Metro Conference Fundraising Ideas

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS: See the specific information on this web site for Corporate Sponsorships

CAR STOP: This is one or the easiest and most profitable fund-raising ideas. Find a busy intersection and get permission from the city to solicit funds from passing motorists. Malls, shopping centers, and other heavy traffic areas can be used also.

GARAGE SALES: Have your members clean house. Clean out your closets, garages, basements etc…. Hold a one or two day garage sale. You can raise several hundred to a couple thousand in a weekend. It is no overhead cost. The members donate the items to the chapter. Arrange to have Goodwill or another community based program pick up whatever is left at the end of the day.

RUMMAGE SALE: In addition to a garage sale, ask local retailers to donate items. Clothing, furniture, appliances, and house wares, brand new items such as desks, lamps, pictures, and shoes clothing can also be included. Prices on merchandise can be anywhere, depending on the item. At the end of the day prices can be slashed to ½. After the sale is over items left can be donated to goodwill or another thrift shop.

WAITRESS FOR A NIGHT: Arrange with a restaurant to be waiters or waitress for a night. You keep the tips! The customers love it, and usually tip well because they advertise that the tips are going to your organization.

WHOLESALER'S DAY: This is a "professional flea market”. Merchants each pay
A fee to set up a parking space sized booth, and the public is invited to browse
and buy. No admission fee is charged for potential customers. Fee’s can range from $10.00 – $30.00, depending on their location.

CELEBRITY AUCTION: Items donated by local or national personalities bring in lots of money, particularly when the items are signed. Suggested items: old phonographic records, shoes, signed photos, jackets, manuscripts, etc…

CHINESE AUCTION: Actually, a Chinese auction is more a lottery than an auction. Here's how it works. The items to be "auctioned" are displayed on tables around the room. In front of each is a glass bowl or other receptacle. Participants buy tickets, usually 10 for $5, and place one ticket in the bowl in front of each item they wish to "bid" on. At the end of the evening one ticket from each bowl is selected, and whoever's name (or number) appears on that ticket wins the item.

SERVICE AUCTION: In this type of fund-raiser, donations of time and effort are solicited, and donors are asked to come up with imaginative offerings. A service auction could include such offerings as baby-sitting for en entire weekend; a daylong sailboat trip; pool party for 20 people, a husband and wife "butler and maid" team to serve at a dinner party. Participants bid on the Items up for grabs as in a regular auction, with the highest bidder receiving the item. You can do this at a GMM.

CONCERTS: larger audiences and be able to charge higher ticket prices if you can get well-known performers to entertain at your fund-raiser. If you must pay for talent, try to arrange a special rate. Remember that local amateurs can usually be persuaded to donate their talents to a worthy cause, and aspiring performers may be happy to have some public exposure.

FILM RENTAL: Check your local Yellow pages under the heading "Motion Picture Film Distributors" for organizations that rent out movies. Advertise your performances and charge an admission fee.

FOLLIES: Stage an elaborate variety show. Appoint a director to put the show together. Amateur acts could include singing, dancing, and comedy skits. Charge admission, and arrange to make money on drink and/or snack sales.

DANCE MARATHON: Two hours on, 10 minutes off, could be the rules of a 50-hour marathon. Call it the "Put your love in motion" weekend. Contest rules could be that each couple must have sponsor pledges of at least $200 in order to enter the contest. Charge admission for interested spectators. To hold spectator interest, plan activities just for them: dance lessons by a professional dance group: a celebrity a special children's program with balloon games, cartoons, a clown, magician and guitar sing-a-long. Get local restaurants to provide food for the dancers.

THEATER PARTY: Theater Parties are held by hundreds of different organizations throughout the country and are popular partially because they're so easy to arrange. Here's how: An organization buys all of the seats, or a block of seats for a given performance of a show and charges those who attend a fixed amount over and above the price of the tickets. The typical amount added to the ticket price is anywhere from $5 to $25, which may include refreshments or dinner.

FASHION LUNCHEON: Merchants who own clothing stores or boutiques and managers of department stores are often willing to lend clothing and accessories to charitable organizations staging fashion shows.

GALLERY, MUSEUM, OR MOVIE PREVIEWS: The night before the official opening of a gallery or museum exhibit, or a new movie is a good time to have a champagne or supper preview. Tickets should be sold in advance for the preview.

PET SHOW: pet owners are proud of their animal. Give them the opportunity to showoff their pride and joy. Charge an entry fee for each animal. Sell admission tickets. Get volunteers to judge the various categories, and award trophies, or ribbons to winners.

PHOTO CONTEST: Pick a photo contest theme, for example "Children Do the Darndest Things." Have three major divisions: amateur, professional, and photos by children. Entry fee would be called a donation to the Diabetes Research Institute. Get a local camera shop to donate prizes and award ribbons to the winners in each division.

