Fundraising
Treasure Chest – raise $1000.00
Find an old treasure chest. Obtain a padlock in which 100 keys will fit in, but only one will open. Package the keys into individual mini envelopes. Guests of your event will purchase keys ($10 each) in hopes theirs will be the one to unlock the treasure chest. Inside the chest, numerous donations from from Board Members, guests, businesses, and/or sponsors help fill the chest. Set a goal of $500 worth of prizes and gifts. Towards the end of your event, systematically have people approach the treasure chest and try their key. This is exciting and the winner will enjoy sorting through their winnings!
Dream Team – raise $1000 – $2000+
A great live auction item for your charity event. A group of volunteers possessing different labor skills, sign up to give 8 hours of their time to help the winning bidder around their home or property. The Dream Team can assist winning bidders paint the interior or exterior of a home, lay new tile, yard work, new trim, new interior doors, clean gutters, remove and reinstall insulation in a crawl space, level the foundation of a mobile home, rewire a house, and more. The Dream Team is guaranteed to save the winner thousands.
Deal or No Deal – raise $200 – $500
Sell raffle tickets ($5 or $10 each) for a chance to play Deal or No Deal. Your charity will need a ‘Howie’ and a ‘Banker’, communicating via cell phones, and 18 volunteers in the audience to hold envelopes containing dollar amounts ranging from .01 – $200 (or whatever your budget). You’ll also need to create a board showing all denominations. The game is played by allowing the contestant to choose 4 envelopes – banker offer – 3 envelopes – offer – 3 envelopes – offer – 2 envelopes – offer – 1 envelope – offer. The game takes approximately 30 minutes and will be a hit amongst your guests.
Live Auction – raise $1000′s
An auctioneer with good energy is essential in any live auction event. Guests should receive an easy-read brochure on items being auctioned. A slide show (powerpoint) displayed behind the auctioneer can add value and clarity to the auction. The slides provide a good opportunity to recognize the person who procured the item and which person/company donated it. If you have a DJ at the event, coordinating music to play after hearing the words ‘SOLD!’, that corresponds to that item, enhances the enthusiasm and energy in the room. The use of paddles is worth the investment.
Raise The Paddle – raise $500 – $1000
The quickest fundraising event to generate good revenue. The energy of the host is just as important for Raise The Paddle as it is for the Live Auction. Start high, “who’d like to donate $500 to the IMO Organization?” Slowly reduce the value, $300 – $100 – $75 – $50 – $25 – $10. You’ll be amazed how much is raised in such little time. Paddles are a must.
Bingo – raise $750 – $2000+
Pick Bingo 9 games to play and print copies for guests showing the winning design for each game. The winner of each game makes the final table (9). At the final table, blackout is played. The first three players to declare a full blackout are rewarded prizes. Be creative in how you procure the prizes. They should be donations. Charge a reasonable fee to play ($20 – $40). Bingo is easy to control and your player limit is unlimited. You can order bingo cards online, rent or purchase the ball tumbler, and your set to go.
Incentive/Challenges
“Chunky Challenge:” The ultimate weight loss contest. Select a start date and finish date (3-6 months apart). Having the weigh-ins at events will garner more participation and fair reporting. Contestants pay a fee ($50) to participate. Half the money goes to the charity, the other 1/2 goes to the person who loses the most weight (by percentage). Set a minimum percentage to qualify as the winner (7-10%). If no one achieves qualifying results, carry over the winner’s pool to start a new challenge. Watch friends and family transform their life for a good cause and good health.
