Find a location on campus that has lots of foot traffic or consider hosting the event ... BAKE OFF Challenge the best ba
THE A-Z’S OF FUNDRAISING FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN ART GALLLERY NIGHT Advertise an art show and have your fellow students produce drawings, paintings, and/or sculptures and throw an art opening at school! Work together to come up with a fair price for each piece and watch the artwork disappear! AUCTION OF PROMISES from landscape and gardening to dog walking, ask friends and family to donate their skills and services for auction, using the money pledged as a donation to Save the Children. BAKE SALES & FOOD SALES Gather your local chefs (the more the better) and pick a date. Find a location on campus that has lots of foot traffic or consider hosting the event after school, during common hour or at sporting events. Make sure you have plates, napkins, storage bags and plastic wrap to package the goodies to-go. Also consider selling beverages along with the snacks such as water, soda, lemonade or hot chocolate. BAKE OFF Challenge the best bakers you know to a bake-off and sell the sweet treats. Award prizes for the tastiest and biggest creations. BALLOON-O-GRAM FUNDRAISER A balloon-o-gram is a telegram with balloons. This one works nicely around Valentine’s Day. You can color code the balloons. Red= Love, White= Friendship, Pink= Secret Admirer, or make up your own! BALLROOM DANCING LESSONS The first step is talking to local dance instructors (unless you already have some you know personally) to see if they would be willing to donate their time for a series of lessons or for one longer event. Each participant would pay a donation to dance- and it’s fun, good exercise and for people of any age! BARGAIN BASEMENT EVENING GOWNS This is a great way of raising funds during Prom or Homecoming season. Ask for donations of evening gowns, old prom dresses and bridesmaid dresses that are no longer needed and make sure you specify a drop-off day, location and phone number. The bridal shops and fashion boutiques in your area may also be willing to donate some dresses for a worthy cause. Sell the dresses for discounted prices and raise funds in a fashionable way! BASKET RAFFLE Here's a really creative spin on a classic raffle. Every class or grade picks a theme for the basket they're putting together- something like sports, technology, board games, chocolate, or summer fun. Ideally, students and parents can get the items for the basket donated from local businesses. Present a list of baskets and their contents to friends, family, and neighbors and sell raffle tickets for a shot at winning one.
BIDDING FOR BLUE PLATE SPECIALS This is an interesting twist on the standard dinner fundraiser that can prove very entertaining. Have all attendees bring a single serving meal or dessert item, their checkbook, and their sense of fun- the trick is they will all be bidding for their dinner! Cover each meal so the participants can’t see what they are bidding on, and let the fun begin. You have the option of starting the bidding at the same price point for each meal, or if you think it will drive the price up (and raise more funds as a result) you might want to reveal some of the meals during the bidding process. You might find a peanut butter sandwich going for $25 and a prime rib steak selling for $5. Just be sure to check for any potential food allergies before the bidding process starts. BINGO NIGHT FUNDRAISER Bingo in various shapes or forms is popular all around the world. This makes it a great fundraiser for churches, schools, and sports clubs or for parents to do together with their kids. You’ll need a game board and someone with a microphone to be a caller. Charge a fee for each participant, and have fun! Consider selling drinks or snacks at your event as well. BOARD GAME TOURNAMENT A board game tournament is a fun fundraiser, and is something that everyone can have a go at no matter what their level of experience. Choose a fun game that most people are likely to be familiar with, such as Sorry, Monopoly, Clue or Trouble. Get 4 person teams in place (working together to accumulate points) or have individuals playing for themselves instead. Charge an entry fee for each team or individual that’s taking part. BOW TIE TUESDAYS On the first Tuesday of each month have every boy, girl, mom, dad, grand mom, grand dad, teacher, and administrator who walks through the front door of your school wear a bow tie. They can be real or fashioned from paper or other creative materials and have each person donate to participate. CAR WASH Find a location that has plenty of space, such as the school parking lot, and remember you need access to water. Set the price per car, truck or motorcycle and begin by pre-selling car wash tickets to faculty, friends and family. Create some BIG signs to promote your car wash on busy street corners and in front of your location. Include on the sign your price and that you are raising money for a great cause. On the big day, set up early with all necessary supplies including hoses, soap, sponges, towels and squeegees. Also, make sure to wear clothing that dries easily and be aware of moving cars! CELEBRATE WITH SAVE Birthdays, holidays and special occasions are a wonderful time to share your love for Save the Children with those close to you. Instead of gifts, ask people to make a charitable gift to Save the Children to celebrate your special day. COIN DRIVE Create some colorful coin cans and obtain permission to place the cans around campus, in the cafeteria, classrooms and in local community businesses. Remember to keep track of where you've placed the coin cans and thank the business owners of the stores and restaurants where the cans are placed. Collect the money regularly, roll it and send in the proceeds. COIN WARS Organize a coin drive with a twist! This is a great school wide event, and way to recruit different grades or classes to compete for the most coins. Students drop change into jars to compete against each other. Pennies are worth positive points; silver coins and dollars are worth negative points – so you can "sabotage" the other jars by dropping silver or cash into them. At the end of the contest give a prize to the winning class and roll the coins to send in the proceeds.