WEDDING FASHION SHOW: Spring and fall are the best times to hold bridal fashion shows, and local department stores and bridal salons are usually more than willing to participate. Potential ticket buyers are easy to locate through engagement announcements in the newspaper society columns.

ALL YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST: Stick to one or two offerings that are easy and Inexpensive to prepare, such as pancakes, or scrambled eggs, and keep the coffee urns full. Such a breakfast served on a Sunday morning would be popular and profitable.

BREAKFAST: There are a number of ways to raise money in only a couple of hours on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Hold a breakfast as a family social gathering, or in conjunction with a special lecture or event. Charge a fixed amount or solicit donations from those who attend.

FOOD FAIR: Plan a one-night event and feature foods of many nations. Ask local residents to prepare some of their own ethnic specialties. Sell the portions of each dish for set prices. Charging an admission fee can raise additional money.

ETHNIC FESTIVAL: The project above can be expanded to a weekend festival. Highlights could include not only ethnic foods, but also attractions such as an art show, and demonstrations of ethnic dances. In addition carnival rides and games could be arranged for.

LUNCHEONS WITH SPEAKERS: Fund-raising luncheons can be held on a regular basis. The luncheons can be held at a local hotel and with a prominent person in the community as the guest speaker.

ROVING DINNER PARTY: A good fund-raiser but also a great way to make friends starts with a group of couples. Assign some members of the group to make hors d'oeuvres, some to make a main course, and some to make desserts. Then set up a round robin dinner with participants going to different homes for the different courses. All the couples then meet in a single home for dessert. Each couple pays a fee to participate.

WINE TASTING PARTY: An hour and a half of unlimited wine and cheese tasting can be arranged by getting some vintners and cheese companies to provide samples for guests to taste. After the sampling is complete a dinner could be served. Charge a fee for attending. (Discuss this with your legal counsel)

ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN'S STUDIO TOUR: Have potters, photographers, painters, weavers, jewelers, sculptors, and printmakers open their studios to the public. Charge a fee for a two-day tour, which includes talks by the artists and demonstrations or works in progress. Some of the works should be offered for sale. Have members of your group conduct the tours.

BOAT PARTY: A slow cruise to nowhere for an evening can include dining, drinking, dancing, an auction, a caricaturist, a fortuneteller, etc. to provide entertainment. To provide an atmosphere, select a theme. For example, 'The Mississippi Riverboat Party," have a Dixieland band, a New Orleans buffet dinner, and lavish decorations. Or the Gilligans Island theme, and have everyone come dressed as their favorite character. Charge a fee for those who attend this exciting affair.

CHRISTMAS HOUSE TOUR: Select five houses to elaborately decorate for Christmas. Advertise to the public. Make different Christmas items available for sale such as ornaments, handcrafted gifts, baked goods, etc.

DECORATOR SHOW HOUSE: Arrange to use a large estate home for this benefit. Interior designers can bid to decorate and furnish individual rooms. Signs should give credit to the decorator and tell where each piece can be bought and for how much. A landscaper can refurbish the grounds. The show house should be opened for a period of a few weeks, and visitors pay a fee for the tour.

MYSTERY BUS RIDE: Everyone loves a surprise, and that's the whole idea behind mystery bus rides. One person makes arrangements for an entire group, and tells the participants only what to wear or how to prepare for the evenings events. Then participants board a bus at a predetermined location and are whisked away to anything from a helicopter ride, to scuba diving lessons, to dinner at a restaurant and a show. This project is an excellent way to make money. Each person or couple pays a fixed amount over the cost of the activities.

DANCE: Dances or dinner dances are extremely popular fund-raisers for a number of organizations. The dance could take place at a local country club, and be attended by a large number of people. A cover charge should bring in a large profit.

HOE DOWN DANCE: "Country duds" are required dress at this event. The farm theme can be carried through from decorations to food, with picnic lunches possibly donated by well-known persons in the community and auctioned off to the highest bidders. For entertainment have a square dance with an authentic caller.

GOURMET COOK-OFF BALL: A fabulous fund-raiser would involve 20 celebrities or well-known chefs cooking a several course meal. Stoves could be set up around the grand ballroom as guests watch the preparations from their tables. Meanwhile the hotel kitchen staff prepares the identical recipes for the guests. Professional critics and food experts could judge the culinary offerings and prizes could be awarded in each category. The price could be up to $150 per ticket.

MALL BALL: Hold and annual cocktail dinner dance in an enclosed mall. Other unusual sites for fund-raising events around the country include beaches, subway stations, or even an airplane hangar.

