1. Discount Cards – Discount cards are a popular fundraising idea for schools. These credit card-sized items offer a variety of discounts from local businesses. Most often, these discounts are to area restaurants, but the cards can also include discounts for oil changes, movie rentals, haircuts, and more. Discount cards often sell for $10 and, generally, all proceeds will go to your school.
2. Restaurant Fundraiser – Team up with a local restaurant and reap the fundraising rewards. With a restaurant fundraiser, the restaurant agrees to donate a specific percentage of sales from patrons who bring in a special school flyer. This is usually a one-day event and generally a big moneymaker.
3. Candy Bar Fundraiser – Candy bar fundraisers have been used for decades. Students can take the candy bars selling door-to-door or at community events. The individual candy bars are usually sold at prices similar to what consumers would expect to find in stores but can be bought in bulk for fundraising purposes at cheaper per unit costs.
4. Car Wash Fundraiser – Car washes are a great way for schools to raise funds when the weather is nice, and they are a perfect way for students to work together.  Market the event throughout the community and select a location with high visibility and traffic. You can either set a fixed price per car or accept donations in exchange for washes.
5. Christmas Greenery – With so many families celebrating Christmas, the holiday season is an excellent opportunity for fundraising.  Your students can sell wreaths and garlands to their neighbors, friends and families.  Many large greeneries have established fundraising programs that ship large orders or you can work with a local greenery.
6. Bake Sale – Hosting a bake sale is another tried-and-true fundraising ideas for schools. Have parents donate baked good such as cookies, cakes, muffins or brownies. Be sure to select a time and place where there will be lots of people, such as a school open house or a sporting event.
7. Hot Dog Sale – Selling hot dogs is a great, inexpensive fundraiser. Set up a hot dog stand at the entrance to a local grocery store (the store may even donate supplies to your sale), at a local festival or at a school sports event. Pair the hot dogs with a small bag of chips and a soda, and you’ll find it hard for people to resist.
8. Battle of the Bands Fundraiser – Encourage the musical talent at your school to rally behind your cause by participating in a battle of the bands event. Offer a small prize for the winning band and sell tickets to family and friends who want to come and support their favorite bands.
9. Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser – A spaghetti dinner event is an easy, low cost way to raise money for your school.  Often, local grocery stores may donate key items, such as spaghetti, sauce, salad ingredients and garlic bread. Pre-sell tickets, so you’ll know how much food you will need. Have students and faculty serve as waiters and offer take-out orders for those who would like to take the dinner home with them.
10. Silent Auction – Silent auctions are potentially one of the most lucrative fundraising ideas for schools. Seek out donations of items and services from community members and local businesses for the auction. Additionally, have students create items that can be auctioned.  To double your fundraising proceeds, hold a silent auction in conjunction to other fundraising events, like a spaghetti dinner.

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To help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made over the years, I’m identifying some of them here with tips on how avoid them. This way, you can achieve the same success I have in my fundraising without having to deal with the mistakes first.

Mistake #1: Lack of Understanding Your Audience

Many fundraising teams make the mistake of not considering whom they are targeting when planning what they will sell. When you plan your fundraiser, consider the audience you will target by asking yourself these questions:

• What are the interests of your audience?
• What does your target population need, rather than want?
• How large is your population? Consider a different population if the first chosen is not large enough.
• What would your audience respond to the most in marketing?
• What is the average income level?
• What means the most to your population? Is it the cause or the products?

By understanding your audience, you can direct your products, marketing and pitching according to what makes them respond the most.

Mistake #2: Lack of Efficient Marketing

Many people stick with one marketing method and don’t consider how using multiple routes to delivering their fundraising news can be beneficial. When you use only one method, you don’t reach as many people as you could, which means your fundraiser risks the publicity and donations it could receive.

To know your audience, begin thinking about your marketing method and include as many tactics as possible.

• Face-to-face marketing
• Direct mail marketing
• Newspaper and local magazines
• Telephone calls
• Advertising flyers
• Online with email, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking possibilities

Time is a factor with marketing. Do not advertise too early or your target audience may forget about it. Don’t do it too late or your audience may have other plans. It’s best to advertise one to two weeks before to allow your population to schedule for it.

Mistake #3: Not Creating a Budget

Don’t compromise your profits by spending more on the fundraiser than you will make or close to it. Setting up a budgeting plan will allow you to consider how much you are spending and speculate how much of a profit you can make from the event.

