For many groups, Christmas fundraisers can be the biggest fundraising event of the year.  The key is planning and volunteer coordination.

Selling Christmas Trees is a great holiday fund raiser! 

 Things to remember when planning your Christmas fundraising event:

• Recruit plenty of volunteers
• Price it right
• Advertising is the key
• Make your Christmas tree lot stand out

Recruiting Volunteers - Have volunteers sign up in shifts. You’ll need volunteers to sell the trees, cut stumps and load the trees on cars, and others to make wreaths to sell from the trimmings.

Pricing - Know what your competition has and how it is priced. Price your trees and wreaths accordingly. Make sure potential customers know that all profits are for a good cause.

Don’t skimp on advertising - Your Christmas fundraising efforts will only be effective if people know you are there! Take advantage of newsletters, email lists and even TV and radio. 

Stand out from the crowd - Make your tree lot visually appealing. Use twinkle lights, yard ornaments and pretty signs. If your budget allows, get a snow making machine or one that blows bubbles that look like snow.

Additional information
We have hundreds of articles with fundraising advice on the best ways to raise funds.  Read this article for more details on fundraising with Christmas trees and this one to add Christmas carols to your holiday fund raiser event.

Fundraiser Help advice on having Christmas Fundraisers.

For 2008, fundraising calendars are easier to create than ever.  Simply choose digital pictures of your team or group and submit them to your calendar supplier.

Calendar fundraisers are fun!

Things to consider when doing a calendar fund raiser:

• How many could you sell?
• Price ranges
• Profit margins
• Do you want custom or general?

Sales tips
Some suppliers don’t have minumum purchase requirements so if you have a smaller group, look to those companies.

Pricing
Pricing can vary wildly depending on how colorful or creative you want to be.  Typical cost for a calendar for fundraising is about $4-$5. 

Profits
Calendars sell well at around $10 to $12 for a high quality product.  Anytime you can get 50% to 60% profit on a fundraising product, you’ve done very well.

Selection
Think about what your potential customers will want in a calendar.  If you are selling to only your group, a custom calendar is the way to go because everyone likes to see pictures of themselves!  If you are selling to the general public, a calendar with popular scenes is the right choice.

Additional information
We have hundreds of fundraising advice articles on the best ways to raise funds.  Read this article for specific sales tips and this one for including a raffle with your calendar fundraiser.

One supplier we recommend is Falling Leaf Publishing because they have high quality calendars, there are no up front costs, and no minumum purchase is required.

Fundraiser Help advice on doing 2008 fundraising calendars.

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.

A cookie dough fundraiser is an order taker with delivery a few weeks later. Most times, the product is sold in frozen form in tubs or pre-sliced frozen cookies, so you’ll need to coordinate deliveries with a set delivery day.

The best way to maximize your cookie dough sales is to expand beyond the usual circle of potentail buyers - family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. That means selling to the general public from sales tables at high-traffic locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, etc.

Use large banners and flyers for your cookie dough fundraiser featuring your group name, contact information, and clearly state why you are raising funds. Having social proof of how the funds raised will be used helps get prospective buyers over the decision hump, as do pre-baked sample cookies.

A second profit tip is to offer an alternate product to offer those who say no and those who say yes. The most attractive, high-profit offering is a two-for-one pizza card that costs $2 and retails for $10.

That way, you can make a sale to those who don’t want cookie dough or are concerned about delayed delivery. You can also make a possible second sale to those already buying.

Maximize your profits by maximizing your revenue at each sales opportunity. Increase the number of sales opportunities and your fundraising will wildly exceed expectations.

And that’s it for these quick tips. For more detailed advice, read my full article on how to maximize your cookie dough fundraiser profits.

Here are some small-scale fund raising events worth trying:

Here are some new product-based fund raising ideas:

Rather than make this a really long post by explaining all these topics, just use this link to read more about each of these fund raising ideas.

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!

