show. Award prizes to the best photos.
Garage Sale/Yard Sale
Who doesn’t have stuff floating around in their attic, basement, or spare room that just isn’t used or needed anymore? Clear out the clutter and help your cause at the same time. All proceeds to charity.
Giddy – Up
It isn’t often that most people have a chance to go to a Horse Show. This fundraiser is perfect for a group with a farming or animal husbandry focus.
Gift Basket Auction or Raffle
No one wants to do another candy sale for his or her schools’ fundraiser. Here is one that is gaining in popularity and returning large rewards for those that host it.
Giving Tree
This is a great fundraiser to stock a food bank or other church pantry, or collect gifts for people in need during the Holiday season. Instead of decorating a tree with regular ornaments, decorate with cards for grocery items to be donated.
Going to the Dogs
Dogs are now considered a member of the family and people are spending more time, love, and money on them than ever. Give your employees the chance to bring their dog to work for a donation.
Gourd Tossing
This fundraiser is a spin off from the popular punkin’ chunkin’ competition. It is a great one to run in the fall during pumpkin and gourd growing season. You can either allow teams or singles.
Grab Bag
This fundraiser is similar to a “What’s in the Box” Auction and a White Elephant Sale with a couple of important differences. First, a grab bag fundraiser is not an auction. You’ll charge a flat fee.
Grown Up Spelling Bee
Use a classic childhood competition for your next fundraiser. Have a grown up spelling bee. Find volunteers that would like to participate. You can either collect an entry fee to raise money (or share portion of prize money with the winners).
Harvest Fest
This fundraiser can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Take advantage of the fall harvest and Halloween season to have a Harvest Fest. Set up a sale of local produce and crafts.
Haunted Bus Tour
This is a great fundraiser to run in October. Discover all of the haunted places in your area and research their history. Advertise that your group is offering a haunted tour bus ride.
Head Shaving
A head shaving fundraiser can have many incarnations, so you are only limited by your imagination. Here are a few ideas to help you brainstorm. Find a school teacher, principal, deacon or priest willing to raise the money for a great cause.
Holiday Flower Sale
Spring tulips, Easter lilies, fall mums, and poinsettias are all seasonal flowers that could be a great fundraiser. Find a local nursery that will wholesale or donate flowers so that you maximize your income.
Holiday Shopping in One Night
Holiday gift shopping can be time consuming and hectic. Host a “holiday shopping in one night” event for your next fundraiser. Find vendors willing to set up a booth and go from there.
Hot Dog Stand
Hot dogs are easy to prepare, easy to eat, and easy to sell! Get permission from a local retailer to set up a hot dog stand outside their entrance. Be sure to have everything ready.
How Many In That Jar
You will need your best guessing skills for this fundraiser. This fundraiser is very simple to run and requires very little equipment.
Hugs and Kisses
This is a great fundraiser to run around the romantic holidays (Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day, etc) or at the end of the school year for farewells. Package Hershey’s hugs and kisses candies for giving to those favorite ones.
Ice Cream Social
You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream! Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip. There are so many different flavors to choose from. Everyone loves ice cream. Host an ice social.
Ice Hole Swim
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a polar bear or a seal going for a swim in ice cold water? Now you can experience it for yourself with an ice pool, pond or lake.
Karaoke Night
There is a hidden singer in all of us. Most people will admit to singing in their shower or car when no one else is around. Bring the singer out with karaoke.
Kissing Contest
Would you pucker up to raise money for your favorite charity? How about your favorite team or needy organization?
Local Celebrity Auction
Contact a few celebrities from your area or industry and ask them to participate in your fundraiser. See if they will donate some genre appropriate memorabilia that they have autographed.
Local Series of Poker
Poker playing is sweeping the nation with everyone from celebrities to average Joes joining in on the fun. Host a fun amateur’s night of poker playing to raise money for your group.