Do-It-Yourself Fundraiser Of The Month

Care Packages are especially popular during the first week of classes or during major exam periods. Packages could include candy, chips, hot chocolate, cookies, mug, fruit, magazine, stuffed animal, joke item, etc. that would be appropriate for male or female students at colleges or other schools where the student lives away from home. Parents are always looking for ideas on things to send their kids when they are away from home. Send order forms to the parents who can order the packages as a surprise gift. Since you will be paid in advance, you have no risk and can budget your expenses. Variation: Sell care packages to be sent to troops serving overseas. Make money and provide some cheer to someone far away from home.

   The Big Walk: Beginning March 2005, “Big John” Buoniconti began his 16,000 mile walk through all 48 contiguous states over the course of 3 years. John has left his job and home, and sold his car to help uninsured and under-insured cancer patients pay for life saving treatments. John is the co-founder and president of Big John's Team, a nonprofit organization created in the memory of John’s parents, whom both died of cancer. The Big Walk will not only assist cancer patients in surviving physically from cancer, but also financially. View route, journal, photos, news articles, and contact John.  

 Featured Fundraising Ideas

Candles of Eden: If you are looking for an excellent fundraiser idea, Candles of Eden has it! Candles of Eden can help your organization meet its fundraising goals by providing you with great candle fundraisers everyone will love. If you are interested in school, church or other type of organization fundraising, your supporters will have the opportunity to purchase something they can use and enjoy—our candle fundraiser gifts! You will receive up to $12 profit per candle you sell. Plus ... free shipping on all orders over 175 candles!

Fun Fundraisers: Looking for a fun fundraiser for your group? When considering fundraising ideas choose events or unique promotions that will spark the interest of your group. Sometimes the most unusual ideas will draw the most attention, participation and raise the most money. Fundraising ideas that include a competition are a lot of fun. Some examples of fun competitions include a goofy Olympics day or even a “kiss a pig” contest. Small fundraising events that have proven to be popular are ice cream socials and luau parties. Get all the details about these and other fun fundraisers!

Fundraiser News Briefs 

Ann Arbor, MI: Howell Area Arts Council's holds "Sitting Pretty'' fund-raiser, in which the group auctions off hand-painted chairs to benefit the arts council's community programs; Roaring Fork, CO: Aspen Animal Shelter sponsors "houndhaus," homes for dogs and cats that would spoil even the most pampered pet; Nazareth, PA: First annual Repayment Day held to benefit the YMCA; Farmland, IN: Members of the Farmland Bridge Club, ranging in age from their early 70s to older than 90, will pose nude in fundraiser to the Save the Courthouse; Columbus, NE: Scotus Central Catholic Church Mothers Booster Club features dozens of donated purses for Bid-A-Bag fund raiser; Fort Frances, ON: Museum fundraiser theme is "TV Through the Ages"; Anniston, AL: Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary pose for a calendar as the "Motorcycle Grand-Mamas”; Clayton, NC: Clayton High School marching band operates fireworks stand to help pay for new instruments, uniforms and other costs; University Park, PA: Penn State students and football players put on Lift For Life weightlifting event to raise money and awareness for the Kidney Cancer Association; Longview, TX: Bark-A-Rama, a tribute to man's best friend, helps Humane Society care for stray and abandoned animals; Bennington, VT: Army National Guard unit plants plastic pink flamingos to provide emotional and financial assistance to families of troops who are in Iraq; Whittier, CA: "Take A Stand" raises funds for child abuse and neglect prevention in Phelps County. 

Interesting or Fun Facts

In the 1870's a baker named William Russel Frisbie in Warren, Connecticut began putting the family name on the bottom of the tin pans in which his company’s homemade pies were sold.  Eventually Mr. Frisbie’s pies were sold throughout much of Connecticut. Sometime in the 1940s, Yale students in New Haven began sailing the pie tins through the air and catching them.  A decade later, out in California, a flying-saucer enthusiast named Walter Frederick Morrison designed a saucer-like disk for playing catch.  It was produced by a company named Wham-O.  On a promotional tour of college campuses, the president of Wham-O encountered the pie-plate-tossing craze at Yale.  And so the flying saucer from California was renamed after the pie plate from Connecticut. The name was changed from Frisbie to Frisbee to avoid any legal problems. [Source: Phil Ament, The Great Idea Finder]

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