10 Fundraising Tips to Jazz Up Any Fundraiser

There are literally hundreds of methods of fundraising. However, with so many organizations vying for increasingly limited donation dollars, having an effective fundraiser is critical to success. The following are 10 fundraising tips to jazz up any fundraiser:

1. Make it different. Adding a different element to an annual fundraiser is our first of 10 fundraising tips. For example, if your group hosts an annual pancake breakfast, this year add a jazz trio to entertain diners. Adding something different each year keeps people excited about coming back.
2. Be silly. Don a silly costume that fits with your fundraiser. Hosting a jingle bell run? Don't just wear jingle bells, gather some friends and dress as Santa and his elves as you go around asking for donations!
3. Use a theme. This is one of the easiest fundraising tips to apply to an existing fundraiser. Instead of just having a spaghetti dinner, turn it into a Night in Italy event! Decorate the venue with photos of Italy, play Italian music to add to the ambiance and have servers speak in Italian accents.
4. Think outside of the box. Don't limit yourself to the traditional fundraisers. Go beyond just having a car wash and make it a dog AND car wash. Instead of selling candy grams at work, sell pizza grams.
5. Make it a contest. Humans are competitive by nature. Add a contest aspect to your fundraiser and watch those working to raise money excel!
6. Publicize your fundraising efforts. Take lots of pictures and send out press releases to your local papers. Members will be proud to have their pictures in the paper and newspapers are often eager to receive local human interest stories.
7. Award fun prizes for reaching goals. When members of your fundraising team reach a specified goal, have a fun, low-cost reward for them. Simple ideas, such as a pizza party or picnic, give participants something fun to look forward to.
8. Choose a fundraiser everyone is excited about. Although your profit margin on a fundraiser is an important consideration, it is better to choose an idea that everyone is excited about than a high-profit idea few people show enthusiasm for.
9. Involve the kids. Add a kid-friendly component to your fundraiser. Having the entire family involved in your event can be one of the most profitable fundraising tips that adds fun as well!
10. Say “thank you” often. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any fundraiser. The best way to perk up their spirits is to let them know how much you appreciate all of their hard work. Say “thank you” early and often throughout your fundraising efforts.

Randall Davidson is one of the fundraising experts who writes for Fundraiser-Ideas.net, a blog about fundraising ideas. Aside from it's comprehensive database of fundraising ideas, Fundraiser-Ideas.net is well-known for it's helpful list of grant writers.