Friday, June 9, 2006

brainstorming

Well, the children's door-to-door fundraising yielded no immediate results. Well, that isn't quite true, there was one $2 donation. However, I decided that, rather than give the fridge to the battered women's shelter, I'm going to plop it in the yard with a price tag, and whatever it sells for (sans $10 I'm giving Kory for scrubbing it down while I gardened) I'm going to apply to the fundraiser. I've also got a great like-new extra microwave I'm going to do the same with. And I'm considering a fundraising skate party. The kids around here are loony for skating, and the skating rink offers fundraising parties. I set the cost of admission, and I get 1/2. So if I set it at $5, and 100 people come, then I get $250! I'm thinking on that one though, because it requires some financial outlay for advertising. I'm also thinking about (sorry, you guys caught me mid-brainstorm) calling WIXE ( a local am radio show) and advertising on their radio show and website. I should go ahead and do that now... (OK that's done!) And maybe I could send out letters to some local churches - there are so many of them!

Come on guys, brainstorm with me! Give me more ideas!

7 comments:

  1. Wow Erin! Those are some great ideas! I don't know about the skate party thing, though. But it could just be my aversion to skating rinks in general. I wonder if, since you're the one throwing the party, you have any sort of liability if one of those kids gets hurt, etc. (Can you tell I broke my arm skating when I was younger?)

    How well do you know your neighbors? Maybe hold a neighborhood garage sale type thing and they can donate items to you or give you a portion of their earnings? Advertising a garage sale is fairly inexpensive. Local churches will sometimes allow use of their property for such events.

    A big fund-raiser around here are things like pancake breakfasts at the Elk Lodge, dinner and karaoke at the Eagles with a 50/50 raffle, etc. But I live in the land of old folks and that sort of thing appeals to them. Heh, like writing, I guess you have to know your audience. Good luck. If I lived closer, I'd give you a shed full of stuff to sell!

    Still might. My Mom is thinking of having a garage sale here in the next couple of months. If she does, I'll drag out all the stuff that I was going to donate and I'll sell what I can.

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  2. BTW, have you checked with any local organizations like the Elks or the Eagles? They usually jump all over charity things?

    Also, bigger businesses can also donate quite a bit- I'm assuming that when you donate you can print some sort of reciept for tax purposes, right?

    Ok, now you've caught me mid-brainstorm, and before I've even finished my coffee.

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  3. I think the skate party is a wonferful idea, and I am not one to skate. My kids, however, love to skate.

    Do you have bottle deposits there? Bottle & can drives are pretty popular here. If your state doesn't have a deposit, there might be an outfit that pays cash for empty soda cans. We used to pick up soda cans when strolling the babies in South Bend, take them home and crush them, then sell them to the recycler.

    Still thinking ...

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  4. Any fairs coming soon? What about talking them into donating a booth for you to use? Pretty good exposure that way and all you'd need is some kind of banner to identify you.

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  5. Fairs! The Jaycees hold a street fair several times a year, specifically to benefit charity... I'll have to call that guy!

    We do have the aluminum recycleing program... hmmm, good one for the kids!

    Elks, Eagles, Moose, VFW!!! hahaha excellent idea Ang! However I really only know my one neighbor, he'd never go for a yard sale, and the other (new) neighbors are, well... no. But a yardsale might be something that Mika could do with her church....

    I'd be HUGELY appreciative if you sold stuff for it too Ang. Would it be ok if I sold the stuff you sent for Nova?

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  6. Erin, of course it would be ok. It would be more than ok, it would be wonderful to know that all that stuff went to a greater cause. And yes, if we end up doing a garage sale, the money will be donated. I don't live in an area where garage sales bring a lot of traffic, but for some reason my mom's street is almost like it's own flea-market. She's in the process of clearing out her shed and garage right now. If she follows through with it, I'll see if she's interested in donating her profit as well- or at least a part of it.

    On the Eagles/VFW, etc. I know for a fact that the Eagles do a fundraiser every year for the Max Baer (I think that's how it's spelled) heart fund- I'm sure if you brought them your case they'd give you their full support. My parents are members of both the Eagles and the Elks, I think I'll see if I can get any info from them on how they decide which charities to give to.

    I may not have money right now, but I do seem to have a litttle spare time. :)

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  7. I can't seem to find an Eagle Lodge thing around here, I'm definitely contacting the VFW though. And I'm pretty sure there's a Moose Lodge locally. Maybe an Elk too, I'll have to look them all up. I know there's a Shriner's right down the road... hmmmm...

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