Here’s what you’ll need for your halloween fundraiser:

• A good roadside spot for sales
• Hay bales for backdrop
• A truckload of pumpkins

Line up your location, organize your volunteers into sales teams, and head to the local Farmer’s Market to buy a truckload of pumpkins and a dozen hay bales.

Spread out a few bales of hay on the ground and use the rest as backdrops. Scatter your pumpkins around on the hay with the best side facing the street.

Place roadside signs starting a few hundred yards away so drivers don’t have to decide at the last split-second to turn off into your parking area.

Price your Halloween pumpkins to make a profit, but don’t go overboard on the markup. Use the Saturday before Halloween for an all out push on pumpkin sales. Offer face painting and other fun activities to draw a crowd.

 And that’s how you put together your own Halloween fundraiser.

Over the years, I’ve come across quite a few good ideas for unique fundraisers. You can find a lot of them being discussed in our forum and learn how to raise maximum funds with any of our fundraising event ideas.

Here’s a short list of unique fundraiser ideas:

Hopefully, these ideas will get your creative juices flowing so you can come up with your own unique fundraising idea!

For more tips on raising funds for your group, visit Fundraiser Help today!

Apparently, the Post’s fashion writer, Robin Givhan, noted that Clinton wore a black top with a low neckline during an appearance on the Senate floor. And of course, that turned into a brouhaha about the objectification of women and America’s cultural fascination with breasts.

Frankly, I don’t give a fig about Hillary’s cleavage, but you have to admire the fund raising savvy of her campaign adviser, Ann Lewis, who is urging potential donors to “take a stand against this kind of coarseness and pettiness in American culture.”

Why? Because controversy stirs emotions and gets people to take action to support their beliefs. And that’s what campaign fundraisers are paid to do - stir things up and get people donating to their candidate.

I don’t know if Hillary’s cleavage will become a hot button issue in this campaign, but we all know it’s an issue that appeals to women and women are a big part of the turnout in primary elections.

Look for Hillary to ride the cleavage coattails as far as she can.

Read more fundraising ideas.

Hillary Clinton will be dragging hubby Bill on a blowout fund-raising tour of the Hamptons next weekend that could add $1 million to her presidential war chest.

Revlon mogul Ron Perelman will be hosting a Saturday-evening cocktail party where, for $1,000, guests can meet the dynamic duo and gawk at the tycoon’s luxury home and celebrity pals. For $4,600, the maximum contribution allowed under federal rules, guests can attend a dinner with the pair.

Democratic consultant Morris Reid will host a Friday-night barbecue, hoping to attract a younger, hipper crowd. A cool $250 secures admission, and $1,000 buys entrance to a special VIP function and a souvenir photo with the Clintons.

For $5,000, you can join the “host committee,” says Reid, “and get as much face and photo time with them as you want.”

Rudy Giuliani is also raising money in the Hamptons, co-chairing a Southampton hospital gala Saturday.

“You can be sure he will be inviting guests back for a hot dog and barbecue,” said Hamptons magazine editor R. Couri Hay.

Manchester Republicans said they wanted something different from the usual chicken dinner for its fundraiser next month. Then, committee chairman Jerry Thibodeau, a hunter and skeet shooter, came up with the idea: “The thought just struck me one day: a machine gun shoot. What the heck?”

The event is planned for next month at the Pelham Fish and Game Club. Those who attend will get the chance to shoot Uzis, M-16 rifles and other automatic weapons. The club will have 20 safety officers on hand to load the guns and monitor shooters, said club chairman Bob Shaunessy.

Thibodeau said he thinks the fundraiser will be a fun social event that also will emphasize the party’s support for Second Amendment rights. Thibodeau said he fired a machine gun for the first time at 18 with his father, a World War II veteran.

“It’s a way of expressing yourself, I guess,” he said. “We all have a little testosterone in us, right?”

Many of those signing up are women.

“It’s very different,” said Kelly Hurst, the Manchester GOP’s executive director. Hurst said she carries a pistol for personal protection, but the chance to shoot a machine gun is very different.

“I don’t know when anyone else, man or woman, may get an opportunity to do this,” she said.

Manchester Democrats said they are upset by the Republicans’ shooting event.

Chris Pappas, chairman of the Manchester Democratic Committee, said it’s inappropriate to hold a fundraiser involving guns when violent crime is on the rise in the city.