OLD-FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC: This is a good way to celebrate while raising money. Picnic tables and planned fun events can create atmosphere. Chicken-in-the-basket lunches or bar-b-qued hot dogs and hamburgers provide good eating for the people who pay the entrance fee and attend the fundraiser.

STAR-STUDDED EVENING: More than just a concert, this type of fund-raiser features performances by a wide range of entertainers, opera singers, ballet dancers, musicians, popular recording artists and the like. A lavish dinner can follow this for those who've bought the highest price tickets.

BASKETBALL MARATHON: In such an event the sponsoring group agrees to take on all corners in a basketball marathon. The group can raise money by charging an admission fee and selling refreshments. This can be a daylong event running anywhere from 5 to 7 hours.

BINGO: Where bingo games are legal, they've proved extremely popular local fund-raisers. Typically, players pay an entrance fee ($1 to $3), rent lapboards and buy disposable paper game cards. About 25 games are played during a given evening, and the lucky person who has a winning card can win anywhere from $25 to $250. Bingo games are tightly regulated and supervised, often by government officials, to ensure that the games are being run honestly. The group that holds bingo games can usually raise extra money by selling refreshments. Check with your State Lottery and your legal counsel. You can get special event licenses where you run it for a day or a weekend.

LEAGUES: Many groups have already organized charity athletic leagues, and more are doing so all the time. Here's how they work: The sponsoring organization pays for the use of sports facilities such as bowling alleys, and members of the various teams pay the organization a slightly higher fee to play each game or pay a lump sum to participate in the league. This can be used with tennis, racquetball, softball, football, etc. At the end of the season, trophies are awarded to the winning team.

NIGHT AT THE RACES: Like the bingo games and Las Vegas nights, the action for sale here is gambling. Organizations rent films of horse races, and those who watch the films bet on the outcomes. Typically a bettor wins $4 or $5 on a $2 bet if his or her horse comes in first. An admission fee covers the cost of the film rental and the organization gets the rest. Check with your legal counsel.

PRO-AM TOURNAMENTS: When celebrities team up with sports professionals in athletic competition, the result is usually a lot of laughs and a lot of money raised for charity. Such was the case when a number of well-known personalities.

WALKATHON: This is a popular fund raising effort a 20-mile route around and through the city can be planned. Each person participating tries to solicit at least 30 pledges from sponsors for each mile of the route. This solicitation is done prior to the walkathon. Events such as this attract large numbers of participants if well organized and publicized. Prizes can be donated and awarded to the persons with the greatest number of pledges, and with the largest amount pledged. This idea can be adapted for young children by making it a five-mile mini-walk.

TENNIS TOURNAMENT: Hold a mixed doubles tournament at various tennis courts or clubs in the area. For a set fee participants are guaranteed at least three hours of playing time, the opportunity to watch a number of exhibition matches, and enjoy a bar-b-qued dinner if you wish.

MINI-COURSES: Everyone has a hobby that he or she can demonstrate or lecture about for at least a couple of hours. Get volunteers to teach mini-courses on topics like sewing, gardening, financial planning, photography, etc. to the community. Advertise these courses in community papers. Each course could last one to three evenings. Charge a fee to attend.

DESSERT BRIDGE: Entrants pay $5 each to sample various desserts and play any board or card games they choose. As added attractions, set up gourmet food tables, a raffle for door prizes, and table centerpieces centerpieces can be sold at the end of the day.

CHOCOLATE LOVERS FESTIVALS: Invite restaurants, bakeries, chefs, etc… to submit a chocolate entry. Charge a fee to the public to attend and taste lots and lots of chocolate. You could even charge the restaurants etc. a small entry fee. Have the spectators vote on their favorite chocolate entrees, and award a plaque to the winner and publish it in the press. This is a great one to do around Valentines day!

BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT: As backgammon becomes increasingly popular in the U. S. It has been recognized that backgammon tournaments can be good charity fund-raisers. Contestants can pay entrance fees and donated prizes are awarded to winners in each of three levels of competition. Additional money is raised through a raffle.

CARD PARTIES: Bridge, canasta, euchre, and gin rummy are among the most popular card games played at afternoon fund-raisers held by members of countless organizations throughout the country. Typically, participants pay $5 to $10, which includes refreshments provided by the host.

BOOK FAIR: There are companies that specialize in setting up the book fairs. The company brings in and sets up a huge selection of children's books in all price ranges. In addition, educational toys are for sale during the three-day fair. The sponsors get 20 percent of the total amount taken in.

ARTISTS FAIR: Charge a flat fee for each day local artists and craftsmen exhibit and sell their creations. The exhibitors can either pay a fee for their booth or pay a percentage of their sales.

