Ideas for Company Fundraisers
Organizing a charity event for a company can be fun for the participants. From celebrity autograph auctions to chili cook-offs, ideas for profitable fundraisers abound. Golf tournaments traditionally bring in the big bucks, and the 50-50 raffle is always popular.
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Celebrity Autograph Auction
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Staging a company fundraiser by selling celebrity autographs requires a lot of advance planning. A fund-raising committee can create a list of celebrities and find out their mailing addresses. This may be as easy as going online and typing in the name of the celebrity. Send a brief, polite request for the autograph, along with a card for the signature and, a stamped self-addressed envelope. Celebrities are often willing to help out for charity, so mention the name of the charity that will be the recipient of the proceeds of the celebrity autograph auction. Use online websites like eBay to price out the autographs for auction.
"Best Ball" Golf Tournament
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A fund-raising idea that is a perfect fit for companies to raise money for charity is the golf tournament. To make the event fun for golfers of all ability levels, a "best ball" format can be used. Participating golfers are placed in foursomes and every member of the foursome tees off. Players decide which ball is in the best position, and the other three members of the foursome place their ball close to the best ball. Play continues in this manner until the hole is completed. For tournaments where there is a very great discrepancy between ability levels, a variation called the step aside can level the playing field and give high handicappers the opportunity to contribute. In this case, the player with the best ball "steps aside" and does not hit until the following shot.
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50-50 Raffle
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One of the most popular fundraisers is a very simple idea. The 50-50 raffle gives participants the opportunity to make some money while donating to a charity. To organize a 50-50 raffle, purchase a roll of raffle tickets that has two tickets for each serial number. These raffle ticket rolls can be purchased at many party supply stores. The committee then decides on a price for the sale of the tickets, typically something like $2 apiece or three for $5. Tear off one ticket and give it to the buyer and place the other ticket with the same serial number in a container. Organize an event for the drawing, like a meeting or a luncheon. The winner receives 50 percent of the proceeds, and the other half goes to the charity. The 50-50 raffle can be repeated at regular intervals.
Chili Cook-Off
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With all of the celebrity chefs on television these days, a chili-cook off can draw quite a number of participants. Invite employees to prepare their best chili recipes and bring them in on a specified day. Participants pay a fee to participate and win a prize. To set up the event, select a few judges who would be willing to taste all entries. Decorate with cowboy hats and boots, piñatas and sombreros. Provide bowls and spoons for the chili, and make sure to have water on hand. You might also have sides like sour cream, tortillas and shredded cheese available. Decide how prizes will be awarded. You may want to set categories, like best beef chili and spiciest chili. To keep more money for charity, get the gifts donated. To earn extra money, sell bowls of chili and drinks to the audience and raffle off some of the prizes.
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References
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