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Unique Fundraisers

One of a kind, rarely seen, these are both good definitions for something that is unique. Unique fundraisers are hard to find but not impossible. It takes creativity and brainstorming to come up with something that has not been tried before when it comes to fundraising. However, with a little time and several creative minds there are unique fundraisers that can be just the answer to a budget shortfall.

When it is time to start discussing fundraising ideas, call a meeting of everyone who is going to be involved. This will be the brainstorming session. Use a whiteboard to jot down ideas as they are tossed out, the planning and sorting of these ideas will come later.

Start out by raising the question, what are services or products that people use every day that can be used to raise money. As answers are given write them down. Typical answers might include food of all types, hair care services, car washes, dog care and grooming, lawn services, greeting cards and others. Keep the answers short; one or two words will suffice.

Next, go through each of the answers and determine what kind of fundraiser could be organized around it. If it turns out to be a fundraiser that has been done many times over, then it is not unique, scratch it and move on to the next one. However, if it has been done before but is not something that is seen often, leave it on the list.

Finally, after there is a list of ideas, flesh each of them out in terms of how they would work, what the product or service would be worth, how difficult it would be to organize and other details that would be pertinent to the fundraiser. These should be recorded by a record keeper and filed for future use. Some of the unique ideas that could be used include the following fundraising ideas. Although these are not one-of-a-kind, they are not common and the community will respond better to a fresh idea better than an old standby.

  • Haircutting Day: This requires volunteers who are barbers or stylists. There are many who will donate their time to a good cause. As a fundraising project the only thing that is required is marketing and publicity once the volunteer stylists are lined up. Advertise a one-price haircut day with all proceeds going to the fundraiser. This is a truly unique way to raise money and is usually very successful.

  • Host a Talent Show: These were popular in years gone-by and today would be a novel and fun way to raise money. Contestants enter the contest using any talent they want to display. Tickets are sold to watch the show and a winner is picked by applause. Concessions add more to the fundraiser and increase the profit. A portion of the profit is used as prize money to attract contestants.

  • Wine Tasting: Although this fundraiser is an adult only fundraiser it can be a profitable venture. Tickets are sold in advance to spend an afternoon or evening tasting wines and cheese. These mixers are well received by many communities; however, before making the choose to host one, ask around or look in local community event newspapers and see if anyone hold this type of function.

Unique fundraisers can be more fun than the traditional fundraisers that are used by practically every organization and church in town. Creating a new event for people to attend while at the same time donating their money to the cause is a recipe for success that can be used many times over. The only limitations are the limits of the group’s creativity.