COOKING CLASS If you have access to a kitchen through your school or can rent out a space that has one, you can put on a cooking class fundraiser in a number of different ways. You might want to cover the basics of cooking from the beginning, focus on a specific type of ethnic food, or look at putting together a holiday meal. Your class can cover one type of food (vegetable dishes or party appetizers perhaps) or a certain method of cooking (such as baking). You’ll have to limit the number of participants based on the size of your kitchen and each student pays a small fee to get involved. After the class you can all join together to share the fruits of your labor. This is an idea that you can repeat to time and time again by varying the topics and methods of cooking. “CHOPPED” FUNDRAISER Host an event in your school’s kitchen or cafeteria. Ask a teacher or administrator to choose the panel of judges and cooks to participate. Cooks then have to include a list of four bizarre ingredients found in each box. Depending on other food donated, cooks will also have a pantry of items to choose from. Sell tickets to attend and watch the laughs begin! CORSAGES FOR MOM Every mom loves being spoiled and honored on Mother’s Day and a great way to do this is with a flower corsage. You can put together corsages as your next fundraiser, recognizing the great work that moms do while earning some money for a worthwhile cause. Unless you already have some experts in your group, get plenty of advice from a local florist about how to do the assembling. You’ll need to find a store to source the flowers from, and decide on the types of flowers and colors that you’re going to use. You also need other supplies, including floral tape and pins. Take pre-orders in advance so you know how many corsages you need to make, but add on a few extra for last-minute sales. Then set a pick up time and date for people to collect their arrangements. CRAZY HAT DAY In return for a $1-2 donation, let the participants wear a wacky hat for the day. The money is collected first thing and those involved then get a hand stamp to show they’ve paid up and are entitled to their crazy head gear. Arrange a contest to give out prizes for the best, worst, silliest and cutest hats. A parade of wacky hats might also be a good idea, and you can get the principal and teachers involved to increase the level of fun. DANCE FUNDRAISER There’s already a school dance planned, so why not turn it into a Save the Children benefit? All you need to do is ask permission from your school’s administration to do so and donate a portion of the ticket sales. DANCE-A-THON It’s time to hit the dance floor! Get a group of willing participants to sign up (either individually or as couples) then encourage them to get pledges from friends and relatives. Setup the school gym and make sure there are beverages and snacks on sale to keep the dancers going. A DJ or Spotify playlist is a must have and offer a small prize for the last one left dancing. DARTS FUNDAISER This fundraiser lets you break out your arrows and practice your aim. Organize an official darts tournament in the school gym and you’ll give your school the chance to show off their skills. You’ll need at least one prize for the big winner, and when the planning done it’s time to get out of the way and watch the darts fly!