When you start a budget, consider the following:

• The money you have available to use
• The money you want to raise
• The fundraising products or event costs

When you think about the profit, consider the time it will take you to organize the event and/or sell the products. You need to allow enough time to bring in the contributors to raise the amount you need.

Mistake #4: Not Having Enough Volunteers

Many fundraiser teams underestimate the number of volunteers they need. This can be devastating when the team can’t handle the multitude of guests at the event or reach as many potential buyers to sell products.

Always remember, the more volunteers, the better. Use volunteers for every part of the fundraiser. This includes budget planning, event organization, and marketing.

To find out the minimum number of volunteers you need, ask yourself these questions:

• How many people will it take to come up with a budget? This is usually a minimum of two people.
• How many people do you need to market effectively? This usually has to do with how many tactics you will use and the size of your audience.
• How many volunteers will it take to organize the event or sell the products? This has to do with the size of the event’s location and the how large your population is you are targeting.

Mistake #5: No Backup Plan

If you’re holding your fundraising event outdoors, not having a backup plan could be devastating. When you don’t make the profit you expected, the need for funding can put your organization in a bind. Planning for the unexpected can prevent lost donations and up your profits to where you need them to be to help the organization.

Mistake #6: Not Researching Other Fundraisers

Fundraising teams that don’t research other events in the area run the risk of targeting an exhausted audience, because they have already invested in a similar organization. Your fundraising success depends on seeking an audience that is fresh and untargeted by other fundraisers.

Mistake #7: Failing to Build Relationships

Many fundraiser teams make the mistake of doing emergency fundraising, instead of building quality relationships with their audience. When you build a relationship with your audience, you capture the emotions that make them want to buy from you.

To build this relationship with your audience, do the following:

• Hold events that do not hold a primary purpose of fundraising. Mingle with guests and take genuine interests in their lives.
• Send newsletters to past donors updating them on how their contributions help the organization thrive.
• Provide information to possible contributors with or without a nudge for a donation.
• Spend time in the community, meeting people and telling them about the organization.

Mistake #8: Allowing People to Think About It

The biggest mistake among fundraising teams is allowing people to think about making a donation or buying something. When people have a chance to think about it, they have a chance to talk themselves out of it. Getting people to act on impulse is the best way to meet your fundraising needs.

When coaching your fundraising team, teach them how to get around the classic response, “I’ll have to think about it…”

• Start with rapport building, such as, “Your yard is beautiful.”
• Progress into how you understand how busy they are and you hope you are not interrupting them.
• Tell them this won’t take a lot of time. You just want to tell them about the organization you present.
• Go from the positives of the organization into the difficulty in fulfilling some of those great things you do because of lack of funding.
• You can then ask for their assistance in continuing the efforts of the organization by saying, “With your support, we can continue to deliver the services we find so beneficial.”
• Show them the tickets or products and mention how you only have a day to offer them, so you would appreciate their support while you are with them.

While the steps to the sale may not seem like they all have to do with avoiding the “I’ll have to think about it.” situation, they all work together to build up the anticipation and then the need to invest once you present the material.

Mistake #9: Not Training a Fundraising Team

Many people believe everyone has the knack for selling. This is not true. Fundraising teams need coaching on how to sell event tickets and products. Using the suggestions in the above tip on how to avoid the “I’ll have to think about it…” excuse can help you prepare your team.

Mistake #10: Using the Same Fundraiser Every Year

While the Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts have found much success in their products year after year, this doesn’t work for every fundraiser. Changing your event or products helps you gain the donations of people you hadn’t in previous years because they were not interested, but also the continued donations of past contributors because of their dedication to the cause.

Always remember though, don’t change events and products so much you don’t target your audience.

It’s Time to Fundraise Successfully

Now that you know all of the fundraising mistakes I’ve made, you can go on to planning your fundraising event to be a success.

