Telephone and Personal Solicitation: Asking directly for money is often the most effective way to raise money. Call and visit individuals who might want to support your group. Look to past contributors, or members of the community who might be sympathetic to your goals and ask them for some financial support. Going door to door can prove successful. For a good cause friends and family members can be asked to contribute.
Walk/Bike/-A-Thon: This involves getting people to pledge a certain amount of money for each mile the participant in the event walks or bikes. People can also donate a set amount of money instead of making the per-mile pledge. There are many types of thons: Dancing,
Swimming, Bowling all work.
Sales and Services: Selling merchandise or services is an easy way to raise money. Using donated services or items for: bake sales, car washes, massages, etc.., can raise money. Selling items like: bagels, t-shirts, buttons, or candy bars will probably have some overhead, so make sure not to over order or you might actually lose money.
Auction: Holding an auction where friends of your group donate art work, services, or even handmade goods can also lead to a good fund raiser. The key to this is to have people donate their goods or their time.
Raffles: The key to holding a raffle is to get cheap, or donated prizes. Here a prize is offered to the winner of a drawing. Each ticket purchased will give the person a chance to win the prize. A variation of this is a 50/50 raffle where the winner gets half of the donated money, while the other half goes towards your organization.
Ads/Ad Books: If your organization has a publication, getting businesses to donate money for ads can be a good way to raise funds.
Rummage Sales: Here people from the community donate old clothes, books, toys, etc.., which are then placed on sale to the public. Because there are usually no overhead costs, it’s hard to lose money on a rummage sale.
Bingo Games: Depending on your area, bingo may be a potential source of funds for your group. Some groups run their own bingo games, while others band together to run them. Some restrictions may apply depending on the laws in your area. Be sure to check before organizing one of these events.
Benefits: Performances by bands, theater groups, singers, poets, and other artists can prove helpful in raising funds for your group. Getting the performers to donate their time is the key to this project. Also holding dances where people purchase tickets can also prove profitable. In order to hold a dance, a venue will have to either be donated, or rented cheaply in order to make money.
Dinners: Many organizations hold fund raising dinners because they are enjoyable as well as good sources of funds. In order to make money, you have to charge a good deal more than the actual cost of the dinner, unless the food is donated. Also make sure not to order too much food or the over head cost could be higher than the amount you made.
Selling Flowers: Consider selling flowers around holidays, such as lilies around Easter, wreathes around Christmas, etc.
Collections: Asking members of the group to pay dues or asking for contributions at rallies can also be an effective way to raise money.
Remember, always be clear in your message about what the fundraiser is about. This makes it look professional and will probably attract more people.