He said the event is “not just in poor taste; it is downright offensive.”

Click here for more fundraiser ideas.

A now-famous pair of pants was the star attraction at a fundraiser Tuesday meant to help pay the bills of a dry-cleaner couple caught in a legal stitch.

The $54 million pants, as they’ve come to be known, were the subject of a widely mocked lawsuit that garnered international attention. Now, they have their own security guard.

Groups advocating stricter guidelines for filing lawsuits and supporters of Jin Nam Chung and Soo Chung, the owners of Custom Cleaners, came from across the country to attend the cocktail fundraiser.

On display were what the Chungs say are the pants that Roy Pearson brought in, were misplaced, and were later found. The guests had appetizers and cocktails, and under the stern gaze of the security guard, some posed for photos with the pants.

The Chungs successfully defended themselves from the $54 million suit, which originally demanded $67 million, but they now owe about $100,000 in legal costs.

The American Tort Reform Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform put on the fundraiser in hopes of defraying the Chungs’ costs. The fundraiser netted more than $64,000, with more pledges still coming in, organizers said.

“Without your support, the Chungs could very well have gone bankrupt,” defense attorney Chris Manning told the crowd of about 150.

The Chungs also made a rare appearance to thank their guests.

The organizers said they also wanted to raise visibility for their mission to change tort law in the face of lawsuits that unfairly target small businesses.

“Our motto is the spirit of free enterprise,” said Lisa Rickard, president of the Institute for Legal Reform. “The Chungs epitomize that in our perspective. They’ve really been living the American dream, and that all came to a halt with the filing of this lawsuit.”

“It’s our hope to help them do a course correction and get back on track,” Rickard said.

Manning said that if the court grants the Chungs’ motion for Pearson to pay their legal fees, proceeds from the fundraiser that exceed the family’s costs would be donated to charity.

Andrea Newell, community resource co-ordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society, said the fundraiser in aid of the society’s western Newfoundland chapter came to them.

She said Transcontinental made the suggestion and the partnership grew from there. She said it was an offer the society could not refuse.

“We worked with the team at Transcontinental and the cook to develop the cookbook. Once they were published and put together, Transcontinental gave us 5,000 copies to sell with 100 per cent of the profit for the Canadian Cancer Society,” said Newell.

“That’s quite a gift. It’s a wonderful gift to have and we’re hoping to make the most of it that’s for sure.”

Newell said the cookbook is more than a fundraising project. The book contains the inspirational stories of cancer survivors, along with some of their tastiest dishes. She said the stories are her favourite part of the project.

“The stories are important because they led to the book and they give it some character,” she said. “It’s nice that there are stories from all areas of our region on the west coast. We have people from St. Anthony to Port aux Basques featured in the cook book and I think that’s something we need to push a little bit.

“I think people see cookbooks and fundraising things and they don’t realize there is a local twist to this, so I think that’s something we need to promote a little more heavily. There’s someone in this cook book that you know, you should pick up a copy.”

Shawn Woodford, publisher of The Western Star and Transcontinental’s western Newfoundland and Labrador weekly papers, said it was a pleasure to be involved with a project like this that has a chance to make $50,000 for the society.

He said the idea for the book originated in Port aux Basques with Natalie Musseau, reporter at the Gulf News. She was chair of the local Relay for Life and wanted to do a project to help out. The company had already done cookbook projects with Come Home Years in Stephenville and Codroy Valley, so it seemed a natural idea.

Woodford said Melissa Cormier, a noted local chef, came aboard and the project started to grow.

“We started talking about it and met with Melissa late last year about maybe doing a cookbook for the Port aux Basques area,” said Woodford. “Then we talked to the Canadian Cancer Society and it expanded larger and larger to encompass the five sites on the west coast - St. Anthony, Deer Lake, Corner Brook, Stephenville and Port aux Basques.”

He said the cookbook, if it’s successful, could become an annual item.

“We wanted it to be more than just a cookbook, we wanted it to be something that would be a keepsake as well,” he said. “That’s why we decided to do profiles of people that had lived through the illness.

“We profiled two from each of those five regions that had Relays for Life and it went over very well.”

Click here for more Relay For Life fundraiser ideas.

Tupperware fundraisers are usually done as standard catalog order-takers. Simply order the quantity of fundraising kits you need, then send the materials and instructions home with the students. Each student packet contains a colorful 31-page catalog, order forms, collection envelope, and information on sales incentive prizes.