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1. 50/50 Raffle – This is number one on our list of 10 good fundraising ideas for novice fundraisers for several reasons, but chief among them is its ease; the only material you really need to get this fundraiser going is a roll of raffle tickets. People love this type of fundraiser. Choose an event where lots of people will be in attendance to maximize your success. Sell the 50/50 raffle tickets at $1/ticket (participants can buy as many as they’d like). During the event, select one ticket (the winner). The winner will receive 50% of the money and your organization/cause will keep the other half.
2. Simple Online Fundraising – Online fundraising doesn’t have to be hard. There are so many tools to make it simple and safe these days. Our favorite free online fundraising platform is GoFundMe. Online fundraising platforms allow you to easily set up a donation web page that you can share with your Facebook friends and email contacts.
3. Bake Sale – Bake sales are a classic fundraiser because they work! People love homemade goodies! A bake sale at a school function, office, or other event is easy to organize, even for the novice fundraiser.
4. Spare Change Fundraiser – Partner with local merchants and place collection canisters near their checkout areas to collect spare change. Those pennies can really add up! Just be sure to have your canisters clearly labeled with where the money is going and collect your donations frequently.
5. Garage Sale – Ask all of your organization’s members, as well as others in the community, to donate items to sell at your fundraising garage sale. Select a location for your sale where you’ll have lots of traffic and be sure to put up signs advertising your sale and promoting your cause.
6. Can Collection – Set up recycling receptacles in various places around your organization’s office or throughout your community/neighborhood. Tell members to collect cans from their families and friends. Take them to your local recycler and earn money for each can you collected.
7. Face-Painting Booth – You don’t have to be Monet to take advantage of number 7 on our list of 10 good fundraising ideas for novices; all you need is a table, paintbrushes, face paint, and some imagination. Local festivals and fairs are perfect opportunities for face-painting booth fundraisers.
8. Jelly Bean Jar – Fill a jar with a certain number of jelly beans and ask people to guess how many are in the jar for a certain price. The person with the closest guess not only wins the jar of jelly beans but also a prize. Ask a local merchant to donate the prize for the winner.
9. Ice Cream Social – Everyone loves ice cream, and it’s a good fundraising idea, especially for novices. For a donation, patrons enjoy a bowl of ice cream, an assortment of toppings (make sure to get as many toppings as possible — that’s part of the fun), and time with their family and friends.
10. Charity Poker Tournament – Have Vegas-style fun while raising money for your favorite charity. Texas Hold’em is a popular game both at casinos and at home. Save a portion of the entry fees as prize money for the winners. Make sure to check with the government about any possible restrictions against holding gambling-themed events.

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Why might you want to run a car donation fundraiser?

That’s simple; you can raise a whole lot of money in a short period of time. You see, used and even broken cars still have value. The organizations listed in our directory will help you remove the cars or other vehicles you source, assess their value, liquidate them and transfer the money to your 501(c)(3) organization or a non-profit organization that supports your cause. All you have to do is establish a partnership with one of these organizations and then have your organization’s members track down used cars that people are willing to donate in exchange for a tax write-off. Are there members of your organizations who have cars that fit this description?  Could you put up signs around your neighborhood seeking these kinds of cars out?  There are lots of possibilities.  Be creative and good luck!

Click here to visit our newly launched Car Donation Directory!

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1. Fast Pitch Fundraiser – This is a great fundraiser for baseball teams. Organize your fundraiser at a time when lots of other teams will be in attendance, such as during a tournament. Set up a radar gun to measure the speed of pitches. Whoever is the fastest in each age group wins a prize donated by local merchants. Charge a participation fee to raise money.
2. Goal Kick Fundraiser – This is similar to the fast pitch fundraiser but only for soccer teams. Measure the speed (or length) of goal kicks to determine the winners for each age level. Again, a participation fee is the best way to make money with this fundraiser.
3. Chuck-a-Puck – Number 3 in our carefully culled fundraising ideas for sports teams list is perfect for hockey teams. Sell numbered pucks (ideally foam, for safety reasons) to participants. During the break between periods, let participants throw their pucks on the ice from their seats, trying to come closest to a set target on the ice. The winner is the person whose numbered foam puck comes closest to the target. Like a 50/50 raffle, the winner will take 50% of the proceeds and the charity will take 50% of the proceeds.
4. Flock of Flamingos – This is a fun fundraising idea for sports teams. Donors purchase your stealthy services to surprise a loved one. In the middle of the night, your team will place a flock of plastic flamingos in a recipient’s front yard with a card saying who they are from. It’s simple but hilarious.
5. Scramble Golf Tournament – Find a golf course that will let you use their greens and charge an entry fee, which is the fundraiser element of the tournament. Solicit local merchants for prizes for the tournament.
6. White Elephant Raffle – Make your raffle more exciting with this fundraising idea for sports teams. Place raffle items in sealed bags or boxes, so donors don’t know for sure what is in each bag or box. Offer a list of items, though, to get people excited about what they may win.
7. Bat Boy/Girl Auction – Partner with your local professional or semi-professional team and raffle off an opportunity to be a bat boy/girl for a game. Tickets for the parents and other team merchandise can complete the winning package.
8. Pie-Eating Contest – This is a great fundraiser to hold after a tournament. What kids wouldn’t want to see how fast they could eat a pie — with no hands? Offer a sports-themed prize for the winner and prepare to get a little messy. To raise funds, charge a participation fee.
9. Center Ice Shot – Block off most of the hockey goal and let entrants take a shot at the goal. Start with a larger opening and then make it smaller and smaller. The person who gets the puck in the smallest goal wins the grand prize.
10. Casino Night – Let the grown-ups have some fun with one of the most exciting fundraising ideas for sports teams. Hire a professional organization to host your event or break out your favorite casino games and host it yourself (assuming it’s legal according to all applicable gambling laws in your area). Winners can use their chips to bid on donated prizes at the end of the night.

