This is a great fundraiser for a fire department or EMT squad, but it can be used for nearly any community group.  It will work best at a county fair or similar large event.

It’s no surprise that young children are impressed by fire trucks and ambulances.  Growing up, my town always had a fire truck and/or ambulance that kids could tour during town fairs, parades, etc.  The volunteer firemen and EMTs never asked for donations, however.  I propose you let kids tour a fire truck and/or ambulance and inform their parents that the tours are available in exchange for donations of any size (you can also have an entry fee or sell tickets to tour the ambulance or fire truck).  The donations can go to the fire department or EMT squad or a cause that they have volunteered to represent.

Of course, there should be firemen and/or ambulance drivers on hand to explain to kids what everything does (and to prevent kids from breaking anything).

This fundraising idea is great because you don’t need to do any advance advertising at all (the presence of the vehicle at a large event should be enough) and you don’t need to tap into you existing base of supporters (which you probably do often).  The only real obstacle is recruiting some firemen or ambulance drivers to volunteer their time and their vehicles to your cause for the day.  You’d be surprised; this might not be as difficult as you think if you’re requesting them to come to a community event because it will be an opportunity for them to become familiar with community members and to gain the community’s trust.

To see how one community successfully carried out a fire truck and ambulance tour for kids, see below: