Cheerleading squads rely on fundraising for a variety of items including new uniforms and travel costs for competitions.  Fundraising can make or break a season, so every cheerleading organization can benefit from successful fundraising. Following are the top ten cheerleading fundraising ideas.

1. Spirit calendar. One of the most profitable cheerleading fundraising ideas is to put together a spirit calendar with a picture of the squad for each month of the year. Partner with local businesses, and offer coupons on the bottom of each month’s calendar page for buyers to use when shopping and dining at local retail establishments and restaurants.
2. Discount cards. A discount card is designed to provide the cardholder with discounts on the products and services of local businesses.  A good discount card is a win-win opportunity, as it offers a high profit margin, often 80-90%, and card purchasers will enjoy savings from discounts which far outweigh the initial cost of purchasing the card.
3. Cheer clinic. Hosting a cheer clinic is one of the best cheerleading fundraising ideas. Teach younger cheerleaders some of your tricks. You’ll not only raise money for your squad, but when these girls are older, they’ll be better prepared to join a cheerleading squad.
4. Mini-golf tournament. The whole family will enjoy this fundraiser because people of all ages can participate in mini-golf.  Local businesses can sponsor holes and donate prizes.
5. Rubber wristband bracelets. Rubber wristband bracelets are fun and fashionable. Have your school’s name embossed on the bracelet to encourage classmates to show school spirit while supporting your cheerleading squad. Offer them in several colors so people buy more than one.
6. Bake sale. Your classmates will gobble up your bake sale items. Bake cookies, brownies, cupcakes and more, and offer them for sale before a game.
7. School spirit apparel. As a cheerleader your job is to promote school spirit. Foster school spirit with your fundraiser, too! Sell school spirit apparel for people to wear at games.
8. Gift wrapping. Christmas is a busy time of year for people, which makes it the perfect time to offer a service based fundraiser. Talk to a local store or mall, and set up a gift wrapping station for busy customers.
9. Stadium seat cushions. Sitting on hard bleachers certainly isn’t comfortable, but   stadium seat cushions can help! Have the cushions printed with your school mascot and name, and sell them before the games.
10. Face painting booth. Host a face painting booth at a local festival, school carnival or before a sporting event. Kids will love to have their faces painted by their local cheerleading favorites.

Candy bars are a popular choice for fundraising. The candy bars’ low price point makes them easy to sell. Candy bars are also perfect for children to sell. Whether your fundraiser is to support a sports team, after-school activity, or church group, following are tips on how to hold an excellent candy bar fundraiser.

• Select the right candy bar company. Choosing the right candy bar company is a critical step for a successful candy bar fundraiser. Select a company who offers a variety of candy bars to meet a variety of tastes and to maximize sales. Also, consider the profit margin that will go to your organization.
• Select the best time for your fundraiser. Timing is everything. Try to choose a time when other large fundraisers aren’t going on in your area, like Girl Scout cookies or Boy Scout popcorn. Also, try to time your fundraiser at the beginning of your group’s year, when members are most excited.
• Encourage members to think outside the box. Door-to-door sales and sales to family and friends are tried-and-true methods, but they are not your only sales options for a candy bar fundraiser. Set up a table at a local event—like a sports tournament, garage sale, or school open house—where there’s a lot of foot traffic. Contact area businesses who may like to buy a case of candy bars to hand out to their clients, like real estate agents, accountants, or insurance agents.
• Make it a contest. Offer a prize for the highest seller to encourage competition. Ask an area business, like a local sporting goods store, to donate a related prize to your candy bar fundraiser. Or you can buy a fast-food gift card with a small part of the proceeds to motivate sellers to earn the top-seller award.
• Personalize your labels. Some candy bar fundraiser companies allow you to personalize your labels. You can team up with a local area merchant to provide discounts to candy bar buyers, which will encourage them to purchase the products in addition to promoting your cause. A $1-off coupon for a value meal at a local fast-food restaurant can encourage people to buy your candy bars and drive business to another local company in the process.

Fundraising is critical to your organization. Without successful fundraising campaigns, programs, activities, and equipment are oftentimes cut from the budget. However, not all fundraising ideas work for all groups. Following are 9 great fundraising ideas for when everything else hasn’t worked.

1. Fundraising Letter – Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Some community members may not be interested in buying candy or cookies, but they may be willing to simply donate money. Send out a fundraising letter detailing the amount of money you are trying to raise and where those funds will go.
2. Organization Garage Sale – Everyone loves a good garage sale. Gather items from your organization members and other community members and hold a large garage sale. Be sure to include your organization’s name in all advertising so people will know their purchases are for a good cause.
3. Spaghetti Dinner – With donations from local grocery stores, money raised from a spaghetti dinner can be almost entirely profit for your group. Advertise your dinner heavily and have members presell tickets so you know how much to prepare before the event.
4. Casino Night – Everyone enjoys the idea of winning something, and with a casino night fundraiser, the participants will have the pleasure of playing Vegas-style games while you raise money.  Gather donated prizes players can win with their chips at the end of the night.
5. Spare Change Canisters – The saying “Every penny counts” is absolutely true. Place spare change canisters in local businesses and watch those pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters really add up with very little effort.
6. 5K Run – Runners from all over the community will enjoy supporting your cause while they participate in your race. You can simply collect entry fees or encourage racers to make donations.
7. Hot Dog Sale – Hot dogs are inexpensive and popular, making this a great fundraising idea to try when all else has failed. Set up your hot dog booth in front of a busy grocery store, a home improvement store, or at a local festival.
8. Grants – Grants are an often-overlooked fundraising opportunity for small organizations. A variety of organizations offer grants to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Check local and national resources to see if there’s a grant that will fit your needs.
9. Restaurant Night – Partner with a local restaurant in support of your organization. For each person that brings in one of your flyers, the restaurant will give your organization a certain percentage of the sales. This win-win situation raises money for your group while increasing sales for the restaurant that night!

Wouldn’t it be great to raise money for your favorite organizations without having to spend extra money? That’s the basic premise of scrip fundraising. Following is an overview of this relatively recent entrant to the fundraising scene, along with tips on how to make your scrip fundraising a success.

Scrip Fundraising Overview

With scrip fundraising, organizations buy gift cards from retailers at a reduced rate. Donors then buy these gift cards from the organization at retail price, and the organization gets to keep the difference. Donors then redeem the gift cards at the retailer for full face value, making purchases they normally would anyway! It’s a win-win situation. Your organization has an easy fundraiser, and the retailer gets more customers.

Where to Buy

There are several online scrip retailers who work with national retailers. You can purchase everything from gas gift cards to national restaurant chains through these sites. Some do not have minimum orders, but others do, so be sure to read the fine print.

Profit

The profit your organization earns will vary, depending on the gift card. Profit typically ranges between 1.5 percent and 20 percent. Lower profit margins are typically for gas cards and grocery stores. However, these are items that people purchase weekly, which can really add up!

Tips for Scrip Fundraising Success

Be sure your members understand how easy it is to raise money using this program. Have them use the gift cards for all of their normal purchases—gas, groceries, dining out, clothing, and more. Explain to them that they don’t need to make purchases they wouldn’t normally make. By simply making their everyday purchases through this program, your organization can earn hundreds of dollars per year from everyone who participates.

1. FundraisingCrossing.com – FundraisingCrossing.com is a job-reporting site focused on fundraising jobs. They gather jobs from fundraising job boards, association websites, and employer websites. Featured employers include organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Salvation Army.
2. Philanthropy.com – The Chronicle of Philanthropy is an interconnected website featuring news, ideas, and jobs from the nonprofit world. Their job search engine is free to use and features fundraising jobs from all over the world.
3. DotOrgJobs.com – DotOrgJobs.com is a division of onPhilanthropy. A global resource for philanthropic and nonprofit professionals, their job search engine features a variety of jobs from leading organizations within the nonprofit sector.
4. Jobs.AFPnet.org – AFPnet.org is the website for the Association for Fundraising Professionals. Their Job Center tab allows users to search for a posted job or to post a résumé to attract potential employers looking for a fundraising professional.
5. NPConnect.org – At Nonprofit Connect, you’ll find nonprofit tools and training resources. Their Career Center features listings for numerous fundraising jobs, as well as other positions within nonprofit organizations.
6. FundraisingJobs.org – FundraisingJobs.org is a job search aggregator that specializes in fundraising positions in America. They offer hundreds of jobs gathered from job boards, association websites, and newspapers.
7. OpportunityKnocks.org – Opportunity Knocks’ tagline reads “Jobs that change the world.” Their job listings and career development resources are geared specifically for nonprofits. They offer a wide variety of fundraising jobs nationwide.
8. Idealist.org – Idealist offers not only links to fundraising jobs but also internships and volunteer opportunities. Their website features thousands of jobs globally, with a search tool that allows you to select a specific area of focus you are interested in, such as education or health.
9. NonProfit-Jobs.org – NonProfit-Jobs.org is a division of execSearches.com. This website lists jobs solely within nonprofits, including fundraising jobs. In addition to searching their job listings, you can also set up a nonprofit job alert, which will notify you when new positions that fit your criteria are posted.
10. Nonprofit Organizations – If you’re looking for fundraising jobs, try going directly to the nonprofit organizations that interest you the most. Many organizations have a job board with their current open positions listed.

Price Point

In its most basic form, a lollipop fundraiser is much like other sales-based fundraisers. Members sell lollipops, and your organization keeps the profits. However, unlike many other types of fundraisers, lollipops have a very low price point, making them a popular item. Most companies offer fundraiser lollipops for about 25¢ each. You can sell them for 50¢ and make a 50 percent profit!

Flavors

Fundraiser lollipops come in a wide variety of flavors. From gourmet to holiday to the sour flavors children love, you’re sure to find a flavor selection that will work best for your fundraiser. You can even buy lollipops made of chocolate.

Shapes

Lollipops don’t have to be round, although it’s still a popular option. Many companies offer a variety of molded lollipop shapes. You’ll find shapes ranging from Christmas trees and jack-o’-lanterns—perfect for a holiday lollipop fundraiser—to footballs, lips, and more!

Advantages

There are several advantages to holding a lollipop fundraiser, as opposed to other fundraising types. At such a low price point, many people will buy more than 1 lollipop. In addition, since they’re immediately consumable, customers may come back and buy more just a little while later. Lollipops also have a long shelf life, so if you don’t sell them all, you can store them in a cool and dry place for next time!

Fundraising is a very important function for clubs. However, your fundraisers don’t have to be complex to be successful. In fact, sometimes simple is better! Following are 10 simple fundraising ideas for clubs.

1. Flower Bulb Fundraiser – Lots of people love flowers! A flower bulb fundraiser involves taking orders for flower bulbs from your family, friends, and neighbors for their gardens. Next, the company ships them directly to your donor at the right time for planting—no need to deliver!
2. Candy Bar Fundraiser – Your club can make a lot of money selling candy bars. With this simple fundraising idea, club members can go door-to-door or place an “honor system” box in office break rooms.
3. Change Jars – Spare change jars can be set near the cash register of local merchants to encourage costumers to donate their excess change to your club. Be sure to label your jars so customers will know where their change donations are going.
4. Fundraising Letter – With a well-worded fundraising letter, your club won’t have to sell anything—except itself. Let potential donors know what you’ll be using their donations for in the letter.
5. Club Yard Sale – Combine your annual spring cleaning with a club yard sale. Have all club members donate their unwanted items for one large sale. Have information about your club on hand for anyone who is interested.
6. 50/50 Raffle – A 50/50 raffle is one of the best simple fundraising ideas because you only need a roll of raffle tickets and a group of people to take part in the raffle. Split the proceeds with the winner. It’s that easy!
7. Car Wash – There’s a reason car washes are so popular—they work! All you need are a couple of willing washers, a water source, soap, sponges, towels, and a bucket for soapy water.
8. Lollipop Fundraiser – Selling lollipops is a popular simple club fundraising idea because these treats are inexpensive and therefore an easy sell. Simply have them out where people can see them, and you’ll see the profits soar.
9. Restaurant Night – With restaurant night, your club partners with a restaurant that agrees to donate a certain percentage of its sales for a night to your club when people bring in your flyers. A restaurant night fundraiser is a simple fundraising idea because all you have to do is make flyers and encourage community members to eat at the particular restaurant on the right night.
10. Recycle Cell Phones – Many people have old or broken cell phones. This can be money for your club! Collect old or broken cell phones and sell them to one of the many cell phone recyclers.

