Fund Raising Idea #48 may actually be more of a tip, because it can be applied to most every fund raiser that you do.  Use this term.....minimum donation.  It is a wonderful way of saying nicely, you can pay a certain amount, but we will gladly accept more!!!  And, when you are raising money for a good cause, this is more than acceptable.  Now, sometimes people can only afford the $5.00 you are asking, however maybe they have an extra dollar....and this is a great way of saying that you will be thrilled to put this donation towards your Relay money raised!

I love this one....I never would have thought of it myself, but found it all over the internet as a great fund raising idea....in fact, it is Fund Raising Idea #47.....make a fund raising VIDEO letter!  Using a video recorder, or your digital camera, most of which have video capabilities, have someone record you telling about Relay.  Why you Relay, who you Relay for, etc.....Post this video to Facebook, U-Tube, or you can email it to your friends.  A fun and interesting way to get people's attention.  Just a great spin on a regular letter or email! 

Fund Raising Idea #46 can be for either men or women....Ask your hairdresser or your barber if they would be willing to help you raise some money for Relay.  Together you pick a day or a weekend, and ask if they would donate a portion of the day's haircuts to Relay.  You would decide on the amount ahead of time.  You could also have a sign up about what you are doing, and an additional donation jug in the salon.  You may not get the entire salon to agree or be able to participate, but maybe the stylist or barber who cuts your hair and counts you as a good customer would be happy to participate!

Here is one to think about.....Fund Raising Idea #45......A Lemonade Stand!!!  As the weather gets better and people are out and about in town, it would be a fun thing to do, or something fun to add to your tag sale.  And, best of all - it is a wonderful and fun thing for your kids to do to get involved and feel like a part of Relay.  You can sell lemonade and also have a donation jug on the table, too.  Here is a great link to a Sunkist site that gives all kinds of great tips on having a Lemonade Stand.  http://www.sunkist.com/takeastand/success/

This might be fun to do....Fund Raising Idea #44.....host a potluck luncheon.  You could maybe even do it at work.  Gather a few of your co-workers who would like to help you, or ask members of your team to cook.  Organize your meal, and then have it set-up at work for people to make a donation (suggest a minimum of $5.00) to come to your luncheon.  You could also do this at home with a lunch or even dinner.  It does not have to be elaborate, and would be very fun at a workplace - a change of pace from the usual lunch.  You could even do sandwiches, salads, soups etc.....It does not have to be fancy, just good!  And remember....people can write you a check for a donation made out to American Cancer Society and you can post it to your web page as an offline donation (look for a previous post on how to do this). 

E

Easter is several days away and Fund Raising Idea #43 is a quick one.  Put together an Easter basket - it can be geared toward a child or an adult, depending on what your "market" may be.  If it cost you $15 to put together, sell raffle tickets for $5.00 or even less - you would not have to sell too many to make a profit!  Be sure and let people know what you are raising money for.....Maybe someone has been too busy to do a basket, or maybe a husband you work with would like to surprise his wife with a pretty basket.  Think about who might want to "win" the raffle, and gear your basket that way.

Fund Raising Idea #42......I love this one....Comfy for a Cure!!!!  Wear your pajamas to work day!  How fun would that be?  Of course, you have to get permission from the boss, or if you are the boss - even better!  You publicize your special day at work and people have to give you a donation to wear their jammies to work.  We have all heard about wear your jeans to work, but this is a bit of a different spin and could raise a lot of money for your Relay efforts.  Give it a try!!!

Fund Raising Idea #41 is not a new idea.  It is however, the most important idea.

Yesterday I read a long, long, list that people submitted to Relay for Life of how

they raised money.  There were a lot of ideas, however.....I am not kidding when I say that 95 percent of the ideas were the SAME....and it was the idea that everyone said

worked!!!  If you are a regular reader of this blog, and I hope you are....you know where I am going...

EMAIL......

And....the majority of the people writing said that they wrote a personal email from their own personal email address, with a link to their page.  And...they explained WHY they participate in Relay for Life.  

A lot mentioned that they grabbed their Christmas card list and sent a letter,

or an email....So, please give this a try.  

As I have said before - the number ONE reason why people do not donate....