Don’t forget, as a sports team, you have access to your team’s mailing list of parents and athletes — and all of them have Facebook friends. Here’s a bonus idea (#11): Leverage that list by setting up a free donation web page like those on GoFundMe and reach out to all of the members on that list to make a small donation online. The best part — and the true value of raising money online — is that your GoFundMe page can be shared with relatives and friends who are far away. Do you think relatives would contribute a few dollars so your son or daughter could have new uniforms? We do. And, just like that, all of the sudden you have a national (or perhaps even international) fundraising campaign.

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1. 50/50 raffle – This is one of the best cheap fundraising ideas, because the only cost to the organization is a roll of raffle tickets. Sell raffle tickets to donors and split the money evenly with the winner. Positive cash flow is immediate.

2. Services auction – Your organization’s members could offer services that are then auctioned off to raise funds, in this cheap fundraising idea. Services could include car washing, house cleaning, lawn mowing, snow shoveling, or any other tasks your members feel comfortable offering.

3. Garage sale – Everyone has unwanted items in their garages, basements or spare bedrooms. Gather these items together and host a huge charity garage sale! The only costs are price stickers and some signage to advertise your sale, making it one of the easiest cheap fundraising ideas.

4. Face painting – The only materials you’ll need to buy with a face painting booth are paintbrushes and face paint. Set up a booth at a school carnival or local festival, where there are lots of children who will want their faces painted.

5. Hair feathers/extensions – Hair feathers and extensions are all the rage. Set up a booth at a local festival and charge up to $15 for each set you put in for your supporters. Feathers and extension run from approximately 30 cents up to $3.00 a piece.

6. Nature walks – If you’re familiar with the local flora and fauna, offer a guided nature walk. In this cheap fundraising idea, the only cost involved is your time.

7. Origami workshop – Origami, otherwise known as the Japanese art of paper folding, transforms a simple sheet of paper into something fabulous. This is a great cheap fundraising idea because your costs are next to nothing.

8. Can recycling – No money is needed to undertake this cheap fundraising idea. Simply have members collect cans, and then deliver them to your local recycler and reap the rewards.

9. Ask for money – Sometimes the most direct route is the best. If your organization is trying to raise funds, directly ask others for donations. Send out a fund request letter and/or e-mail to a wide variety of people. GoFundMe is a great tool for raising funds online. It’s 100% free and an excellent way to raise money from your Facebook friends or email contacts.

10. Teddy bear picnic – Children will love this event! Charge an admission fee (teddy bears get in free, of course) and serve inexpensive small sandwiches and juice. Play games for both the human and furry attendees.

What’d we miss?  Please let us know in the comments.

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1. Recycling. Kids can raise money and be environmentally responsible in the first on our list of youth fundraising ideas. Children can collect cans at home, as well as set up recycling bins at their parents’ workplaces, and bring them to the recycler.
2. Car wash. A bucket of soapy water, a sponge and a hose is all that kids need to host a charity car wash. Have the kids make signs detailing which charity they are doing the car wash for, in order to maximize donations.
3. Penny drive. Have children decorate containers that they can drop of at local businesses to be placed next to cash registers. Containers should explain a bit about the organization the money will go to. Occasionally, accompany the children to collect the containers and deliver the money they raised. Older kids might not be interested in penny drives, so try a more modern version. Middle school and high school students can raise small sums from all of their Facebook friends ( a “digital penny drive”) using GoFundMe.
4. Lemonade stand. A lemonade stand is not only a great way for kids to raise money for their favorite charity, but it can teach them the basics of business as well. From the laws of supply and demand to determining profit margins, these are life lessons they’ll hold with them forever.
5. Party for a cause. Older kids can host a party to support their favorite cause. Have them arrange the venue and music and decorate and sell tickets to their friends. They can even sell snacks and drinks at the party to raise even more money.
6. Bake sale. Gather children together to make and sell baked goods. Youth groups should approach their church to get permission to sell after Sunday services.
7. Teddy bear picnic. Younger children will have a blast hosting a teddy bear picnic, for our seventh out of ten youth fundraising ideas. For a small donation, your young one’s friends and their furry, stuffed guests can enjoy sandwiches and other finger foods, all for a good cause.
8. Art show. Have children create paintings and drawings and ask a local frame shop to donate the frames. Then, invite the community to the art show, allowing community members to purchase the works of art, with all proceeds going to charity.
9. Face painting. Face painting is a fun and easy fundraising idea for older youth. Set up a booth at a local festival or carnival and be sure to indicate to which charity the proceeds will be going.
10. Ice cream social. I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream! Kids can dish out the ice cream and the toppings and help with the cleanup from this frosty and delicious fundraising event.

