At many of my seminars I always get questions asked about fundraising, mostly on a shoestring.
It’s no secret, and being a trustee of Sheffield’s’ White Rose Children’s Charity, I’ve always wanted to do a fund raising booklet to raise funds for them (!) and to act as a gentle reminder for others of what can be done with what’s out there.
You could say it’s a form of insurance for when you, me, we, run out of idea’s.
I’ve now formulated those lists of projects (with much more to add I may add) so if the book never materialises, at least we’ve got a word.doc or pdf download as a reminder for each other to use as a cheat sheet!
Oh and in part, it’s also there to help self-starters and new advocates of other great and heart-warming charities maximise their efforts and results.
But there’s a warning, just like in marketing, fundraising can be a bloody and aggressive business. There’s just so many organisations all vying for us to part with our hard earned cash (direct mail, TV ads, press advertising, radio requests, direct door to door selling etc. etc.)
For information, Guide Star UK holds data on over 169,000 registered main charities and voluntary organisations in England and Wales at the time of writing.
Now if you put that into perspective I’m sure it’ll make you think a little more seriously about ‘share of mind’ with you raising the cash, sponsorship, goods in kind, services, the volunteering to secure positive impact, and gosh, if that’s not enough, the much needed publicity that everyone from ‘epilepsy action’ to pet charity The Blue Cross are seeking to gain – and that’s just 2 of the 169,000 wanting single centimeter columns, sound bites or newsreel. Competitive – you bet, and does it seems a little daunting, of course?
But we’ve all been there at some time or another. Friends, colleagues and family are making this journey for … I’ve volunteered for that… I’m doing this on behalf of… I want you to help me with some funds … can you find it in your heart to sponsor me because…
Thankfully as a p.r.o. nowadays fundraising is very exotic and hugely enjoyable to become involved with – anything from an overnight stay at Her Majesty’s Pleasure to a lung popping climb up Kilimanjaro, perhaps a over-greased 34K swim across the English Channel to a sweaty 2430 metre trek to Machu Picchu – each and every one for a good, if not great, cause.
The ideas and challenges constantly get zany, the causes seem numerous, and using p.r. to stand out from the crowd is becoming progressively more and more intense.
But there is a solution.
I’ve gathered together hundreds of ideas and things I’ve done in the past and listed them in A to Z form. Of course the list is endless – there’s a few duplicates as the headings differed and some seemed more appropriate than others.
Moreover it fulfils my promise to share these ideas and promotions to the wonderful people I meet on this journey. Enjoy, have fun and good luck!
11 Great ‘Be’ Tips
Be passionate about your cause
Be innovative and creative with your ideas
Be unerringly determined and never take no for an answer, if you do…
Be undeterred, try, and try again
Be target driven and
Be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and on time)
Be precise with your goal setting
Be loud – tell everyone what you’re doing
Be friends with your local newspaper, radio and television company.
Be bold. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd and make a fool of yourself
Be nosey (and noisy). Check any celebrities associated with the charity and gain endorsements.