No one asked them.....

I got Fund Raising idea #40 from one of my team mates.  She took advantage of the gorgeous weather over the weekend and did some fund raising.  She wrote a letter about her Relay efforts....she included a link to her web page and she also printed off the offline donation form (you can find this on the Relay web site).  This made it possible for people to hand her money, give her money via credit card on her web site, or mail a check to her with the form.  She collected $125 on her walk and left information along the way in some of the mailboxes.  Now....PLEASE KIDS....we are NOT suggesting you wander the neighborhood talking to strangers.  My team mate stopped by and talked to her neighbors that she knows.  What a nice idea.  Another spin on the same idea.....this is the age of emailing, however.....how about doing a nice letter and dropping it in the mail to people.  It may get their attention even more than getting yet another email.....Good luck....

I found Fund Raising idea #39 online....I found the picture first and then did a little research, and below is what I found - I am going to just paste it below for your to read, as it will be much easier to understand coming from the gal that came up with this idea - too funny!!!

The “Traveling Potty” Fundraiser

Categorized as: Fun Fundraisers, Fundraising Ideas, News

by Sandra Sims

“The Traveling Potty” submitted by Dawn Turner-Dupuis was named the winner of the Unusual Fundraising Idea Contest.
This entry was chosen because it is unusual, fun and really excites interest among those participating. It’s also great because it takes place over an extended period of time (not just one day) and is easy to plan and particpate in.

By far the most unusual Fundraiser we have done to date is our Relay For Life Potty. We took a regular bathroon toilet and painted it in Relay For Life Colors - Purple - with a little bit of added pink (for Breast Cancer). We also painted ribbons on it in a lighter purple color, got a garden knome and put him on the potty.
We then took requests from people to have the potty placed in someones yard. The cost to place the potty was $10. The cost to have the potty removed from your yard was $10 - and you could forward it to someone else for an additional $5. We also offered “Potty Insurance” that could be purchased for $5.
We actually had a waiting list for this potty and before it was over we had 3 potty’s floating around our County. We first started delivering the Potty after dark - but we had to stop that when we had the cops called on us. After that we figured out that about 2pm was the best time to move and place the potty as most people are at work.
We had alot of fun with this fundraiser - we kept the potty going for a 1 month period and raised closed to $800.

Fund Raising Idea #38.....Have a Mini-Golf Tournament!!!  Or, Putt-Putt Golf, whatever you would like to call it.  How much fun!  There is a mini-golf course at Golf Quest in Danbury and also one at Sports-Center in Shelton.  You would need to arrange this with the manager of the golf center.  Then...promote, promote!  Several ideas.....you could ask a business in town to be your "sponsor"....ask if they would give a prize for the fist "Hole-in-One".  You could ask for a donation jar to be at the golf center for the day of your tournament....ask if someone on your team could sell snacks that day.....have a 50/50 entry fee if you like....charge people to play (you will have to figure this amount based on what the golf center charges you).....the winner of the tournament gets half of the money.  And...maybe they will donate it back to you for Relay!!!  You can charge an entry fee on top of what the golf costs are, and that would be the money you earn for Relay.  Again, prizes could be anything from a certificate to a donated prize.  Don't forget your camera!  One last thought....ask the golf center to donate something to the winner like a free game of mini-golf for later in the summer!

I got this idea from a friend of mine....she was talking about her daughter having a Powder Puff Football game at Fairfield Hills.  So...that made me thing of Fund Raising Idea #38....A Powder Puff football game....We used to do this every year at my High School In Texas....Junior Girls vs Senior Girls.  And...the guys were the cheerleaders...what a GREAT idea if you have a Miss Relay entrant....she could cheer on your team and collect money towards the Miss Relay crown.  Ok, back to the game....it could be between two Relay teams, or you could just have people pay to play until you have enough for two teams.  You could then ask for a donation for people to come and watch the game....you could have a bake sale at the game!  A lot of options.  Just make sure, wherever you play you have permission to use the field...things like that!  Just idea - it needs some planning, as do most good fund raisers.  But - it could be a good one!!!

