Unique Fundraising Ideas

Whether you're affiliated with a school, a church, or any non-profit organization, you are undoubtedly always on the look-out for fundraising ideas. There are so many options out there, it can be hard to decide what will work best for you. The internet has given us far more opportunities, but it can be difficult to navigate through the many, many sites to find something that will work for you. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started:
Online Auctions:
With the state of the economy, more and more people are doing their shopping online so that they can find the best deals. Why buy something at a physical retail location when you can find it cheaper on the web? Your organization can hold a drive for items to be donated - everyone has items in their home that they no longer need but have yet to part with. As such, you should be able to get a decent amount of products donated that can generate money being sold online. Nearly everyone is familiar with E-Bay, but there are also many other online auction sites that you can utilize. In this way, you can take items that cost you nothing and raise money for your particular goal. Additionally, you can sell home-made items that are crafted by members of your organization. This allows your members to donate their time creating items that will generate funds, rather than donating money.
Personalized Christmas Ornaments:
This is a fun and unique idea, but it does take start-up money. You can purchase the ornaments from one of several wholesale companies - all you need are members of your organization with nice handwriting. Your members can carry the catalog, rather than the breakable ornaments, and take orders for the ornaments plus the personalization. This can be names, dates, or any other information that your customer might like to have on an ornament. All you need for the personalization is a few permanent markers (fine point) in several colors. You have now created for your customer an item that they will keep for years to come, and something that is of more value to them than the actual cost.
Happy Feet Slippers:
This is a truly unique idea, and doesn't require any money up front. Happy Feet are the oversized house slippers that look like tennis shoes, though there is also a line of animal slippers available now. They also offer licensed products, including over 70 colleges/universities and NBA and NFL teams. They will provide you with a flyer that you will fill in with your organization's information, and it will direct your customers to a website. You will then get a percentage of all orders placed, without ever handling the product or the money! This has only been available for a few years, so it's unlikely that your customers will already have been approached with this product. And of course, slippers are something almost everyone will use! The great variety of available products helps to ensure that there will be something for everyone.
Hopefully these ideas have helped you in your decision-making process! The idea of fundraising can be daunting, but don't let it get to you. There are a lot of good and profitable ideas out there - one of them is bound to be a perfect fit!