Fundraising Ideas
As well as securing funds from grant awarding organisations there are a number of other ways for small groups to raise money. Some of the most popular are listed below.
Jumble Sales
Jumble sales are relatively easy to organise, attract a good number of people and can be quite lucrative.
Book a local community hall at least two months before the date of the jumble sale.
Place adverts in local shops asking for donations of jumble - mention de-cluttering or recycling.
Two or three weeks before the sale, put adverts in newspaper shops, newspapers, leaflet the area. A tea and cake stall at the sale could also bring in extra cash.
Make sure you have plenty of change and carrier bags
Car Boot Sales
If you don't want to run your own, ask for a few volunteers, with cars, to take all the donated items to an existing sale. It will cost a few pounds for the pitch but good money can be made.
Fun Evening
Hire a local venue or community hall for a fancy dress themed evening. Halloween, Bollywood, Hawaiian, masked ball, hoedown, anything you like. Provide a pie and pea supper (or appropriate food) and hold a quiz and raffle. The down side is the initial outlay but it could be a good fun evening to bring local people together and make them aware of the work you are doing.
Make a Video
If one of your group has, or knows someone with a DVD recorder go around your place of work or village with a video recorder and record daily life and people. (Make sure they are willing). You can then have public showing at a cheese and wine evening or coffee morning and sell copies for a profit. You can also send the out takes to 'You've been Framed' and raise even more!!
Rubber Duck Race
For towns & villages with a stream or river, All entrants pay an entry fee for their name to be put round the neck of a duck. The first duck over the finish line is the winner. The ducks are reusable so you could make it an annual event. Ducks can be purchased at a cost of £30 per 100 from the Charnwood catalogue - www.charnwood-catalogue.co.uk.
Balloon Race
Get a supply of good strong balloons
Coffee Morning or Cheese and Wine Evening
Inviste your friends to your house for a coffee morning or cheese and wine. Make sure you charge enough to cover your costs.
Book Sale
Ask your members to bring books they have read and enjoyed to sell on to another member for a small consideration
Private Raffles
Confined to members of a club or society to provide funds for the work of the organisation or society. This is not as stringently regulated as more public raffles or lotteries.
Small Lotteries
Taking place at an organised event such as a fete, dance or sports event. The lottery must be confined to the event location and there must be no private gain in the running of the event. Prizes must not exceed £250
Social Lotteries
If you are to conduct a lottery or raffle involving the general public, over a period of time check with your local authority to see if you need to register the lottery.
Sponsored Events
Be imaginative - and brave if necessary
Street Collections
There are no restrictions to collecting on private property with the proper permission, however a group wanting to collect on public property needs to contact their local authority well in advance with date duration and location to ask how to proceed.
Charnwood Catalogue - fundraising equipment for voluntary & community groups
www.charnwood-catalogue.co.uk
Always check with your local authority to see if you need insurance, health and safety certification or a licence to operate your event.
