Fundraising Ideas
Check out These Upcoming Team Fundraisers - You're Invited!
Talk about the AIDS Walk with everyone you know. People can't donate if they don't know you are walking! Talk to your grocer, doctor, nurses, dentist, etc. Ask them if they would be willing to support your efforts. See if you can check off every name on this list: Sponsor Checklist.
Utilize corporate matching gift programs. Many employers will match the charitable donations made by their employees. Use the matching gift search function to look for the name of your own employer and for the company names of each of your sponsors’ employers. You may be able to double every donation you get!
Designate a certain day as AIDS Walk Awareness Day. Post these HIV/AIDS Statistics "Sponsor Me" Flyers (coming soon). Give out red ribbons to each person who donates.
Include AIDS Walk information as part of your e-mail automatic signature. Include a link to your AIDS Walk Web page in your signature. Each time you send a message, the recipient will be provided with a reminder to sponsor you.
Post an AIDS Walk poster or sign. Put up a sign by the elevator, coffee maker, copy machine, vending machine, break room, or bathroom letting everyone know that you are a Star Walker for the AIDS Walk and that you would be grateful for their donation. Get started now: Download a mini-poster for your desk (Coming soon).
Recycle. Collect and recycle aluminum cans. Put a container in your break room for collecting cans and let colleagues know that recycling helps the AIDS Walk. Don't forget to collect cans at home and ask your neighbors for theirs as well.
Sell goodies to your officemates. Pick up bulk packages of the most sought-after sweets and set up an "on your honor" snack area near the photocopy machine. Charge $1 per item.
Collect loose change. Everybody has a stash of loose change in a cup or jar just sitting around. Ask everyone to donate theirs toward your goal. You will be surprised how quickly it adds up.
Use incentives. Get Creative! From a free dinner to tickets to a football game, entice people to donate with prizes they can't resist!
Raffle it off! Use your connections to get prizes donated for a raffle. You can ask businesses that you frequent (restaurants, spas, hair salons) to donate. Sell tickets at $2 each or 10 tickets for $15 - people won't be able to say no to that bargain!
Organize a 50/50 raffle. Anyone can organize this type of raffle – it’s easy and the prize is CASH! Let everyone know that half the proceeds from ticket sales will go to your AIDS Walk fundraising total and half will go to the lucky winner. Your only expense is the raffle tickets.
Ask your boss to match what your team raises. This will provide a real incentive for your team to raise as much as they can! If matching the total amount raised by the team is not an option, ask if he/she would be willing to match what the team raises at your next fundraising event. Or ask them to donate $25 for every person who registers on the team. Just ask!
Ask your payroll department to help. Spread the word about your AIDS Walk team by including promotional flyers with every paycheck. The flyers should include information on how to register as part of the team and how to donate.
Auction off your skills or trade your services for a donation. Are you a trained massage therapist? Can you organize a closet like no one else? What about cleaning house or re-vamping someone’s resume? You can even be the “designated driver” for your friends for a night out on the town. Let people know that you are willing to trade your services for an AIDS Walk donation. Set your price high – it’s for a good cause!
Plan a Fundraising Event
Silent Auction – Another great way to raise money using donated items is to hold a silent auction. Reach out to everyone you know and ask for product donations, gift certificates, etc. You can make attractive gift baskets out of smaller items. Display the prizes in a high traffic area with a bidding sheet in front of each item. Your co-workers will silently write down what they are willing to donate for each.
“Denim Days” or "Dress Down Days" at Work – Ask management if you can plan Denim Days to benefit your team at work. Charge people $5 to wear jeans to work on Fridays or any other specified day. This is a quick and easy way to raise big bucks. Everyone wants to be casual at work; help people be comfortable on the job and contribute to a great cause.
Pie Smash – A great way to get company employees involved in team fundraising is to host a Pie Smash! Ask your supervisor to agree to be smashed in the face with a pie to raise tons of money for your team! Employees try to out-bid each other for the privilege of throwing the pie. You can also give the pie-throwing honor to the department that donates the most, or raises the most funds, in a certain period of time.
Guest Bartending – Ask your local bar if they’ll allow you to be a guest bartender for a night, or even for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. Send out an Evite inviting everyone you know to join you there for a drink, and ask them to invite everyone they know. Create a sign to place on the bar or a flyer that reads, "All tips collected tonight will go directly to Joe Walker, who's walking 10 kilometers to raise money for people struggling with HIV/AIDS." When people see the sign, they may be willing to dig a little deeper in their pockets!
Office Potluck – Ask everyone to cook and donate an item for a theme luncheon in the office. Take a vote on the theme, and then ask everyone who partakes in the lunch to donate $5 to the AIDS Walk.
Dinner with Friends – Ask your favorite restaurant to help you fundraise. Is there a local restaurant that you frequent? Are you friendly with any restaurateurs? Ask the owners if they will donate a portion of one evening’s proceeds to your AIDS Walk fundraising total. Then make flyers with the information, create an Evite, and invite everyone you know to dine there on that evening. You’ll bring in more business to the restaurant and more money to your AIDS Walk fundraising total.
Bake Sale – Simply make some of your very best cookies, cupcakes, or pies. Have your co-workers and friends get involved, especially those that can’t sponsor you financially. Advertise the sale and then watch the profits come in.
Karaoke Night – Sell tickets for an evening of awful singing at a local bar or at home. Nominate people to sing, and allow them to get out of singing by making a donation, or ask people to donate money to stop their friends from singing, or have a singing contest. Charge an entry fee and have proceeds from the ticket sales go to your AIDS Walk fundraising total.
AIDS Walk Sports Challenge – Choose any sport from basketball to dodgeball! Charge $5 to participate or $25 to form a team! Charge a donation at the door to watch the game. Secure donated goods and sell them at your concession stand with proceeds going toward your AIDS Walk fundraising total. You can make this a faculty vs. student tournament and the losing team has to do something over-the-top, if they dare!
Benefit Concerts/Gigs – If you know a rock band, barn dance caller, jazz group, DJ, comedian, or string quartet, ask them if they will do a benefit evening for the AIDS Walk at a local club or coffeehouse.