Collect the orders and advance payments after a two-week sales period, set aside your profits, and send in the order forms with payment. Customer shipments arrive in approximately two to three weeks, pre-sorted for easy distribution.

Profit margins are 40% and individual items range from $5 to $25. Grouped together by theme and also by convenient price points, Tupperware items practically sell themselves.

Individual orders run higher than with most other school fundraisers and that means higher net profits for your group. Many schools average a net profit of $40 to $50 per student. There aren’t many other ways to produce those kind of numbers this easily.

Tupperware Fundraising Events
Some schools do Tupperware fundraising as part of an event such as a spring carnival or spaghetti dinner. A large display of the various containers and food preparation tools is set up. A Tupperware consultant demonstrates the products, passes out food samples, and answers questions.

With over 100 items and prices starting at just $5, Tupperware products are very popular. Each one comes with a lifetime warranty, unusual these days in our throwaway society. In fact, the durability and quality of their products is a major selling point.

Order forms are placed nearby so that sales can be completed on the spot. Shipping is free, so schools can arrange to have their entire shipment sent to the school for distribution or they can charge a small extra shipping fee for people who want their orders drop shipped separately.

Both approaches to Tupperware fundraising work well for all group sizes, small to large. Take a break from selling food products and switch to quality household products for a change of pace.

Click here for more fundraising ideas

Start early
As previously discussed, to get enough volunteers you need to start early. The best way to do that is by pre-recruiting them. In other words, go through last year’s files and select the members that you think will be the most helpful.

Have each of them make a list of three to five potential volunteers and then instruct them to invite each potential helper to the first meeting.

Create an easy sign-up checklist
Next, use your written job descriptions to create a checklist form that has clearly defined positions and time requirements. At your first meeting, circulate a signup sheet where volunteers can place their name and number next to the description of a suitable position.

There is never a better moment to recruit than at the first meeting!

Click here to read more on recruiting volunteers.

I also included a bit of a forum thread I started this morning asking you what type of fundraising advice you wanted.

It might sound funny, but after six years and over a thousand articles covering just about every aspect of fundraising, it dawned on me that I should ask you what you’d like to know.

Add your advice requests here:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1558

If you want to avoid that pain and turn a tidy profit off niches with little or no competition and high demand, check out this video demo of a new eBay auction niche finder.

It’s ten minutes, but time well spent because the guy shows you exactly how this killer eBay app is actually a license to print money.

A Yale University student was in critical condition in a Kansas hospital Tuesday after he was hit by a car during a cross-country Habitat for Humanity Bicycle Challenge fund-raiser.

Dan Lewis of Denver, Colo., was hit by a car Saturday in Lincoln County, Kan., while riding his bicycle for the 4,000-mile fundraiser.

The accident occurred on eastbound Kansas Highway 18 at 1: 40 p.m. Saturday. Lewis, 20, was taken by a helicopter to St. Frances Hospital in Wichita, where he currently remains in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“He seems to be stabilizing, but he’s still in critical condition,” said his father, Hal Lewis, speaking by telephone from the hospital Tuesday. He said the family plans to transfer Dan Lewis to a rehab hospital in Denver in three to four weeks.

Lewis, who was hearing a helmet and safety gear, was riding with his Habitat group when his bicycle crossed in front of the car, which hit him on the left side, authorities in Kansas said on a Highway Patrol Web site. The group rides in small groups according to the safety procedures to try to prevent accidents from happening.

The driver, Jessica White, 16, also was taken to the hospital but was later released, authorities said. A passenger in the vehicle was not hurt.

The Habitat Bicycle Challenge, which left in early June, has three teams with four leaders each. Each group rides to a different location: Seattle, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco. Lewis’ group was headed toward San Francisco.

The event is held every summer to raise money to help people obtain affordable housing.

“He was very close with the other riders and he was an important member of their team,” Hal Lewis said of his son. “I think he really enjoyed the biking from coast to coast.”

The riders have resumed their trip, but four riders stayed at the hospital for a day-and-a-half to show Dan moral support.

“We are grateful about their support and friendship,” Hal Lewis said. “We’re glad to stay in touch with them as Dan recovers.”

Bike Ride Deaths

Other accidents have occurred since the start of Habitat Bicycle Challenge in the early 90s.