So here it is, the basic prompt list
A
Abseil / Aerobathon / Arts & Crafts / Antique Fair & Roadshow
Auctions (of Promises) / Assault Course / Aluminium Cans / Appeals
Afternoon Tea / Airport Collection / Angling Competition
B
Bring & Buy Sales / Bric A Brac / Book Sale / Buffet (Cheese and Wine Party)
Bingo / BBQ’s Barn Dance / Balloon Race / Baked Bean Bath / Baby Sales
Bridge Night / Beetle Drives / Bottle Stall / Blow Football / Bookmarks / Buy A Brick Bring A Pound To Work / Bad Hair Day / Bed Push / Bad Tie Day / Battle of the Bands / Breakfast Party / Summer Ball / Bike Ride / Beat the Goalie / Bungee Jump Boat Race / Ballroom Dance Night /Baby Sitting (fees donated) / Burns Night
C
Car Boot Sale / Celebrity Signing (meet and greet) / Coffee Morning
Cabaret Evening / Car Show – new, used or vintage / Chess Competition (giant) Conker Match / Chinese New Year / Cricket Match Craft Sale or Fair
Clowns Gathering / Christmas Carol Singing / Coin Mountain / Character Event
Costume Event / Cake Sale / Carnival / Car Wash / Careers Advice
Country Comes to Town / Caravan and Camping Exhibition
Country & Western Evening / Casino Night / Carrot Crawl / Coach Trips
Collecting Boxes / Calendar (Girls) / Charge for Favours
Computer Game Marathon / Concert / Candle Making / Champagne Lunch
Curry Night / Cook Book / Cookery Demo / Card Make and Sell
D
Dog Walking / Draw – Free Prize / Disco 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s 00’s / Darts Competition Dance Off / Draughts Competition / Dress Down Day / Donkey Derby / Diary Sales Dinner Dance / Dry Cornflakes Comp / Drawing, Painting Competition /Duck Race
Doughnut Eating Competition / Down Under Day (all things Australian)
E
Egg & Spoon Race / Easter Bonnet Competition / Easter Bunny Treasure Hunt Easter Egg Decorating / Egg Rolling / Electronics Fair / Eyebrow Plucking
End of the Pier Show / Eating Baked Beans with a Cocktail Stick / e-bay for charity
Eurovision Song Contest Party / Embarrassment (Out) Bid / Expeditions
F
Fire Walk / Farming Exhibition / Fancy Dress (Car Wash & Sports Day)
Fashion Show / Fetes (Garden) / Firework Display / Face Painting / Football Match Flower Show / Folklore Festival / Football Tournament / Ferret Racing / Fishing Stall Flag Day / Flea Market / Fortune Telling / Film Show / Sponsored Fast for a Day
Fish & Chip Event / Furniture Sale / Fun Day / Five A Side Tournament
Fantasy Football League / 50:50 Club
G
Garden – Open Day or Party / Garage Sale / Go-Karting / Grease Night
Games Night / Game Show TV Mock Up / Golf Handicap / Gala Show
Guess the Weight, Amount, Height, Money/ Glamorous Grannies / Greek Night
Gourning Competition / Gym Comps – Rowing, Cycling Power Walking etc.
Guy Fawkes Party
H
Hairdressing / Hot Dog Sales / Health & Fitness Show / Harvest Festival
Home Cooking Demonstration / Hobbies Fair / Health and Safety Exhibition
Household Sale / Hoe Down / Hoopla, Hula Hoop Knockout / House to House Appeal Halloween Ball / Head Shave / Hopscotch / Horse Show / Hat Sale / Hockey Match
Horse Racing Night / Heads & Tails Auction
I
Ironing / Italian Night / It’s A Knockout / IT Demonstration / Ice Skating
Ice Cream Sales, Challenge / Indian Head Massage
J
January Sales / Jail Break / Jazz Night / Jogging / Jumble Sale
Japanese Evening / Junk Mail Recycling /Jigsaw Puzzle Event /Juggling Comp.
