Fundraising News From Around the World

Diamond Bar, CA: Students got to see their principal go into the flush tank thanks to their hard fundraising efforts. Students were told if they raised $18,000, their principal would go into a flush tank. They went above and beyond, raising more than $20,000;  Dubuque, IA: Man raises funds to fight juvenile diabetes and sets Guinness mark by wearing 247 shirts at one time;  Granite Falls, WA: Principal takes a dousing to reward students’ fundraising efforts. Making herself the target of a human car wash was a prize offered to students who sold at least 15 items in the school's annual fundraiser. She pulled on a pair of goggles as she got ready to ride a pink children's bike outside the school. A group of 15 students and one teacher holding sponges and buckets of warm water. As she pedaled by them they threw soapy sponges and dumped water on her;  Fall River, MA: No-kill animal shelter holds one-day fundraiser at Wal-Mart. Volunteers collected donations to help support the shelter. Shoppers dropped off canned/dry dog and cat food, bleach, lemon Pine Sol, liquid detergent, paper towels, washed blankets, towels, trash bags, Windex, cat litter, toys and treats for the holidays;  Chichester, UK: More than 100 people slept out under the stars and in the rain to raise awareness of a homeless charity. The hardy fundraisers slept in cardboard shelters, or on the flagstones of the cloisters;  Saranac Lake, NY:  Library transformed into a miniature golf course for fundraiser. There were holes upstairs & down, in all sections of the library. One of the advantages to this was that it exposed players to sections of the library they might not normally visit. It was a way to increase visibility & show what the library offers. A number of local businesses signed on as sponsors; Davie, FL: Toilet seat toss highlights events at fundraiser. Teams of four battled in such events as the Toilet Seat Toss, the Tool Toss, the Wheelbarrow Derby and Building Character, which required a group effort in constructing something creative using a set of materials. The annual fundraiser benefits Rebuilding Together Broward County, which provides home repairs and safety upgrades to low-income homeowners; Freehold, NJ: Teen requests that friends attending her 13th birthday party donate the money they would put toward a gift to Lyme research; and Quincy, MA: Resident calls police on high school flamingo flocking fundraiser, saying it was trespassing & vandalism. The police said it was absolutely, positively not vandalism. The school said this was only the 3rd time someone has asked that they remove the flamingos. Happily, community support has increased after the publicity.  More fundraiser news can be found on our Facebook page.

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Do-It-Yourself Fundraiser Of The Month

A contributor came up with the idea of Sticky Fly for Child Abuse Prevention Month (which happens to be April). Find a popular teacher willing to participate. You'll also need lots of duct tape. Post flyers around the school a week ahead of time advertising your fundraiser. On the appointed day, during lunch hours, find a spot where students and faculty pass by regularly. Set a chair up against a wall so that the side of the chair (NOT the back or front, otherwise it won't work right) is firmly against the wall. Place a couple of gym mats or cushions in front of the chair as a precaution. Have the teacher stand up on the chair with his/her back against the wall. For fifty cents per yard of duct tape, students and faculty can tape the teacher to the wall. When the teacher is firmly taped to the wall, stop selling tape. Announce that you will now remove the chair to see just how long the "fly" can stick to the wall. If you want to, before removing the chair, take bets on how long the teacher will remain on the wall. It makes the game even more interesting for everyone. Another example .... a high school principal had a great view of a basketball game halftime festivities after agreeing to participate in a fundraiser for the Pom squad, and found himself affixed to the gymnasium wall. The squad sold tape at one dollar per foot. Enough sticky stuff was purchased and swiftly applied to securely hold the principal to the wall. Local businesses also donated money to the effort. This is a great way to involve the students and faculty in a fun and engaging activity, and to raise awareness at the same time.

