Online Auction

A site called IDonateToCharity.org developed a great online auction site that lets anyone auction off items and have the money donated directly to a charity or non-profit in their name. Once an item sells, the money is collected by the site to prevent fraud, a shipping label is generated (if needed) and the money is mailed to the charity or non-profit in the seller’s name. Tax receipts are automatically generated for tax write-offs and best of all, it’s FREE to use! When a Charity or non-profit signs up with the site, they can receive the money directly from the buyer and not wait for a check in the mail. This is fastly becoming the best way for people and charities to raise money.

Treasure Hunt

Everyone loves searching for treasure!  This can easily become a huge, annual event for your organization if planned well.  Here’s what you do.  Purchase old, foreign coins, silver and gold coins, or silver bars, etc., and bury them all in different places in a roped off or other area.  Allow people to hunt for coins for an entry fee.  If you can’t afford to use coins, gather up some other types of items that people can hunt for or create a theme-based treasure hunt. 

Guessing Games

This is such a simple concept, yet one that can be designed in an endless number of ways.  Do you remember guessing games like “ guess how many jelly beans are in the jar”?  You can go way beyond this and create of number of guessing games that you can post online or have available locally.  Allow people to take a guess at your game for $1 or even a mere fifty cents per guess.  Let them know when you’ll reveal the winner and offer a neat prize.  You can put on several games at a time, too, to draw in even more donations. 

Hand-made Boat Racing

With this unusual fundraising activities, contestants pay a small entry fee to compete in a race where they must build a small boat out of cardboard, wood, or other materials and sail it against other competitors in a nearby pond or lake.  You can give them a certain amount of building time or have them build their boats on their own before the race date.  Offer awards or ribbons for spirit or funniest boat, fastest boat, most unique boat, and so forth. 

Favorite Photo Competition

This can easily be held online or even within your organization, work place, or simply spread out among family and friends.  You can have people pay $1 to submit their photo into the contest.  People vote on their favorite photo and the winner receives a prize.  Another option is to have entrants submit their photo with a short description.  Have all photos displayed and numbered.  Having corresponding numbered jars in which people vote by paying into the jar of their favorite photo.  The photo that receives the most donations in its’ jar is the winner.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

This is another unusual fundraising activities that can be accomplished online or within your community.  Come up with a list of unusual items that participants must find.  Each item is worth a certain number of points and entrants have a designated time frame in which to find the items on the list.  The winner is the person who finds the most items and has the highest point total.  To make it easier, have them submit photos of every item.  Raise money for your non profit by having people pay an entry fee to join the contest and receive their scavenger hunt list.  Give prizes to the winners. 

Flamingo Flocking

Unbelievably, but this unusual fundraising activity is spreading in popularity.  Here’s how it works.  First, purchase ten pink flamingos.  Next, pick ten lucky people who get to have a pink flamingo placed in their yards.  Attach “ransom notes” to each flamingo’s neck with your charity’s name and phone number, stating that for a small donation, you’ll kidnap the flamingo and remove it from their yard.  You can also have people donate to have the flamingo placed in someone else’s yard or to buy “protection insurance” that keeps them from having their own yard invaded by the pink flamingo.  One thought, though.  Always offer to pick up the flamingo free for those who don’t quite appreciate your activity. 

Keep that creative spirit rolling and set up new and unusual fundraising activities that will be entertaining, fun, and exciting for everyone involved.  Bringing some life to your fundraising events can lend a hand in drawing in new people and keeping your regular donators interested in your cause.

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