Jelly Race / Jewellery Making
K
Karaoke Night / Kite Making or Sponsored Flying / Kissing Competition
Keep Fit (lose X pounds) / Knitting Competition / Key Rings
Knobbly Knees Competition
L
Lands End to John O’Groats However! / Lunch Money (go without) / Lottery
Little Tykes Play Area / Line Dancing / Lunch Time Quiz / Line Dancing / Luncheon
Lego Building / Litter Pick / Latino Dancing
M
Match Box Items Cram / Market Stall (Car Boot Stall) / Masked Ball / Movie Night
Mothers Day Chores / Mastermind Quiz Night / Mexican Night / Mural Painting
Magic Show / Stage a Musical / Music Hall Night / Murder Mystery Weekend
Masked Ball / Musical Chairs / Make Up Demo / Marathons / Medieval Fair
Miss World / Matched Giving / Mini Olympics / Monopoly Pub Crawl
Memory Meal (food of the day from 40’s 50’s 60’s + Dress Up)
N
Nearly New Sale / No Uniform Day / New Years Party, Resolutions / Night In
No Smoking / No Drinking / Newsletter – Prize Draw Numbered / Nature Walk Name the Face / Netball Tournament / Name the Baby Photograph
Noodle Sucking / Nostalgia Dance (1940’s)
O
Odd Job Day / Outings / Obstacle Course / Old Postcard Sales / Outward Bound
Open Day, House, Garden / Old Clothes Day / Opera Night / Orienteering
Overseas Challenges / Outgrown Exchange / Old Gold Appeal
P
Parachute Jump / Photograph Competition / Pan Cake Toss or Race
Pantomime / Pentathlon / Pet Show (Scruffs) / Payroll Giving /Pick-A-Straw
Plant Stall, Sale / Play Your Cards Right Stall / Pram Race / Price Is Right
Pin Badges / Pets Advice / Pop Concert / Poetry Day, Reading / Ploughing Match
Pie Eating / Pool Competition / Wear Pyjamas / Paint Ball / Patchwork Quilt
Pub Quiz (Pop, General Knowledge)
Q
Quiz Night / Question of Sport / Quilt Making Party
R
Running Races 5K 10K 20K – 1/2 Marathon, Marathon / Raffle / Night at the Races
Read a Book / Re-Cycling Paper/Cans / Refreshment Stall / Raft Race / Rag Week
Record Breaking Attempts / Roller Blading / Rock & Roll Night / Rather Posh Party
Recipe Swap / Regatta
S
Sky Dive / Sponge Throwing / Smartie Tubes Fill / Strawberry Teas / Sponsored Silence / Stamp Collection Valuation / Snail Racing / Sandwich board Men Sponsored Sing Song / Skittles Competition / Square Dance / Street Collection Sleep Over / Sleep Out / Strictly Come Dancing Comp / Shocking Sock Tie Day
Swap Shop / Supper Dances /Swim Challenge / Sweepstake – Grand National
Shave Your Head! / Swear Box / Salsa Evening / Scrabble Comp. /
Slave for the Day / Sponsored Slim / Shave Your Beard / Shoe Shine
Steam & Traction Engine Rally / Santa’s Grotto / Snooker Comp. / Street Party
Sherry Evening / Supermarket Trolley Dash
T
Tea Dance / Talent Contest (X Factor) / Tea Party / Treasure Hunt / Toy Fair
Theatre Night / Tombola / Tee Shirts / Twenty Four Hour All Day Event
Tug O’ War / Teddy Bears Picnic / Theme Days/Nights / Three Legged Pub Crawl
Ten Pin Bowling / Tennis Tournament / Triathlon
U
Uni Cycling / Unwanted Presents (e-bay for charity) / University Challenge Umbrella Dancing / Ugly Legs, Face etc. / Underwear Party. / Ungroomed Day
Underwear Out Day
V
Valentines Day / Variety Show / Vintage Car, Motor Cycle Show /Vegetable Sale
W
Waxing / Wedding Fayre / Walks (sponsored) Three Peaks, Three Mountains, Lyke Wake etc./ Wellie Wanging / Whiskey Bottle Roll / Wheelbarrow Race
Window Cleaning / Whist Drive / Wine & Cheese Tasting / White Elephant Stall
Weight of the Cake / Wishing Well / Wet Sponge Throw
White Water Rafting
World Meal (African, Caribbean, Cajun, Indian, Chinese etc + dress up)
X
Xylophone Recital / X Factor Competition / X-Files Party
Xmas Cards + donation instead of sending, Hampers, Gifts, Stockings
Y
Yard of Ale Competition / Yachting Competition / Yorkshire Pudding Eat-A-Thon
Yoga-thon / Yodelling Comp. / Yo-Yo Comp. / Yes Day
Z
Zoo Visit or Quiz / Zombie Party Night
Zodiac Evening (guest astrologer – charge for horoscopes and entry)
Zebedee & Magic Roundabout Party / ZZZ Sleep A Thon
Some useful links:
www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
http://www.nonprofit.pro/start_fundraising.htm
http://www.dsc.org.uk/Training/TheFundraisingProgramme/FundraisingTips
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