Instep Fundraising: New fundraising idea! Imagine running a fundraiser where you don't have to ask people for money. Are you tired of the hassles of door-to-door selling, left-over inventory, and expensive up-front costs? We are currently looking for active organizations who would like to participate in a fundraiser that provides a benefit to their supporters and doesn’t involve direct selling! If you are interested please visit us at InstepFundraising.com today for more details on the program. Special offer for the upcoming holiday season.

Non-Profit In The Spotlight

The Empty Stocking Fund empowers parents and guardians of children living at or below the poverty level in metropolitan Atlanta by providing them with an opportunity to give their children gifts at Christmas time.  We have been bringing holiday cheer to underprivileged children since 1927. Each year the generous contributions received from thousands of Atlantans along with local businesses and foundations enable us to provide gift packages to tens of thousands of children. Through relationships with wholesale distributors, the Empty Stocking Fund purchases brand new items in sufficient quantities to offer a variety of age- and gender-appropriate choices. In December, we invite parents and guardians of children from birth to 13 years of age that are qualified to receive certain benefits through the Department of Family and Children Services to visit Santa’s Village and select gifts for their children. The Empty Stocking Fund only has two full-time employees. Without the generous support of our corporate sponsors and individual donors and volunteers, none of this would be possible.

JustFundraising.com: “Our softball team just raised over $5,000 profit, for the 2nd year in a row with JustFundraising” - No money down - Up to 90% profit - Free shipping – Personalized service - We guarantee the highest profit on all of America's favorite fundraising programs - Over 35 fundraisers: M&M Mars, Hershey’s and the Original One Dollar candy bars, scratch cards, gourmet cookie dough, lollipops, candles, cheesecake, pizza dough, fine chocolate, safety kits, granola bars, Jack Links beef jerky, magazines and much more for your group. Start by getting your free fundraising sample kit or call toll free at 1-888-440-4114.

Interesting or Fun Facts

Kool Aid - Edwin Perkins was always fascinated by chemistry and enjoyed inventing things. When his family moved to southwest Nebraska at the turn of the century, young Perkins experimented with home-made concoctions in his mother’s kitchen and created the Kool Aid story. The forerunner to KOOL AID was Fruit Smack, which was sold via mail order in the 1920s. A four-ounce bottle made enough for an entire family to enjoy at an affordable price. But shipping the bottles of syrup was costly and breakage was becoming a problem. This prompted Perkins in 1927 to develop a method of removing the liquid from Fruit Smack so the remaining powder could be re-packaged in envelopes and consumers would only have to add water to enjoy the drink at home. Perkins designed and printed envelopes with a new name —Kool Ade —to package the powder with. Later this spelling would change to "Kool-Aid." Because the packets were lightweight, meaning a dramatic drop in shipping costs, Perkins sold each Kool-Aid packet for a dime, wholesale by mail at first, to grocery, candy and other stores. It came in strawberry, cherry, lemon-lime, grape, orange and raspberry. In 1929, Kool-Aid was distributed nation-wide to grocery stores by food brokers. Perkins and his family handled all the distribution by themselves.  Did you know that Kool Aid has been named the "Official Soft Drink of Nebraska".
 

  FundraisingIdeas.com – Proven fundraising ideas to help you reach your fundraiser goals and objectives with fundraising strategies & advice and a variety of fundraising tips as well as reviews on the most popular fundraising products. An excellent resource for first time and seasoned fundraisers.

  PaulRWhit.com - Do you belong to an organization that is seeking a new and interesting fundraiser to help support your cause? "Ice Capture” lights are the coolest thing in lighting. Imagine your artwork customized into a light that glows and projects out - like something caught in a block of ice - and it glows!

  Skratchers - Make 90% profit in record time, hassle-free! America's #1 scratch card program. Best coupons for your  donors - Pizza Hut, Subway, JC Penney, Jiffy Lube, Blimpie, etc. Free incentive prizes from Blockbuster & McDonald's. Make your next fundraiser your best ever! Awarded most dynamic & interactive fundraising website! (888-800-9506)