1. PayPal.com – PayPal is the leading payment-transferring website on the Internet. Donors can make donations to you instantly from the convenience of their home.
2. WorldPay.com – WorldPay is another Internet payment provider. Making donations as easy as possible is critical to maximizing your fundraising success.
3. Facebook.com – Social networking can transform your fundraising from ordinary to extraordinary, which is why Facebook is one of our 10 helpful fundraising websites. Make sure fundraisers are using the power of Facebook to solicit donations from their family and friends.
4. Twitter.com – Like Facebook, Twitter has serious social networking power. Use this website to get the word out about your fundraising efforts.
5. JustGive.org – JustGive.org is a helpful fundraising website that allows nonprofits to collect donations online for free as well as track donations.
6. Grassroots.org – According to its website, Grassroots.org offers “free capacity-building services for nonprofit organizations.” With a Grassroots toolbox, you’ll enjoy free web hosting, web building, graphic design, and lots more—making it an excellent fundraising website resource.
7. SEOBook.org – SEOBook is a nonprofit’s guide to SEO (search engine optimization). Your fundraising website will be more successful if you use the SEO tools taught on this site.
8. FundraisingJobs.com – If you’re looking for a professional fundraiser to join your organization, post your open position on the FundraisingJobs website, which is devoted solely to fundraising positions.
9. Philanthropy.com – The Chronicle of Philanthropy offers a variety of resources that can assist you with fundraising. This website explores the latest nonprofit news and ideas, and it even has a fundraising job portal.
10. Google.com/nonprofits/ – Google for Nonprofits is a unique program offered by the search engine and is one of the 10 most helpful fundraising websites on the Internet today. With Google for Nonprofits, you can receive free or discounted Google apps, free AdWords advertising, and other great tools!

Your fundraising event could create a foundation for many successful fundraisers in the future. Running the fundraiser event so your guests have the best time possible will not only entice them to donate more to your organization, but also interest them in future events.

From the fundraising events I’ve held, I’ve created this checklist of things you need to do during your fundraising event.

Make It a Successful Fundraiser

1. Plan the event down to every last detail, and then follow the plan deliberately during the event. The more you plan the lower the chance that something will go wrong.
2. Keep the event organized. There’s nothing more aggravating to guests than a poorly organized situation, which makes them wait in line, wait for food, or wait for the next presentation to start.
3. Be considerate of your guests. Think about the time of day of the event, and which refreshments they would appreciate. Making them comfortable keeps them in good spirits.
4. Provide entertainment during slow times in the event to keep people interested and happy.
5. Avoid long, uninteresting speeches.
6. Give guests a break from presentations with something fun to do. This can be the entertainment, dinner/lunch, and/or refreshments.
7. Encourage guest participation often to get guests really involved in the event. For example, allow guests to ask questions during a Q&A session.
8. Offer additional ways for guests to donate money, such as a raffle.

Prep for Future Fundraising Events

Each fundraising event is your chance to gather information from your guests, so you can continue to hold successful events in the future. Here’s what you should do during your fundraising event to start a successful path to many future ones:

1. Ask guests to sign in to the event with their name, address, phone number, and email address. This way, you can keep them informed of what is going on with your organization, and invite them to other fundraising events.
2. As you mingle with guests, ask them how they are enjoying themselves, and ask what exactly they like about the event.
3. At the end of the fundraising event, ask guests to fill out a short form about what they liked, and what they would be interested in seeing at future events. Offer a small gift to encourage more guests to complete the form.
4. Mingle with guests to create relationships with them. Relationships are important to fundraising because they increase the chances people will donate, and increase the amount of money they will donate.
5. If you have another fundraising event already scheduled, tell your guests about it, and give them a chance to buy tickets, or sign up for it.
6. If you see anyone not having a good time, speak to that person to find what is wrong, and try to please them. This might mean making special arrangements, or inviting them to a future event to improve their view of the organization, which could increase the chances he or she will donate later.

