What Kind of Fundraiser Are You?

Whether you are a tech nerd or a social butterfly, working nine to five, or still in school, we have great suggestions to help you raise the most money you possibly can! Of course, you can always mix & match. Tell us what kind of fundraiser YOU are, and share your tips with us, too!

Blog your way to fundraising success: Keep an online journal of your fundraising progress and announce fundraisers!

Twitter: Become a follower of AIDS Walk and other AIDS service organizations. Then retweet messages you read along with a personal note asking your followers to donate to you.

YouTube: Record and post a "sponsor me" video, keep an online diary of your AIDS Walk experience, or thank people who sponsor you by video.

Virtual Walker: If you can't physically be at the event, you can still register and collect online donations. On the day of the AIDS Walk, wear a red ribbon wherever you are!

On Facebook, give thanks & get sponsors at the same time: Thank sponsors by writing on their Facebook wall, and update your status with the same message of thanks. Your updates in the Facebook News Feed will inspire others to donate!

Inspire your friends to act with HIV/AIDS facts: Include statistics and HIV/AIDS related news in your status update and e-mails. Include a message of hope as well-that your friends can turn these numbers around with a donation.

E-mail Signature: Link to your fundraising Web page in your signature. Each time you send an e-mail, the recipient can easily sponsor you with a few clicks.

Sell goodies to your co-workers: Pick up the most sought-after sweets and set up a snack area near the photocopy machine. Put a sign up that reads "Suggested Donation $1."

Corporate Matching Gift: Ask your Human Resources department if your company has a matching gift program. If not, suggest an employee match or get your boss to match the proceeds collected at your next fundraiser. Just ask!

"Denim Days" or "Dress Down Days": Get corporate approval first! Charge people $5 to wear jeans to work on Fridays or $20 for the whole week. Help people be comfortable on the job and contribute to a great cause.

Office Lunch Fundraiser: Get food donated or have co-workers bring in their favorite dishes. Charge $5 per plate - charge more for additional side dishes!

Guest bartending: Ask your local bar if they'll allow you to be a guest bartender for a night. All the tips go to your AIDS Walk fundraising total!

Raffle it off! Use your connections and fabulous social skills to get prizes donated for a raffle. You can ask businesses that you frequent (restaurants, spas, hair salons, etc.) to donate. Sell tickets at $2 each or 10 tickets for $15 - people won't be able to say no to that bargain!

Use incentives: From a free dinner to tickets to a football game, entice people to donate by giving them a chance to win a prize they can't resist!

Dinner with Friends: Ask a favorite local restaurant if they will donate a portion of one evening's proceeds to your AIDS Walk fundraising total. On the big night, get all of your friends out to eat, drink, and be merry. . You'll bring in more business to the restaurant-and more money to your AIDS Walk fundraising total.

Benefit Concerts/Gigs: If you know a rock band, 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.

Sale: Get faculty and students involved to showcase their best baked goods!

Penny Wars: Get classes or homerooms in your grade to compete! Your class must collect the most pennies in a jug while putting as many non-pennies as possible in other classrooms' jugs. Pennies give your team positive points while nickels, dimes, quarters, and any dollar bills take points away from the team's total. Whichever team has the most points at the end of this five-day contest wins a prize-and all the money collected goes to benefit AIDS Walk Los Angeles! Read more about how to play here.

Sports tournament: Choose any sport from basketball to dodgeball! Charge $5 to participate or $25 to form a team! Charge an entrance fee to watch the game for $1. Get donated goods and sell them at your concession stand with proceeds going toward your AIDS Walk team.

Pie Smash: Ask a teacher or the student body president to agree to be smashed in the face with a pie to raise tons of money for AIDS Walk Los Angeles Students or classrooms try to out-bid each other for the privilege of throwing the pie.

Get parents involved: Send out a memo to all parents and include a Sponsor Form and AIDS Walk Fact Sheet. Parents have friends and co-workers who can be great potential donors!