Don't let the purple people scare you, let them help you.  If you have been to meetings, you know that there are some people who are very, very excited and into Relay for Life.  This may be there fifth or even sixth year, and your first year....Do not be over whelmed with all the excitement & know that you do not have to do all the things that are going on!  A lot of things are happening...fund raising at the meetings, fund raising outside the meetings, team laps, entertainment for that night, Miss Relay Contest.....please know that you can come to Relay and Relay.....walk and take it all in.

But be careful.....Relay fever is contagious.....

Fund Raising idea #37 is not selling candles, although that is not a bad idea!  But...a lot of teams have little things they like to sell...what about a Relay Day....where the focus is on selling "stuff".  If you could find a space, say a church basement, you could sell spots.  Teams or individuals could rent that space to sell stuff to raise money for their team.  I had mentioned in the past participating in a craft fair, this would be more like hosting one, but it would not be limited to crafts.  I have a team member who is selling purple doggie bandanas, I am selling Relay walking pins, maybe you are having a Silpada party and want to sell that.....You get the idea.  Your job and the way you or your team would earn money would be to sell the spots and a very importantly, you would need to advertise your event!!! 

Maybe, just maybe winter is OVER and Spring will be here soon.....that makes me think of Fund Raising Idea #36......the winter has left a lot of people with a lot of Spring clean up to be done in their yards.  Offer to help a friend or a neighbor clean up their beds, pick up the sticks that have blown all over the yard, and get their beds ready to plant!  Ask for a donation to your Relay efforts.  You know, you can always have someone go onto your website and make a credit card donation.....or they can write you a check or give you cash.  Those are entered onto your site as an offline donation.  You can go back through this blog and I walk you step by step through entering an offline donation.  So, grab your rakes and have some fun working for a CURE.....

Fund Raising Idea #35.....A No Talent Show...ok, I got the idea for that name online - but it is good, right?  It is actually a Karaoke contest, tournament, whatever you choose to call it.  Again, you can do it small at your house, or larger if you have a place.  Don't have a machine?  If you are having a fairly large party you can rent a machine, with a monitor for the words and 12 Karaoke CD's from Taylor Rental in Monroe, CT for $85.  You charge people to enter your contest, or to just come to your party.  But....you can ask around, someone may have one you can just borrow.  Prizes?  Of course....even if it is a certificate that they won.  Age groups?  That is up to you....you could even do a kids one - a teen one - only adults!  You can also let people enter on their own, or in groups.  Just remember, it is a Fund Raiser and even if they enter in a group. each person pays an entree fee!  Happy bad singing.....

Time to start thinking about decorating - one of my FAVORITE topics....It is great, great fun to decorate your tent.  The theme this year is BIRTHDAYS.....what could be easier?  You do not have to decorate within the theme of course, but it is fun!!!  Think color.....pick one or pick a lot!  Balloons are always a great way to decorate....they do not cost a lot and that is something to think about.  You don't want to spend a lot of money to decorate, but trust me....you can decorate on a budget.  Hit the dollar store, make your decorations....be creative!  Find the person on your team that likes this type of creativity and put them in charge!!! 

Well, I can finally get online - I have been in Rhode Island and have had very on and off internet access....I was going to suggest Fund Raising Idea #34 be selling umbrellas, but the sun is out today and I read about a great idea for the actual Fund Raising Idea #34...

I know I have mentioned a bake sale before, but this has a spin....

Selling baked goods at work......

People are always looking for something yummy to eat at work.....be sure and let them know that you are selling this to benefit Relay for Life.

Another idea....a friend of mine who makes great Quiches, actually took pre-orders for them, baked them and brought them in to work that people could take home and re-heat.  She sold them for $20 each and they cost her about $5.00 to make.....

If you make a great pie, or amazing brownies you could take orders in advance for those as well.  As I have said before, every little bit of money helps and it all adds up!

Question....what is Fund Raising Idea #33?????  A Trivia Contest......all kinds of ways to do this - you could even have a party just using the Trivial Pursuit Games, of which there are sooo many.  And, if you poke around online and search trivia fund raising ideas, you will come up with web sites that give you ideas on how to structure an event like this and even get questions.  You charge people to enter your contest and that is how you make your money for Relay.  You can do prizes a lot of different ways, and again as I have stressed before....this is an event that should be for YOU to raise money for Relay for Life.  People, hopefully will not be expecting big prizes for winning.....Their prize is the satisfaction of knowing they had fun while contributing to a GREAT cause!!!!

