Unique Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. ― Hank Rosso

Fundraising for a good cause is a great way to contribute towards a noble cause. There are people who need money to meet their basic needs for life, there are people who are fighting grave diseases like HIV or cancer, there are people who have been devastated by natural calamities - a little bit if help from everyone is all they need.

Several organizations or even student groups have resorted to different ways to raise funds to contribute their bit towards the society. If you are planning to organize a charity event, here are some unique fundraising ideas that I'm sure will pique you.

A fundraiser is nothing but an event or a campaign with a primary purpose of raising money for a cause. It can be started at a local level or on a large-scale. It can be a charitable, non-profit, religious, or a non-governmental organization, although there exist certain types of fundraisers that benefit for-profit companies.

Banquets: Luncheons or dinner parties are a great way to gather people and involve them in raising funds. This is a type of event, which is also enjoyable for the people who would be involved. However, make sure that this option is suitable for the cause that you are supporting. For example, you just cannot have a luncheon event for helping the famished people.

Entertainment: Organizing an entertainment event, like a dance show, or a music concert might be a great option. This method allows you to raise money in the form of ticket money where visitors feel good about the fact that they not only get to enjoy a fun event, but also make a contribution for a noble cause. If you want a successful event, you can rope in a few celebrities (from sources you may know of) to make the event a huge success.

Sales Drive: A sales drive can be as small or as huge as you want it to be. It can be a backyard garage sale or a major shopping exhibit, depending on your budget and the products that you have to offer. A sales drive is also one of the convenient options where you raise money by selling art, useful products, gadgets, or any other goods that you think people would want to buy.

Contests and Competitive Events: Soccer, tennis, baseball, basketball, or any other sport - there is usually a huge following for certain sports. You can always bank on the popularity of these sports to design a fundraiser. Organize a soccer match or a tennis tournament. There are a lot of sports that are exciting and fun, being a sure-fire way to draw a large number of people.

Providing Useful Services: You can partner with shops or stores and volunteer to work for them for a particular day and the store in turn agrees to donate the sales towards your cause. In this, the stores will also benefit, because they are building a good brand image by being a part of a charitable cause. You can target stores, which you think would be appropriate for your campaign.

Online Fundraisers: It is the age of the Internet, and hence, an online auction can be a great option to target the techno-savvy donors. You can have online product sales or direct online donations for the event. However, this can be successful if you have a credible brand name behind you, because people are extremely cautious about monetary transactions on the net.

Auctions: Auctions are a great way to sell antiques or other precious goods, which people might want to buy. Silent auctions are very popular and are seen as one of the most popular events, which can contribute towards a noble cause. You can even ask people to donate items for charitable auctions.

Rallies and Marathons: A marathon for charity or a sponsored walk is another great option. People have to pay a minimum fee for participating in the marathon. While running in the marathon, there is another benefit of gaining additional publicity and creating an awareness about the cause. In addition, the collected fees too serve as a fundraiser.