101 Fundraising ideas

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PARTY TIME!

42. House Party: Host a fundraising party at your home for friends, family, co-workers, neighbors. Share your experience of the 3-Day and your reasons for walking, then ask them to support you. Ask your coach for an inspirational video or DVD to show at the party.

43. Benefit Night: Throw a fundraising party at a local establishment. Ask for a suggested donation at the door. But also make sure to ask that local restaurant, ice cream parlor or teacher's supply store, to support you with a donation of 10% (or more!) of the night's sales -- don't be too shy to ask. Also, check with your local restaurant if they are willing to support you with a donation of 10% (or more!) on an evening even without a fundraising party -- again, don't be too shy to ask. Many local restaurants have supported 3-Day walkers by donating a portion of an evening's profits. You can offer to generate a flyer to promote patrons coming to their establishment to help increase their business, and thus your percentage.

44. Spaghetti Dinner: Encourage your place of worship, work, school or other organization to host a spaghetti dinner to benefit breast cancer. Have all of your friends help with the cooking to make an event where families are welcome and are asked for a specific suggested donation amount to join in the fun. Or organize a potluck party along the same lines where everyone brings a dish to pass and gets to socialize with friends and neighbors. Make sure to have plenty of donation slips or Breast Cancer 3-Day business cards (go to www.The3Day.org, Login to your participant center -- Fundraising -- Downloads) on hand at any and all of these types of events for the donors who want to give more.

45. Movie Party: Host a movie party at your house. Every time the word "walk" is said in the movie, everyone antes up 1 dollar in a donation bowl. Have pizza donated and ask for a suggested donation at the door.

46. Theme Dinner: Hold a theme dinner party for at least 10 of your friends; donation 50 dollar a person. Spend just 20 dollar per person on food and you've raised 300 dollar in donations. Better yet, have all of the food donated!

47. Wine-Tasting Party: Have a wine and cheese-tasting party. If you know anyone (who knows anyone!) who owns, manages, or works in a winery -- ask if they will host it! Ask for a suggested donation at the door. Blind tastings are fun -- or dress up the event with some very special vintages.

48. Gala Night: Host an elegant or formal party. Have food and beverages donated.

49. Garden Tour: Hold a garden tour at your home or at a local historical home. Have the tour promoted through your local newspaper.

50. Host a coffee get-together at your home or at a local coffee shop. Ask your favorite coffee shop to donate the coffee (and maybe even some goodies!). Invite your neighbors and friends. Let them know they will have a chance to pay tribute to someone affected by breast cancer (or any cancer) by signing your shirt. Suggest a donation of 20 dollar (or more!) Get creative and have them sign pink ribbons to be attached to your shirt, or pink buttons, etc. You'll have the coolest shirt on the 3-Day.

51. New Job Party: Celebrate landing a new job with a party! Invite everyone you know and ask them to come prepared to support you on your 3-Day venture as well.

52. Pet Birthday Party: Have a fun birthday party for your pet — or a friend's pet. Serve dog biscuits and ask everyone to wear ears! Ask for a suggested donation at the door. Take photos of your guests with the guest of honor.

53. TV Show Party: Host a party in celebration of the premiere or finale of a favorite TV show. Serve donated hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Ask for a suggested donation at the door. This idea is great for inviting friends over to watch your favorite awards shows like the Oscars, Emmy Awards, GrammyAwards, etc. Or, ask a local bar that has a big-screen television to allow you to have the party there and donate a portion of the food and beverage sales.

54. Movie/TV Marathon: Host a movie or TV series marathon. Choose a theme (Hitchcock, I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island, Seinfeld) and start the popcorn! Ask for a suggested donation at the door. Enhance the theme with a suggested 1 dollar donation every time a specific word or phrase is spoken, every time Hitchcock himself appears, every time Jerry has an "aside" with Elaine.

55. Themed Music/Dance Party: Host a music/dance night -- 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's style. Play all of the old favorites. Ask people to come dressed in costume and dance the night away. Serve donated drinks and food. Ask for a suggested donation at the door. You can even ask a DJ if they'd donate an evening for you, so you can have a complete selection of tunes!

56. Scrapbooking Party: Host a scrapbooking party at your house, or at the local store. Ask a pro to lead an inspirational idea exchange and have some great samples on display, some special supplies and/or discounts for attendees. Serve donated food and drinks and ask for a suggested donation at the door.

