I NEED IDEAS 'CREATIVE FUND RAISING"

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

We have a creative bunch here...I need your help. Last night my friends were over and I had an idea and we are trying to grow on it. I remeber a group in DC doing a night out called "Bridesmaids Bowling"...a group of gals bowling in old tacky bridesmaids dresses. I know nothing else about it. I have a good realtionship with the local TV stations from community stuff I do and I think I can get it covered on there...

I am in desperate need to do a fun raiser for our local SPCA that doesn't have any money.

I think I can get a BIG group of women together for such event...I think a bowling alley might lend me the time free...knowing that this is my plan what comes to your mind as something I can do...

Charge $10 each gal...
and what else????...


Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[AngelaS]

That sounds like a fun idea.

To raise money at for our church nursery, I threw a shower. Except I mostly bought the toys and stuff we needed/wanted and then made up cards of various prices so that people could choose which 'gift' to purchase for our nursery. We did really well!

Actually, the kitchen committee has stolen my idea and they're throwing a kitchen shower to restock the kitchen in the spring. LOL

[cinrein]

You could award prizes for the best dressed, worst dressed, most money raised, etc.

Part of all of the money for food/drink sold during the event could go to the SPCA.

Rather than charging each participant, you could have the participant collect pleges/donations, like the March of Dimes Walkathon.

Don't limit yourself to women. Men could come in tuxs or dress in old bridesmaids dresses themselves!

Are these the types of things you had in mind? Or do you want ideas for other types of fundraisers?

Cindy and Anna 2/11/03

[justlearning]

I think it sounds like great fun but the first thing that comes to my mind is--oh, no, some women might trip on their long gowns and injure themselves! I wonder if anyone (e.g, the bowling alley) would be held liable in a lawsuit if this were to happen. Just something to think about...

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Exactly the kind of things I was thinking about...thank you!!
I thought of making it co-ed, but I wonder if I will actually get a bigger turn out with jsut women acting goofy and having fun then if couples (also it gives mom a chance to get away for maybe 2 hours). I thought gals seem to like "exclusive" women things on some level where I wonder if that would make it more successful...does that make sense??? I would fear if couples they would spend too much time getting ready and trying to look good too.

But keep brainstorming, because I'm not convinced I'm right in that assumption at all...
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

that's a thought...but I assume they've worn these dresses before so the length should be approptiate. I run in a group that does a red dress run and we have 1,000 of us running thru DC and hitting places along the way and that has never been an issue, or brought up so I'm not too infear of that...


Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[Momof3Labs]

Yep, you could throw a puppy and kitten shower and have everyone bring something off of the "registry" - a certain type of food, old towels, whatever the young 'uns need!

[cinrein]

I see what you're saying. Maybe it could be coed only if the men wear dresses too. With makeup!

I would give prizes for outrageous things so that people really ham it up rather than trying to look good, kwim? Like a prize for the most atrocious colored dress, biggest skirt, puffiest sleeves--the possibilities are endless!

Cindy and Anna 2/11/03

[toomanystrollers]

I like the tacky bridesmaids idea. How 'bout running a 50/50 raffle as well during the bowling event? Or get local businesses to donate goods/services to be raffled off?

Too bad it's too late now - but maybe next Christmas have a Santa with pets photo session with the proceeds to go to your SPCA?

[Momof3Labs]

Auctions and raffles always seem to go over well; you could do those during the bowling event. Can you get donations of gift certificates (small denominations) from local businesses?

Another fundraising idea (not as much fun though) is to run auctions on eBay. I know a few groups that do this continuously and that helps keep some money flowing in. They auction off anything and everything that people donate - typical eBay!

Also, there are different places that will sell you their wares cheap for use in shelter/rescue fundraising. Blizzard's Bones (www.blizzardsbones.com) was one of these; I remember also a Lab poster/print (years ago) and some Labmed (www.labmed.org) publications (books and cookbook) that were offered at terrific prices to nonprofits.

I believe that there is a Yahoo group for shelter fundraising ideas... Here's two, actually:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fundraising4pets/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShelterFundraising/ (this one is public - you can read posts without having to join - and has like 1500 members!!)

[tarheelmom]

I don't know how creative this is, but my Mom is very involved in Greyhound Rescue (from the tracks). She has a yard sale once a year and they raise over $1000. She has the other Greyhound volunteers bring by donations, and then a bunch of them get together to price it all. You can make pretty good money at a yard sale if you have enough junk!

Carmen
Mommy to Ryan and Seth

[hwin708]

ITA with the auction idea above. One of my good friends used to be very involved in planning the auctions for some charities. It's amazing the stuff that businesses will donate just by calling and asking (and mentioning their business on the invitation). She's raised over $30,000 in one night (of course, that was a big one, with some big ticket items, like a pair of plane tickets to Europe). Definitely go with a silent auction though, where a form is placed in front of each item, and people can write down their bid, with each bidder having to top the last bid by a certain amount (you set this amount, usually from $10 to $50). The last person on the sheet at the end of the auction (usually an hour before the end) wins the item (or items - usually little things are grouped together into baskets, making it worth more money).
You probably want to provide food and drink, however you could charge for alcohol. If you get that donated, you could make a killing in bar receipts alone.
As for making it all women, this would probably cut down your profits. While women may have more fun and be more comfortable together, it creates more of a silly, less fo a "big spender" atmosphere, so to speak. Night time charity events tend to be more of a couples thing - kind of like a socially-conscious cocktail party.
Good luck - I'm sure you'll do great, and this is a wonderful cause (I am a HUGE cat person).

[farsk]

Neve,

This is a long way off, but the school dance team that I used to coach always "offered" (can't say sell) Halloween Insurance. They would ask for a $5 donation in return for a card with a phone number and offer to clean up Halloween tricks (TP in the trees, eggs on the door, you get the picture). Offer was limited to two people for 30 minutes. The sold this at a football game right before Halloween and usually ended up with over $1000 in our small town. They never got a call to clean up...so FREE MONEY!!! Of course, it could also help that they were attractive girls in tight-fitting dance outfits!haha!

HTH!