Fund-raising is hard work, plain and simple. There are many factors that go into planning and implementing a successful fund-raising effort, and part of the key to fund-raising is coming up with ideas for events that people will support.

Since one of the goals of The Rob Barnham Foundation s fund-raising efforts is to include plenty of fun, we ve compiled a list of suggestions that will get your fund-raising thoughts in gear!

Selling Products

Whether you sell a product that is commercially-produced, or have something designed especially for your group or cause, the successful sale of any product depends, in part, on how many people will do the selling, and how good they are at selling the product. Some products you might consider selling include:

• Candy bars, tins of assorted candies, lollipops, etc.

• Flowers, potted plants, cut flowers, dried flower arrangements, holiday wreaths and decorations, etc.

• Coupon books, usually created with local businesses (restaurants, dry cleaners, gift shops, etc), these sell for a set price and give the buyer of the book discounts at the participating businesses.

• Wrapping paper, greetings cards, stationary, etc.

• Calendars, include pictures of local landmarks, interesting sites in town, past town events, etc.

• Collectibles, miniature figurines, thimbles, a piece you have created especially for your group, etc. 

Social events

Holding a successful social event is often determined, in large part, by the effectiveness of the publicity for the event. Whether your event is geared toward families or adults only, you might consider events such as:

• Dances: 1950 s sock hops with oldies bands, dinner-dances with big band style music, holiday-themed events (4^th of July, Halloween, etc).

• Dinners: formal fcfdb1-tie affair, pasta dinner, chicken barbeque

• Other food-orientated events, wine tasting, ice cream social, chocolate-lovers feast, pancake breakfast, etc.

 Also...

• All-night movie event: Science fiction theme, adventure theme, movies of a particular era, most popular movies of a particular star, etc.

• Musical Events: Battle of the bands, local bands and special performances, karaoke night.

Athletic Events

You don t have to run marathons to raise money for a good cause! A wide variety of both competitive and non-competitive athletic events are held every year to raise money; consider events that focus on:

• 5K Walks, 5K Runs

• Rollerblading a set distance

• Bike Riding

• Canoe or Kayak Paddling

• Team sports, such as volleyball, baseball, or basketball

• Individual sports, such as table tennis, tennis, racquetball

• Intellectual sports such as chess, scrabble, or crossword puzzles.

• Friendly competition between two community groups (for example, a team representing the town volunteer fire company and the town police); a community group and a local radio station; or teachers and students from a local high school.

• A dance-a-thon, with the goal to seek the couple that dances for the longest continuous period of time

 Team Up with Other Established Community Groups for a Fund-Raising Effort.

If your fund-raising event is being planned to benefit a particular member of your community, don t hesitate to contact some of the established community groups for their help and support. Those groups might include:

• Local Jaycees Group

• Kiwanis

• Rotary Club

• Junior Womens Group

• A Church Group

Types of fund-raising events you might approach them about co-sponsorship include:

• Raffle: one large item, such as a car; several items, such as a trip, electronic equipment, store gift certificates, etc.

• Art auction or art show

• Arts and Crafts show

• Silent auction, especially with a theme.

• Carnival or street fair

• Golf Outing