Yale senior Rachel Speight, 21, of Houston, died two years ago when a car in Western Kentucky struck her after she collided with another biker and spun off into the road, according to Habitat of Humanity Development Officer Moira Cotlier.

Also, Yale sophomore Alexander Capelluto, 20, of New York City, died last year as he practiced for a then-upcoming Habitat for Humanity annual cross-country cycling trek, when his bike collided with a 10-wheel truck at Route 34 and Forest Road in West Haven.

I like the video because you don’t have to read a whole bunch of dross, you just watch and listen to some quality tips. The guy covers four or five good methods and another one that I highly recommend implementing.

Here’s the link:

How To Make Money Blogging

Home Party
The traditional way to raise money is by hosting a Tupperware party in your home. You invite friends and neighbors to an informal gathering at your home where the most popular kitchen products are on display. The company consultant provides tasty food samples and demonstrates the product line for you.

Tupperware Product Line
Products include the collapsible Flat Out storage containers, heat and serve containers, Stuffables (which have expandable lids for odd-shaped foods), and kid-themed items like the SpongeBob SquarePants collection. Prices range from $5 to $25, depending on the size, style, and number of pieces in a set. The catalog also groups items by price range which makes selections even easier.

Online Party
Now you can also have an online page on Tupperware’s site that allows friends and family to browse the entire product line, make selections, and order their products online. Their products are drop-shipped directly to their homes and you get a check. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Ordering
Each fundraising catalog has an order brochure in the back. Simply fill in which items each guest wants and collect the money up front. Submit your orders through your Tupperware consultant and you’re all set. Products arrive in roughly four weeks time.

Profit Margin
Your group gets to keep 40% of the total revenue, exclusive of taxes and shipping charges. Orders totaling $400 or more receive free shipping. For a small extra charge, orders can be shipped directly to each customer.

Group Fundraising
Many schools and other groups are doing Tupperware fundraising now. The concept is similar to that of the home party, except think bigger. These fundraising events are often hosted in the gymnasium or multi-purpose room where large groups of people can see the product demonstrations.

A Tupperware fundraiser is a great way to raise money. They’re lots of fun and incredibly easy to do. Start planning yours today.

Click here for more fundraising ideas.

Get organized
Divide the main tasks and focus on three areas: design, product, and marketing.

Design your raffle around a desirable car or SUV as the main prize. Include a cash equivalent option for people who don’t want the vehicle. Offer several smaller cash prizes to increase interest.

Product should be highly desirable with a considerable status quotient. Think dream car, not transportation. The other part of the product equation is a clear statement of specific benefits the funds raised by the raffle will produce.

Marketing is key to your success. Your press release should sell the human interest story behind the raffle, not focus on just the prize. What’s the money raised going to do? Sales flyers should include a color picture of the car and bullet points of features and secondary prizes.

Select a desirable car
You want to offer a vehicle that’s highly desirable such as a Lexus or Mercedes. Raffling off a cheap car is actually more difficult then doing one with a luxury model. Why? Because people dream about owning one, so you’re selling a piece of the dream.

Partner with car dealer
Approach the manager of a local car dealer with a win/win offer. You get a good deal on the vehicle, say 25% off list. They get free publicity while still turning a small profit after all the dealer sales incentives are factored in.

Click here to read the rest of the article on doing a car raffle.

Product Selection
In youth sports fundraising, it’s so important to select the right products to sell. The right product is one that has mass appeal, an above average price point, and good profit margins.

Product Price Point
Product offerings should be at an attractive price point. This means it should be neither high nor low, but right in the comfort zone that encourages people to open their wallets. Produce bigger numbers by offering product bundles.

Product Profitability
It’s important that your fundraising product has a high profit margin. Many standard items have a profit margin of 50%. Ideally, try to make 80% with products like discount cards for two-for-one fast food deals.

Sales Script
Don’t send your sellers out unprepared. Part of youth sports is teaching. Helping kids with their sales skills goes a long way toward building self confidence.

Here’s what to tell them:

1 - Make eye contact, smile and introduce yourself.
2 - Say one sentence about why you are raising funds.
3 - Say second sentence that asks for their help.
4 - Make sure that sentence includes the word “because”.
5 - Extend sample item, catalog, or order sheet.
6 - Suggest a personal favorite item or bundle.
7 - Always ask for the order.

