How to Organize a Halloween Fundraiser

Throw a memorable fundraiser around Halloween.

Charities are always looking for new and interesting ways to raise money for their causes. Some of the best--and most successful--fundraisers are the most unique, so it's important to make the fundraiser stand out among all the others. One way to do this is to take advantage of a nearby holiday, and embrace the spirit of celebration in a way that allows people to donate to a charity at the same time. Children of all ages enjoy dressing up and going out for Halloween, and holding a Halloween fundraiser not only gives them a safe place to go but also helps a charity in need.

Things You'll Need

• Volunteers
• Candy
• Balloons
• Hay
• Tables and chairs
• Hay wagon

Instructions

Preparation

1. 

   Make sure the fundraiser has a date all to itself.

   Pick the date. Be aware of when cities and townships in the area send their little ones out trick-or-treating, as a fundraiser on that date might not attract as many families with smaller children.

2. 

   Not all Halloween treats are sugary sweet.

   Arrange for food. Hit up local grocery stores for donations of cider, cookies, apples and candy. If there are any large farms or cider mills in the area, be sure to ask them as well. Be sure to do this well in advance to give the organizations plenty of time to respond. Offer to put up a sign or banner giving them credit for the donations, and some free advertising as an encouragement to donate.

   It never hurts to ask for bulk candy donations, either.

   Ask area stores for donations to give away as prizes for the games and contests; also ask volunteers to donate their talents to make gift baskets.

3. 

   Invite children to play hide and seek with their candy.

   Organize the games. Bobbing for apples is an old favorite, but might not be practical for those in colder climates. Set aside a place for a 10-foot-by-10-foot square of hay to lay out; hide candy and some larger prizes in the hay and have the kids hunt for it. For those who have access to a tennis court, parking lot or strip of road, set up a hockey game with a gourd instead of a puck and brooms instead of sticks.

   Set up donations jars by each of the games, and ask guests to donate as they play. Charging a set rate for each game, or asking for money each time a guest wants to do something, is almost guaranteed to leave a bad taste--and chase away potential visitors to the next event.

4. 

   Use candies for Halloween-themed guessing games.

   Set up some guessing games. Have individuals guess how many pieces of candy corn are in a jar, or how many chocolate eyeballs are in a cauldron. Charge 50 cents or $1 per guess.

5. 

   Set up a hay ride for guests.

   Check with local farmers to see if anyone would be willing to set up a hay ride. This can be another great free event to help attract visitors to the fundraiser. On the hayride, hand out cups of cider, tell ghost stories, or if the charity is appropriate, tell some of the success stories of the charity. This is also a great time to tell people what the charity needs, whether it be donations of money, supplies or more volunteers.

Contests

1. 

   Judge contest entries for the best autumn dessert, and publish the winning recipe on the charity website.

   Set up the contests, and select judges from the organization's volunteers. In addition to a costume contest, pie-eating contests are also popular. Have a volunteer bake some pies ahead of time, and announce the contest when advertising. Have as many entries as there are pies. Charge for each entry, and have a prize ready to give away at the end. Another contest idea is to collect entries for the best autumn pie or homemade candy, and then award prizes to the winner.

2. 

   Invite people to bring their pets for a costume contest.

   Set up a costume contest. Depending on the charity and the people the fundraiser will attract, this can be an adult contest, a kids' contest or one divided by age groups. For the many animal groups, another idea is a pet costume contest. To take it one step further, encourage people to think of couples costumes with their pets--a convict and police officer, a witch and a wizard or a dragon and a knight. Plan on having people preregister or line up near a donation jar to throw money in as they go up in front of the judges.

3. 

   Encourage people to show their creativity and carve their own pumpkins.

   Get some pumpkins donated, and set up a table for people to come and carve their own pumpkins. To keep things moving, have a volunteer on hand to gut the pumpkins so all guests have to do is carve the face. Collect the entries, along with a donation, on another table, and light candles in them each. Give prizes for the winners.

Tips & Warnings

• Organize a mix of free events and those that people need to pay to enter. The free events will attract visitors, who will be more likely to open their wallets when they receive some free entertainment.

• Don't forget to let visitors know what else they can do to help. Even if they can't afford to donate much, don't turn them away. The charity might find someone willing to do Internet research into grants, record keeping or other volunteer work.

• If opening the fundraiser to pets, make sure to specify friendly, vaccinated pets.

References

• Better Fundraising Ideas: Halloween
• Fundraising Help: Halloween pumpkin fundraiser