Fund Raising Idea #32....How about a Photo Contest....You could have it be photos of anything or everything!  You could even hold a Relay photo contest with pictures from year's past....charge an entry fee, pick some fun judges, or maybe have your team be the judges.  You can decide what people win, but remember...this is for Relay....let them win a certificate or a ribbon.  Or just the satisfaction that they WON.....Hey - I will post the winning picture on my world famous blog - there you go!!!  You could have people submit photos to you by email, or however you like.  As with all fund raisers, it will take some planning, but I think it is an idea that you could do without a big investment of money ahead of time.  You will earn your money, by charging people to enter your contest.....

It all adds up.....Fund Raising Idea #31....At the April 15th Relay meeting, enter Walking for a Silver Lining's Cake Decorating Contest!!!  Check out the details on the main Relay page (link above).  You pay to enter your cake, but then....you get to split the vote money 50/50 and you could earn some bucks!!!  Remember, not every thing you do has to raise BIG bucks - if you heard me talk at the meeting I talked about how to earn $100 dollars in 10 days.  If you missed it, that is Fund Raising Idea #17.  This could be one of your days you raise $10.00 or MORE....and it all goes towards a cure....so Happy Baking!!!

I love this one....Fund Raising Idea #30.....Host a Murder Mystery Dinner!!!  There is a web site I found that you can visit and learn a lot about how to do this.  You can actually "order" the event, what to do, who the characters are etc...  You can also just use it to gain ideas.  The website is, www.dinnerandamurder.com. Here are some other ideas:

1. Figure out the logistics of the party you’ll be holding. How many people would you expect? Where will you hold it? In someone’s home, in a rental hall, a restaurant, etc.? Will the meal be catered or prepared by volunteers in your organization?

2. Decide on a theme for your party. Which theme would your guests most enjoy? Would your guests enjoy a costume party? Or a theme that didn’t necessarily require a costume?

Here are a few of the games available from Dinner and a Murder:

Murder at the Four Deuces
A rip roaring 1920’s gangster murder mystery party game with lots of murder, bribery and back stabbing to be had. Some of the guests will include infamous gangsters, politicians, singers and gamblers. - a roaring 20’s gangster murder mystery that takes place at the Four Deuces speakeasy.

Murder at the Four Deuces (Teen Version)
a fun 1920’s gangster murder mystery game designed for teens.

Remember - this could be an event with 5 people or 50.  You earn your money by charging your guests for an amazing evening.  I may have to give this a try!!!

Fund Raising Idea....#29....Participate in our Online Auction.  Relay for Life of Newtown raised over fifteen thousand dollars last year with this auction.  If you go to our main Relay Page (link at the top of this blog) you will see, on the left hand side, the On Line Auction.  Click and off you go - this will tell you how and what to do and what the parameters are.  Now...no, this money will not go directly on YOUR site, you will however receive Relay Bucks for what your item sells for, and for every five items you or your team lists, your team will receive $250 Relay Bucks.  AND....Relay for Life earns money towards a CURE and that is our ultimate goal.  So....next time you are getting your hair done, your oil changed, eating at your favorite restaurant....ask for a donation. 

Fund Raising Idea #28......FACEBOOK.....If you log into your personal Relay web page, and go to your participant center, at the bottom of the page you will see the Facebook Logo and you can click on it and it will tell you how to put a link to your Relay page on your Facebook page.  What could be easier than that?  And...you could also use Facebook to "create an event" and invite people to Relay or invite them to your page to make an online donation.  It is a great way, along with email to reach a lot of your friends.

Fund Raising Idea #27......How about hosting a talent show?  You could do a large one, or a small one.  It could be a serious one, or a more fun one....with silly entries.  Find a location, set a date, and first promote it to people that you think would like to be in the talent show.  Once you get enough people signed up, sell tickets!  Promote, promote, promote.  You can charge a participation fee, an admission charge and sell refreshments.  Talk to local businesses and see if they would donate prizes....And, maybe even talk to some local "celebrities" like teachers, policemen, business owners to be your judges.