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A fundraising thermometer is a visual representation of an organization’s progress toward its fundraising campaign’s goal. This graphic depiction offers benefits to all of the stakeholders in the fundraising campaign. From the organization itself, to the fundraising volunteers, to the general public, every fundraising campaign needs a fundraising thermometer.

For the charitable organization, a fundraising thermometer lets the organization know they are on track to meet their fundraising goals. Although numbers – dollars and cents and percentages – can relay the same information, for people in the organization who are more visual, a graphical representation of the organization’s progress can really emphasize where the campaign is currently and how much farther volunteers need to go to meet their goal.

For those hard-working volunteers actually doing the fundraising, a fundraising thermometer can keep them motivated. As they see the thermometer fill up, they’ll know their efforts are paying off. If this is tied to a reward, it can be even more motivational.

Lastly, for the general public, a publicly displayed fundraising thermometer, either online or in the real world, serves two purposes: (1) Even if a member of the general public has not supported your cause in the past, seeing a visual representation of your goals can encourage him or her to contribute. (2) For past supporters of your charity, it can alert them to the new campaign, as well as encourage those who have already donated to donate a little more, especially as you near the top of your thermometer.

There are several online fundraising thermometers available for free. Below are five sites to choose from:

1. GoFundMe (this also allows people to donate right through your site)
2. EntropyFarm.org
3. Fundraising Ideas Center
4. Fundraiser Insight
5. School-Fundraisers.com

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1. Business sponsorships. Visit local businesses and ask them to sponsor a portion of your mission trip, such as one day’s worth of expenses. Target businesses that advertise in your church bulletin or whose owners you know directly.
2. Send friends and family letters. Send a letter out to all of your family and friends and let them know about your upcoming trip. Include information about the work you’ll be doing, as well as the costs involved, and ask for their support. Take it one step farther: Instead of sending out old snail mail letters, send out emails and contact your Facebook friends with a link to a free donation page you’ve set up on GoFundMe, a site that makes it easy to collect donations online.
3. Church support. Talk to your church leaders and ask them to contribute financially. Churches may have amounts set aside in their budgets for just this purpose. This is one of the most overlooked mission trip fundraising ideas.
4. Bake sale. Host a bake sale after church, noting that all funds will go to your mission trip. Make a display that details your trip for people to learn more about the mission they are supporting.
5. Salvation bracelets. With some rawhide lacing and beads in black, red, white, blue, green, and gold, make salvation bracelets to sell following church services. Sell them two at a time, so the buyer can keep one and give the other to someone else.
6. Garage sale. Think about the lack of material items the people you will help on your mission trip have. Now think of all the things you have that you could sell in a garage sale to raise money for your trip in what is one of the easiest mission trip fundraising ideas.
7. Sell fair trade items. From soap to coffee, there are dozens of fair trade items you can sell to help raise money for your mission trip. Check out the Internet for ideas and know you’ll be helping others around the world while raising money!
8. Car wash. Get your church’s permission to host a car wash fundraiser after Sunday services to help fund your mission trip. Gather together fellow mission trip participants and wash your way closer to having your trip paid for.
9. Mission trip dinner. With the assistance of family, friends or other mission trip participants, host a fundraising dinner with your upcoming mission as the theme. Have presentation materials detailing your trip available and serve local foods from the region you’ll be traveling to.
10. Raffle yourself off. You may not have the money to pay for your mission trip on your own, but you certainly have the time and the talent. Raffle off blocks of your time. The lucky winners will have your undivided service for four hours and you’ll do whatever chores they’d like.

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