BOTTLE COLLECTION If you live in a state that has a redemption value on bottles and cans you can raise money for Save the Children while going green! Set a collection day and spread the word that
you are collecting cans and bottles to recycle and donate the proceeds to a great cause. It’s a good idea to print out thank you flyers that you can hand out to your donors as well. DOG BAKERY When you are bored with the traditional bake sale, try this fun one on for size! Look for recipes online or check at your local bookstore or library for a dog treat cookbook. Collect cellophane bags and consider coming up with custom labels for your doggie treats. DOG WASH Ideally you can host this event outdoors on a nice warm day. Shop around to see if you can buy dog shampoo in bulk at a discounted price. You will also need a few hoses and old towels to dry off the dogs once they’ve enjoyed their bath. Have their owners stay nearby and keep any dogs not being bathed on a leash (with a lot of animals in one place you need to stay safe). Have a few bowls of water nearby and you might also want to sell human and doggie treats as well. DRESS DOWN DAY For the privilege of wearing your pajamas or jeans to school, collect donations in the morning and give out hand stamps as proof that student and faculty that have paid. When lunchtime comes around you could put on a fashion show, giving out awards for the best dressed person and the funkiest (or ugliest) looks. FLOWER SALE This is a great spring event to hold before Easter or Mother's Day! Contact a local nursery that will sell you potted or hanging plants at a discount. Send order forms home with the students, tally the orders, arrange the transport of the plants to your school, and have people pick up their orders there. GALA Find a venue on campus or at a local hall and determine how much you will charge per ticket, for both individuals and couples. Advertise well in advance via flyers, hand written invitations, email blasts, etc. Some events may require a dress code or turn your gala into a Fashion Show event! You also need to consider the night’s entertainment, whether it’s a live band, dancers, performers or a guest speaker, prepare ahead for the type of audio/visual and stage equipment you will need. And don’t forget about food – ask your local market or grocery store to donate the food for the event, or try to get the food donated from a caterer or restaurant. Dress up and enjoy this night out to celebrate a great cause! GARAGE SALE One person's junk can be a school's treasure! Organize a garage sale, and you'll clean out your house and give back to the community at the same time. You can make the sale as small or large as you like, depending on the number of donated items and the possible locations for the sale (the school gymnasium might be an option on the weekend, if there are no sports games). GOOD GRADES FUNDRAISERS This is an incentive for students to make the best possible grades by getting pledges for making A’s (or B’s!) from their parents and family members. HIT THE HIGH NOTES Everyone has a favorite song, so grab a microphone and exercise those vocal cords in the name of charity. If you’re lucky, people might even pay you to stop singing. IT’S A WRAP! Around the holidays offer up gift wrapping and you can set up a dedicated booth at your next fundraiser. You’re going to require a choice of wrapping papers as well as ribbon, gift tags, scissors and tape. You can opt to charge per item or ask for people to donate an amount they think is suitable. As for potential locations, speak to local bookstores and shopping malls about setting up your
booth, particularly any time during the weekends. Speak to as many local storage managers as you can to see who’s interested. MAKE THE WORLD BETTER WITH A SWEATER Around the holidays or at your year-end party, wear your most "Festive" or “Ugly” holiday sweater, donate to participate and Spread the Holiday Joy! Together, with sweaters, we can make the world a better place - transforming children's lives and the future we all share. MOVIE NIGHT Find an auditorium, local theatre or a gym with access to a big screen. Gather fellow students, faculty and family members and charge a ticket fee for a private screening of your favorite film or documentary. If you’re planning the movie outdoors, hang a white sheet, borrow a computer and a projector screen, or sit in front of your white garage door and put out blankets and chairs for all the guests. You can even sell popcorn, candy and drinks to the movie-goers. RAFFLE You could do a classic 50/50 raffle where the winner gets half of the money raised, or a "chance ticket" prize raffle, where students and parents collect donated prizes from area business and then sell "chance tickets" that give people a shot at the prizes. This kind of raffle works best in conjunction with another event like a school fair, dance, or sports game. PANCAKE BREAKFAST You’ll need permission from your school administrators and parent volunteers to cook, but the idea is simple: just gather school families together for a delicious pancake breakfast! Have syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and maybe a side order of sausage, bacon and some juice, tea, or coffee as well. RECIPES FOR CHILDREN Have each child bring in a copy of their favorite recipe. Create a cookbook of these beloved recipes. Have a contest for the cover art and involve your art teacher as the final judge. Create a message in the book explaining the Save the Children mission and sell the cookbooks at school events to raise funds and awareness. RESERVED SEATS This raffle can be ongoing and used at all of the sporting events hosted by your school- make sure the two best seats in the stands or on the floor are always reserved for your organization to raffle off. Put raffle tickets on sale before the game and then declare the winner a week before. RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER Ask your favorite restaurants to host a Save the Children day and donate a percentage of the day's sales. Some chain restaurants that do these type of fundraising events are Applebees, Arbys, Boston Market, California Pizza Kitchen, Chilis, Chipole, Fuddruckers, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Panda Express, Panera, Red Robin & TGIFriday’s. RUN FOR KIDS Challenge your friends to get up and get active! Organizing a full marathon, half marathon or 5K race in honor of Save the Children is a fun and healthy event where kids can learn how to help other kids. SMOOTHIE FUNDRAISER Everyone loves a good smoothie, and you’ll find they taste even better when they’re helping to raise money for Save the Children! Get hold of an easy smoothie recipe that lets you use different kinds of fruit, and therefore create many different flavors to appeal to as many people as possible. You’re going to need a cooler on hand for ingredients like yogurt and milk, and a few bags of ice and a good blender or two, along with plastic cups, straws, and napkins as well.