Increase Prospects
Once your kids know what to say, they have to have prospects for their sales pitch. Have everyone make a list of their potential customers. Have each seller stand up in front of their teammates and state how many prospects they have. Then have them make a commitment to raising a certain financial amount. Set sales quotas. Encourage competition by offering prizes for top sellers.

Location Sales
Boost your youth sports fundraising by going where the prospects are. Reach incredible numbers of people by setting up fundraiser sales tables at entrances to high-traffic retail locations. Grocery stores, home improvement stores, and mass merchandisers have hundreds of prospects available. Get permission in advance from the store manager.

Have Fun
Always make raising funds fun for the kids. Their emotions are subconsciously communicated to each potential prospect. Tell them to smile, state your team’s need, then ask directly for help. That will create a favorable response.

If they’re looking down and mumbling, people will pass on the offer. Get kids involved by having some competition, include fun activities in the process, and have some rewards waiting for success.

Follow these seven tips and your team’s fundraising effort will be a big success.

Click here for more fundraiser ideas.

Fundraising Products

Fundraising Cards - Fundraising cards are easy fundraisers - Extra profit tips for discount card fundraisers to double your profits.

Cookie Dough Fundraisers - Cookie dough program overview plus companies and suppliers.

Candle Fundraiser - Five ways to maximize your candle fundraiser profits - Candle fundraising tips that really work to double or triple your results.

Top Five Fundraisers - Fundraising products that are easy to sell and always successful - Five top fundraisers for schools and youth sports teams.

Fundraising Events

Casino Night - How to raise funds with a Casino Night fundraiser - A fun fundraising event for adults where games of chance help charity.

Click here to read the rest of the article on the best fundraisers.

The best way to boost your fundraising results is to get your product offer, raffle, or event information in front of as many people as possible. It’s all about approaching your fundraiser as a business and using proper sales strategies to meet or exceed your group’s financial goals.

What strategies would a business use to increase sales?

1 - Increase sales staff
2 - Create attractive offers
3 - Offer discounts
4 - Do special promotions
5 - Get favorable publicity
6 - Seek out new customers

And how would you employ those strategies in fundraising?

Click here to read the rest of the article.

You can easily raise ten thousand with a simple raffle, tens of thousands with a desirable prize such as a new car, and hundreds of thousands of dollars with a truly deluxe prize such as a new home.

Cash prizes
From the late-1700s to the early 1900s, many public buildings and university expansions were funded by raffles. The raffle prize was always cash and the raffles always sold out all their chances.

Cash prizes allow people to dream of what they’d do with the cash if they won. Cash awards work best when ticket prices are fairly low and the grand prize is a significant multiple of ticket cost.

For instance, when you have a $10 ticket price, a $10,000 cash prize is a huge draw. Having lots of additional chances to win smaller cash prizes is another great ticket sales incentive.

The most popular cash raffles combine low-priced tickets with a significant cash prize and several tiers of smaller cash prizes. Total cash awards should always be less than 50% of total ticket revenue.

Luxury prizes
Physical prizes that match the ticket buyers “wants” also do well. Vacation getaways, restaurant gift certificates, spa treatments, and other items with a luxury feel also work well as prizes.

And don’t forget prizes aimed at men such as sporting event tickets, sports memorabilia, golf-related gifts, and anything that goes fast or makes lots of noise are also good draws for ticket buyers.

Click here to read the rest of the article on raffle prize ideas.

Cow Chip Fundraiser - A cow chip fundraiser is a great family-style fundraising event - How to get a big turnout and raise substantial amounts of money.

Golf Ball Drop Raffle - Raise funds fast with a golf ball drop raffle - Fun fundraising event features cash prizes for closest to the pin winners.

Rubber Duck Fundraiser - How to organize a rubber duck race as your fundraising event - Profit boosters for your rubber duck fundraiser that can double or triple your results.

Cash Calendar Fundraiser - Combining a cash raffle with a calendar fundraiser - Understanding the appeal of a cash calendar fundraiser.

Art Raffle Fundraiser - Putting together an art raffle fundraiser is easy and fun - How to raise large amounts for charity with an art raffle.

Fundraiser Raffle Ideas - Tips on putting together fundraising raffles - Fundraiser raffle ideas for any size group - Prize selection and ticket price tips.

Selling Raffle Tickets - Advice on selling raffle tickets - How to sell twice as many raffle tickets in half the time.

Click here for more fundraiser raffle ideas.