57. Game Night: Host a game night; Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Poker, Bridge, Bingo. Serve donated food and drinks. Ask for a suggested donation at the door.

58. Sweets Party: Have a dessert auction at work! Ask local restaurants, bakeries and groceries to donate yummy desserts. Post signs at work well in advance, and then bring all of the desserts in to work on Friday. Hold a silent or live auction -- who doesn't need dessert for the weekend? Add on to this by making pink ribbon cookies or some other such treat that you can sell for 1 dollar each while you have everyone in the mood for sweets! Add on even more by getting coffee donated -- and sell the coffee to go with that cookie!

59. Tea Party: Host a traditional High Tea, or ask a local hotel to do so on your behalf. Ask for a suggested donation at the door.

60. Kids' Game Day: Invite your kid's friends, nieces and nephews, the neighborhood kids, the soccer team, to a game day at a local park or donated indoor location. Like a drop-off party, you coordinate a couple of hours of fun activities and ask the parents for a donation in exchange. Tetherball, Four Square, Jump Rope, Potato Sack races, Yo-Yo contests, you name it! Have donated snack food and juice boxes available to round out the fun.

61. Swim Party: Ask a local public pool to donate (or rent at a reduced rate) a couple of hours for a private party. This is a great way to get teenagers involved in the fundraising effort. Have donated snacks on hand, and be sure to include a lifeguard. Turn on some music and ask for a suggested donation at the door.

62. Children's Birthday Party: Post signs at local schools and child care centers offering your party planning services for a sizeable donation. Plan a theme party and get supplies, favors, food and beverages donated. If you are crafty you could even make costumes. Some ideas are a Princess Party or a Harry Potter Party.

63. Silent Auction: Ask some local businesses to donate items or gift certificates and hold a silent auction at your fundraising event, or on a payday at work. Things like a book of car wash certificates, 10 dollar off dry-cleaning, movie passes, play tickets, restaurant gift certificates, petgrooming, a week of free coffee; the list is endless! Set minimum donation limits and allow people to bid them up. Some walkers even get their place of business to agree to set up a silent auction for one item every Friday at work. They get something donated and the office has fun bidding on something new each week.

64. Live Auction: Same as above, but with an energetic auctioneer. Good for a large crowd and some big-ticket items; a trip for two, a special bottle of wine, landscape, pool or housecleaning service, auctioning off husbands for handiwork.

65. Golf Outing/Tournament: Work with a local golf course to plan a charity golf outing. Ask for a specific suggested donation amount to participate and see if you can get prizes donated for the winner of each hole, or the whole course.

66. Web-Based Auction: Get friends and family to donate things for you to sell on an internet auction site. Make sure to let bidders know that the items selling price is going towards your fundraising for the 3-Day.

67. Special Screening: Ask your local movie theatre to donate a special screening of a new release. Invite everyone you know and make flyers to get the word out. Ask for a suggested donation at the door. Ask if the theatre will also donate a percentage of the concession sales for your event!

68. "Fill in the blank for boobs": Host a fun event using a creative name to catch attention. Who couldn't resist attending one of these: Bingo for Boobs, Bowling for Boobs, Bartending for Boobs.

69. Poker Tournament Party: Set up some tables and snacks and let the bluffing begin. Ask for a specific suggested donation amount to join the tournament and winner takes the rest or donates a portion to the "house". Make it an annual event.

70. Pancake Breakfast: Host a pancake breakfast at a school, park or place of worship. Ask for a specific suggested donation amount at the door. Get the pancake mix and other food items donated by local stores. Make it an annual event.

71. Bowling Party: Ask your local bowling alley to donate some lanes for a fundraising party. Invite your office-mates as a team-building experience, your neighbors, your family or a group of old friends. Ask for a suggested donation at the door.

72. 50/50 Raffle: Sell tickets to a 50/50 raffle at a large event or gathering. The prize is half the "pot". The winner splits the "pot" with you -- you get 50% of the proceeds and they get the other 50%. See if your boss will let you conduct a 50/50 raffle once a week at work.

73. Baseball Game: Or other local sporting event. Buy a section of tickets at a group rate and ask your family and friends for a donation of twice the price. Get food donated and host a tailgate party.