Teams of eight can fund raise at the monthly Relay meetings....but remember, it does not mean you HAVE to have something to sell.  Promote, promote, promote any fund raisers you have coming up.....print up some fliers and hand them out!  Get the word out.....and the meetings are a great place to do this.  Don't have your 8 people yet?  Start with that, so you can take full advantage of this opportunity!!!  See you tonight!

LET'S GET READY TO RELAY......

Fund Raising Idea #26.....Babysitting for Bucks.....simple plan.....Babysit and donate your hard earned money to your Relay efforts.  Now, something worth a try.  Tell the parents of the child what you are planning to do - to donate the money you earn to Relay for Life....they might just throw in a little extra.

CAKE WALK!!!  Be sure and be ready to participate in the Cake Walk at Thursday's meeting.....It will be so much fun!  And remember, teams of EIGHT will be eligible to win $500 Relay Bucks.  See you there....

 

Wow - up to Fund Raising Idea #25.....and I like this one...use your imagination!!!  Have a Raffle.....Or a "Chance to Win"......call it whatever you like.  Here is how it works - you can try and get an item donated, something that you think most people would like to have or would use.  Another idea, if you can't get something donated - you can pool your money and buy something.  You will know the cost of the item either way, then set your price and sell your raffle tickets.  If you have to purchase the item first, you will know at what point you earn your money back and then the rest will go to your team.  Some ideas.....a big Easter basket, a great piece of jewelry, movie tickets, dinner for two.....the sky's the limit.  You will need to figure out  your ticket system and how to do that....there is a lot of information on the internet.....Good luck....and happy selling!!!

What's wrong with this picture?  There are only six people at this team meeting.  Remember...you need 8 people to form a team.  So, be working on getting your team of eight formed.  What is not wrong with this picture?  These team members are planning.....they are coming up with ways to fund raise, probably from reading the team idea blog :)....they are deciding if they would like their team to participate in the entertainment for the night of Relay....maybe host a Limbo Lap.....And...they are thinking about what they will sell the night of Relay.  The most important thing they are all doing is working together for a very good cause......a world with more birthdays.....

Fund Raising Idea #24......Host a Spaghetti Dinner!  Like most good and profitable fund raisers, this will take some planning and some good publicity!  First, a location such as your church basement, meeting room etc....Then, you would need to figure out how many tickets you can sell and find a person with a good math brain!!!  How much it would cost you to make a plate of spaghetti, a salad, and garlic bread....that will give you an idea of what to sell your tickets for.  And....water, tea, coffee, lemonade - something inexpensive to drink.  Then, once you figure these things out - sell, sell, sell tickets.  You can also do more things at your Spaghetti Dinner to raise money.  Don't overlook just putting out a big jug asking for additional donations....put your website on paper place mats for everyone to see....have a raffle at the dinner!  The possibilities are endless.....You must, must have a good commitment from your team to cook and serve the food.  You might even want to team up with another team for an event of this size.  If you plan this, be sure and publicize it at the Relay meetings and on the Relay web site.  Details on how to list your fundraisers are on the site!

Fund Raising Idea #23.....Have your team host a Restaurant Night.  How this works...contact a local restaurant in the area.  Explain that you are raising money for Relay for Life.  Offer to promote a certain night (the restaurant will pick this day) and for everyone that you send in, they will give a percentage of the bill.  Couple of things to remember......a lot of restaurants in the area are donating to Relay, so be understanding if they say they can't because they are helping in another area.  However, it also does bring business into their establishment, usually on a night that would be slower than most.  If it is a restaurant that offers take-out, such as pizza, find out if this would count as well. Then decided how to designate to the restaurant who these people are.  You could just make sure they say "I am here for the Relay for Life Fund Raiser", or perhaps they need to present a flier.  You can make small "tickets" with the information on it to hand out and get people in.  That is your main job - promote this night!!!  Send it into Relay to get it listed as a fund raiser, tell people about it at a meeting, put up fliers where you work and best of all - YOU go and have a BIG dinner knowing you are raising money for your team!!!