Fundraise: Fundraising Ideas

Facebook, Twitter and blogs are great fundraising platforms. Post a link to your fundraising webpage on your social media pages and profiles, and update your Facebook page with one of our Facebook Cover Photos.

Send donation request emails or letters to anyone you'd like to ask for help but can't speak with in person. You can use our Donation Request Template for this purpose. Before sending it to your contacts, edit the template and rewrite it to communicate in your own words why you feel the volunteer program is important and why you want to participate in it. Remember to include the link to your fundraising webpage on all emails and letters.

Use one of the fliers on our Resources and Downloads page or create your own using photos from our past programs. Put it up in in your workplace, school, community center, church, local businesses, supermarket, gym, post office and anywhere else you can get permission.

Make a list of people you'll see in person this month that you can ask for donations. You can also stop by local businesses you frequent, like shops, cafes and restaurants, to ask their managers or owners for support.

Personalize and print our Donation Request Cards, and hand them to people when asking for support to remind them how to contribute. Include them in donation request letters, and give them to your coworkers and clients.

Write a short article about Buds to Blossoms and your preparations for the volunteer program for your school, company or church's newsletter or your local newspaper. In your article, explain why the volunteer program is important to you, and ask for support.

You can ask friends and local businesses to donate items of value (like spa packages, gift certificates, professional services, etc) that you can sell raffle tickets for or auction off. Products and services donated to your fundraiser can bring publicity and new customers to a donating business, and they may be relatively inexpensive for businesses to provide, so they're the kind of donations businesses may be happy to make.

People who might not initially be in your web of contacts can find out about your fundraiser when you advertise a fundraising event or activity to groups of people with related interests. Use your hobbies and skills to come up with fundraising events and activities like these:

• Invite friends, family and coworkers to a fundraising event at your home. Give a presentation about Buds to Blossoms and hold an auction at the event. Pass the hat during the event, or have a suggested donation at the door.
• Set up a table at a local market or other public event or location where you can tell passersby about your fundraiser, pass out donation request cards and request support.
• If you're a massage therapist, hold a raffle for your massage sessions and sell raffle tickets for some fraction of the total cost of a session.
• If you're a musician, give a performance, with the proceeds of ticket sales going to your fundraiser.
• Hold a movie or karaoke night and have a suggested donation for attendees.
• Seek sponsorships for an athletic event, such as a race, in which you want to participate. Ask local businesses, especially those selling related sports products, to sponsor you by donating a set amount per mile or minute of the event or matching donations others make.
• Hold a used book sale and advertise it as a fundraiser. Ask your friends and family to donate old books.
• Host a game night (for whatever kind of games you like) with a suggested donation for attendees. You could include board games, video games, trivia games, sports, etc.
• If you like cooking, hold a lunch or dinner party with a suggested donation for attendees. Make it fun by having a theme, such as cheese, chocolate, the cuisine of the country where you'll volunteer, or fancy attire. Ask local shops and restaurants to donate ingredients or dishes.
• Bake and sell cookies and cakes.
• Get creative and sell your handmade arts and crafts, clothes, sketches and paintings.
• Have a skill? Teach a class with a suggested donation for attendees.
• Host a morning or afternoon tea at which you talk about Buds to Blossoms and your fundraiser with friends and request support.
• Host a dress-up party or fashion show with a suggested donation for attendees.