SNOW SHOVELING After a big snowstorm volunteer your services for a good cause! Knock on doors and let folks know you would be happy to shovel walk ways, stairs, and driveways in exchange for a donation to Save the Children donation. TALENT SHOW Here’s where you’ll finally have the opportunity to unleash your secret superstar! You’ll need some volunteers to organize tryouts, create programs, posters and costumes and someone fun to be your MC. Host it in your school auditorium and charge for admission. TEXT TO DONATE Text SAVE to 20222 to donate $10 on your mobile phone. When you receive a text message back, reply YES and your gift will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. TIE-DYE T-SHIRTS Purchase white t-shirts and setup a tie-dye booth after school. Choose bright colors to make them groovy and colorful. Go online and learn about different tie-dying techniques. These are great to sell at Homecoming or other sporting events at your school. Make custom labels and print out the Save the Children mission statement to sell with each shirt. TRIVIA NIGHT A trivia night fundraiser caters to everyone’s competitive spirit, teaches you facts you didn’t know and raises funds all at the same time. You’ll need a microphone and a volunteer to act as MC. You can charge a flat fee for people to take part in the contests. If you can, put together individual and team challenges, and a special round for kids if the event is open to the whole family. Make sure you have prizes available for the winners — these can be gift certificates for stores or restaurants in the area, or even small customized trophies. USED BOOK SALES Ask your friends to gather up all their old books and bring them into school. Appoint a group to organize the books by grade level, and another to price them out. Hold a book sale before school, during lunch, or after school. WHAT’S IN THE BOX FUNDRAISER Curiosity will work in your group’s favor if you decide to put on this fundraiser. Have each of the attendees bring a wrapped package with them, big or small, to be auctioned off. Anything at all can be placed in the package, from tickets to the opera or a hideouslooking lamp. As each one is brought in, add a numbered label to it and place it on a table for viewing. Give the bidders the chance to examine the packages- but there must be no unwrapping or peeking. It’s up to you whether you want to run the auction live with an auctioneer or as a silent auction. With a silent auction, people write down bids on slips of paper kept near each package and try their best to outbid each other. Include a few really great items in the auction donated by local stores and let people know what these are to try and encourage higher bids. Announce the winners and collect their pledged gifts, then give each the opportunity to unwrap their package in front of everyone to see if they got a great or terrible prize, which adds to the fun! YARD & DORM SALES Declutter your life and support Save the Children! Give boxes to all your friends and family to go through closets and drawers to determine what's going into the sale. Make sure the items you plan to sell are clean and in good shape to receive the maximum value. Price your items in advance and make sure they are easily labeled. Display everything on tables or tarps on the ground and arrange items as nicely as possible. Be prepared with a cash box and have at least one person be in charge of it at all times. Make sure to have lots of small bills for change and consider having some extra bags handy to give to people who are buying multiple items.
YARD WORK When the autumn weather arrives and the leaves start falling, gather together for yard work with a purpose. Come up with a reasonable price ahead of time, and you’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a day! Make phone calls in advance or put flyers in mailboxes announcing your day and time and that all donations are going to benefit Save the Children.