BEAT THE MARKET: This is a month long fund-raiser that allows participants to play the stock market without any risk of losing real money. A $25 donation entitles a participant to $50,000 worth of "credits" with which to buy and sell stocks. Professional stockbrokers volunteer to take the orders and to keep track of how the participants do in their financial wheeling and dealing. At the end of the month, donated prizes are awarded to those who've "made most money" and to the person who "lost" the most. The loser is advised to stay out of the Market.

CARNIVAL: Hire a professional carnival and set up in a parking lot. You can get a % of the proceeds. It usually only requires minimal manpower from your chapters.

KIDDY CARNIVAL: Another successful fund-raiser is a fair for children. Plan the fair for kids under seven. Have pony rides, games such as pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and such foods as peanut butter sandwiches and ice cream for sale. For parents, have a booth at which to buy children's clothing. Admission can be charged.

CAR WASH: All it takes is a few buckets, sponges, some mild detergent, soft towels, water, and lots or elbow grease to turn a few spare hours into extra cash. A favorite fund-raiser of student organizations, car washes at $2 can raise several hundred dollars if there are enough willing workers, a lot or advance publicity and ample parking space for those waiting their turn. This is a great hot summer day project.

50/50 RAFFLE: Buy raffle tickets and sell them. Usually 1 ticket for $1.00, 5 for $ 3.00 and 10 for $10.00. You pull the other ticket out and the matching ticket wins ½ the proceeds. Check with you legal counsel, Some states only allow you to award up to $100.00 without a licenses.

PROGRAM ADVERTISING: Sell sponsorships and advertisements in printed journals and programs distributed at concerts, dinner dances or other fund-raising galas.

CONSUMER TESTING: Some manufacturing firms or market research companies will pay money to organizations that guarantee a certain number of participants in a day long product evaluation session. Try contacting the Public Relations department of local companies to see if they'll make similar arrangements. An agreement might be made to provide a number of testers for the day. A sum of money is paid in return for the group of testers' services.

REFRESHMENT STANDS: On a hot simmer day, nothing will sell faster than cold beverages. As always, try to get donations from local merchants or failing that, arrange a discount. Another good idea is to borrow an orange or grape drink "spray cooler" machine from a fast food chain and purchase juice concentrates (like they do). There's a hefty profit margin for drinks sold this way. Other big sellers include coffee and cake, cold sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza.

MARATHON OR RUN: Running is quite a popular pastime. By arranging a race, setting up the course, sending out applications with a set entrance fee, arranging for prizes or awards for the winners, and publicizing it well, you can have a very successful event. Guidance might be obtained from your local runners club.

BIKE RACE: This can be set up in a fashion similar to the project described above. It has great potential and will receive a lot of publicity.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE GOLF TOURNAMENT: Set up a contest on a par three hole at a local golf course. If the golfer gets within a set distance, he wins a prize. You should specify the distance from the hole that would qualify a participant for a prize based upon the number of prizes you can get donated. Raffle prizes you may try to secure are golf balls, golf shirts, dinners from local restaurants, movie passes, etc. The golfer who gets closest to the bole wins the grand prize.

HAUNTED HOUSE: A good haunted house set up at Halloween time is a sure winner as a fund raising event. If there are not already too many haunted houses running in your area, this is a great project for your organization to initiate.

HAIR CUT-A-THON: Arrange for local stylists from one or acre salons to donate their services for the day. Secure a location with a lot of walk in traffic such as a local shopping mall, street fair, or park. Set a price for haircuts. If electricity is available, the stylists can wet hair with spray bottles, cut and blow dry. You can arrange to give away free samples of beauty aid products to all patrons and get them donated by sponsors.

Thanks to the Michigan Jaycees and the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation,
6800 N.W. 53rd Terrace, Suite 202, Miami, FL 22166, 1-800-321-3437

But Wait…there’s more!

DUCK RACES: Sell raffle tickets for small rubber ducks with corresponding numbers on the bottom. Release all the ducks at one time for a race down a local river. The first duck to cross the finish line is the raffle winner.

JOB FAIR/NETWORKING EXPO: Hold in a hall or other banquet facility. Invite businesses and young people to attend. Charge businesses for booth space. Sell pop. Coffee, etc..

PALM READING: Bring a psychic to your Haunted House.

SANDBOX FILL: Get a local business to donate sand. Distribute request forms to schools and take requests from the community for sandbox fills. Charge for the delivery and filling service according to the various sizes of sandboxes and distance traveled.

Bowl a Thons
Egg Throwing Contests
Gift Wrapping Services
Beer Tasting
Jello-Wrestling
Jack-O-Latern carving contest
Pumpkin roll contests
Lingerie Fashion Show
Miniature Golf Tournament
Indoor Golf Outing
Donkey Basketball
Cow Bingo or Chicken Bingo
Wheelchair races

If you have a successful fundraising you would like to share with out chapters, please send an email to director@metrojaycees.org

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our list !