Now that you have many tips to follow to increase the success of your fundraising efforts for your organization, put them to good use. While you may see some benefits of implementing these tips right away, you will see the full potential of these tips as you use them regularly. Remember, fundraising is about building a trusting relationship with donors, and you do this by holding fun, informative, and highly guest-centered events.

An Unsuccessful Vs. Successful Fundraising Event

In college, I was in a sorority. We often did charity work for disadvantaged families in the community. Sometimes, we wanted to purchase the families some needed items, especially those with children. The items were usually diapers, wipes, formula, etc. Since we didn’t have the money to pay for these items out of pocket, we would have fundraising events.

Now, as college students, we weren’t the most skilled fundraisers. We would often just set up a car wash in the community, and paint a huge sign telling people to get their car washed. When people stopped, we would then tell them what we were hoping to do for the families.

Sometimes, we would reach our goal, and other times, not even close. It really just depended on the day, and what else was going on in the area.

Those events were hardly planned the way they should have been to make it successful each and every time we had one. I didn’t learn this though until I was part of a church fundraising event: We had a leader that had more than 10 years of experience fundraising. She was so organized and had every single aspect of the fundraising event planned. She did not leave one thing out when it came to making sure the fundraising event went on without a hitch.  One year, we had a bake sale. The fundraising event was so successful we raised $300 more than our goal. Another year, we were so successful with the event that I specifically remember hearing people gush about how fun we make our parties. She is an incredible fundraising team leader, and I am thankful to her for teaching me everything I know.

22 Things to Do for a Successful Fundraising Event

The following are 22 things that will help yours be as much of a success as hers were each and every time.

1. Ask people to join your fundraising committee. It’s important to not make anyone join if they don’t want to because they most likely won’t cooperate the way you want them to if you do.
2. With your fundraising committee, think about the target audience. What group of people will be most likely to donate?
3. With the target audience in mind, think about what they would most likely want in a fundraising event. What do they like to do? What would they like to buy?
4. Research the possible fundraising events available online. If you’re on this site, you’re on the right track.
5. Take a vote on which event will be the best one for the target audience.
6. Contact the city or town to ask about special ordinances for outside events, or ask about a selling/business license if you are selling something.
7. Research community events to choose a date for your event, so they don’t occur around the same time.
8. Give each team member a job to do. Write down the person’s name, their duties, give them a copy, and keep one for yourself.
9. Check in with team members on their progress with their duties to make sure they don’t need any help.
10.  Contact the person who manages the location where the fundraising event will be held to secure the date.
11. Find a contact person for every business you work with, so you can have someone to turn to in times of crises.
12. Order the products or the items you will need for the event.
13. Send out a newsletter to past donors telling them what your organization has been doing since the last event, and include information about the upcoming one.
14. Pass out and post flyers throughout the community to advertise the event.
15. Post the newest event’s information on your organization’s website.
16. Talk to supporting organizations to ask if it would be possible to speak to their supporters or send flyers to them.
17. Use social media sites to advertise the event.
18. Give each team member a job to do to in setting up the event, and then give each person a job to do during it.
19. Instruct each person on how to do their job. Give them detailed instructions, and provide examples of what the event should look like, if possible.
20. A couple of days before the event, call to make sure that any items that have not arrived will be on time.
21. Call to remind guests of the event two days before, and ask if they need any special accommodations.
22. Plan to have the event set up an hour before guests arrive to allow time to double check that everything is in order, and to deal with any unexpected problems.

The most important part of planning a fundraiser event is to be organized. As long as you plan every step needed to run the event, and then follow those steps, you will have a much easier time with setting up a successful fundraiser.