In this one, students get pledges from sponsors to donate a certain amount for each A grade they get on their report card. The middle school students are using the concept of good grades to raise money to help students in Africa.

A’s For Africa sounds like a great fundraising idea because it motivates the children to do well in school in order to help others. And of course, that approach encourages even more supporters to pledge significant financial incentives.

School fundraising doesn’t get much better than that!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One ideal way to drop the golf balls that provides great fun for spectators is to use a tethered hot air balloon suspended above a huge bullseye target painted on a field. Another method is to drop the golf balls from a helicopter as it hovers above the target.

Either way, the cascade of several thousand golf balls plummeting toward the target has great spectator appeal.

Event specifics
While selling raffle chances is the bulk of the fundraising activity, you can also generate plenty of additional profits by making the drop event into a big party. You can add live music, serve food and drinks, offer donated items in silent auction bids, and even do a live auction of the best items such as a vacation getaway, spa package, or other attractive prizes.

Or, you can add a golf ball drop raffle whenever you’re planning a charity golf tournament or organizing a charity event. It’s an easy way to add tens of thousands of dollars to just about any fundraiser. All you need is a place to drop the balls and an eager sales force to sell the raffle chances.

At the center of the target area, plant a golf course flag in a hole cut in the grass. The winning ball is the one that’s closest to the hole. In case of a tie, combine two prizes and split the money between the two winners.

Click here to read the rest of the golf ball drop raffle article.

Preparing a press release is fairly simple, but if you don’t present a newsworthy angle in your summary paragraph, your cause will suffer. Read these great tips for how to work the media with a win/win approach and draw a huge crowd to your fundraiser.

Fundraising Publicity - Simple methods to get your fundraisers well publicized - Publicity is the key to successful events.

Getting Media Coverage - How to get media coverage for your non-profit group, charity auction, or fundraising event.

Fundraising Fundamentals - How to increase community awareness of both your need and your offering.

What’s In It For Me - To succeed, everyone needs to know “What’s in it for me?”

Click here to read these and other fundraising event publicity tips.

Here is a selection of cheerleading fundraising ideas for your cheer squad. Most of these fundraisers for cheerleaders work well for just about any age group, but use your discretion when deciding what works in your area.

To simplify your search, they are grouped into Product Ideas and Event Ideas. Some of the articles that are directly about cheer fundraising will cover several activities or events.

Cheer Product Ideas
Fundraisers For Cheerleaders - Ten ideas for fundraisers for cheerleaders - Five cheer fundraisers with products and five event ideas for cheerleading fundraising success.

Cheerleading Fundraisers - Three cheerleading activities and programs that are fun and profitable.

Custom Silicone Bracelets - Selling fundraiser bracelets is a great way to support your cause - Custom silicone bracelets are an attractive way to raise funds and show you care.

Dance Team Fundraisers - Eight fundraising ideas for dance team fundraisers - Four product ideas and four events for dance team fundraising.

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

Click here to read the rest of the article on cheer fundraising ideas.

Here are a number of articles about various fundraisers for all kinds of sports ranging from baseball to basketball to football with cheerleading, soccer, and other popular sports activities included as well.

Youth Sports Fundraising - Tips for improving the results of your youth sports fundraising - Fundraisers for youth sports teams that always do well.

Soccer Fundraising - Soccer team fund raising made easy for your high school or youth sports team.

Baseball Fundraiser - Three ideas for a great baseball fundraiser - Easy Little League fundraisers that produce double what you’ve previously raised.

Softball Fundraisers - Three softball fundraising ideas to raise funds for your team or league - Softball fundraisers that produce excellent results and don’t cost a lot.

Pizza Hut Fundraiser - Raise funds fast with a Pizza Hut fundraiser - Choose between sales of a $10 pizza discount card with two-for-one pizzas or host a Pizza Night at your local Pizza Hut.

Click here for more ideas for your next youth sports fundraiser.