The Fundraising Hotline
Published by the Fundraising Ideas & Products Center

Fundraising Ideas & Products Center
February 2003

Each issue of The Fundraising Hotline includes a combination of a new or unusual do-it-yourself fundraiser, fundraising product or event ideas, and fundraising tips, news, trivia, book and/or software reviews, and maybe even a little humor.  We hope that each issue will contain information that is beneficial to you.  We keep the content brief to keep from slowing your email system so if there is nothing in this issue that interests you, the next one probably will!  Good luck on your fundraising efforts.  We know how much work it can be!  There is a link at the end of the newsletter if you would like to add an email address for someone who would benefit from receiving The Fundraising Hotline, or unsubscribe if you no longer need to receive it.

Do-It-Yourself Fundraiser Of The Month

Pink Flamingo Sale: Purchase pink plastic flamingos (lawn decorations) and pick several yards in your community to be the lucky recipients.  Attach cards to the flamingoes' necks with a phone number along with all the pertinent information regarding your group.  State that for an $"x" donation, the flamingos will be moved to a yard of their choice.  (Also give the option to simply pick up the flamingo gratis, since some people have no sense of humor.)  Make sure you also place a sign that has a contact name and phone number among the flamingos for those who drive by and would like to have the flamingos placed in a friend's yard.  Alternative: Substitute a colorfully decorated toilet (bowl and tank) for the flamingos.  The mechanics are identical although it is a lot heavier than the flamingos.

Tips For Working With A Fundraising Company

1.  The best way to ensure a happy relationship and prevent problems is to make sure that you and the company you choose as a fundraising partner have a clear understanding of each other’s expectations.  Verify financial and product information with the company prior to entering into any agreement or purchasing any products.

2.  If you experience a problem, discuss it with the company quickly.  Most will do their best to reach an accommodation so that you have a win-win situation wherein you both make money.  The companies want you to be happy about your association with them so that you will patronize them again and recommend them to other organizations.

3.  The more you are able to do on your own and without any special requirements, the more fund-raising profit you should expect.  If your group requests extra prizes or unusual considerations, you must be prepared to sacrifice some profit. 

Featured Fundraising Ideas

Is this you? You’re the new fund raising chairperson.  You need to raise big money for your group.  You have lots of people that say they will help, but only a handful that you can count on.  We need something “different” and safe, a project where we don’t risk our own money.  It needs to offer our customers value and be profitable for us.  (100% profit would be nice since we are doing all the work)  And, it would be great to raise the money and have fun doing it. Check out the “Your Town”-Opoly program.

In 1992, four members of the Marshfield (MA) United Methodist Church sat down to brainstorm ideas about raising funds for the church and came up with the idea of do-it-yourself mystery dinner kits.  Within the hour the group had outlined its first story.  Kits include complete directions on how to stage the play, run the dinner, press releases, scripts, forms, and more.  The result is fun, funds and fellowship for non profits as they look for unique ways to raise funds for their organizations.  This is a great example of how a small church can reach out  to help other nonprofit organizations realize their goals.  Mystery Dinner Kits

Beyond the Bake Sale: The Ultimate School Fundraising Book

A step-by-step guide to help you raise thousands and thousands of dollars for your school.  With education budgets across the country slashed, parents of children in both public and private schools are taking up the slack.  Parent-driven fund-raising keeps classrooms stocked with computers, libraries filled with books, and teams supplied with uniforms and equipment.  Beyond the Bake Sale is a comprehensive guide to foolproof methods that will raise the maximum amount of money for any elementary or secondary school.  Parents can learn how the pros:

*  Set up a fund-raising team
*  Find national organizations that will give your school a cut of sales
*  Run a pledge drive
*  Put on events that leave bake sales and car washes in the dust
*  Involve other parents and get them to volunteer
*  Account for and distribute the money you raise

Complete with school-year timelines and innovations from fund-raisers across the country, Beyond the Bake Sale by Jean Joachim is a great blueprint parents and teachers can use to start making money for their schools this year.  You can find a copy at your favorite bookstore or on-line retailer.

Valentine Trivia

Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.

Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.  About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.

The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.

Donation Containers

We are often contacted by groups looking for donation cans, boxes, folders or banks.  You can find several companies that offer them at the All Fundraising Companies Directory.

The Fundraising Hotline is published monthly by the Fundraising Ideas & Products Center, where you will find a wide variety of  do-it-yourself and commercial fundraising ideas.  You can also download a free directory containing information on products and services from 100 of the top U.S. and Canadian fundraising companies and products.