Unhealthy Fundraisers Are Out

For decades now groups that needed to raise money would turn to two tried and true options that had been sold countless times before and were a sure crowd pleaser: cookie dough and candy.

Cookie dough has grown from a bake sale item to now include both frozen and dry dough, and buckets and preformed portions. A number of companies manufacture and distribute these dough’s in flavors as mundane as sugar cookie to the ones with ingredient lists too long for this article.

Candy fundraisers are the other sure-fire way to raise money. Groups only need to buy a big box of candy and then start selling it. Hershey’s and M&M’s, with their various lines, are the big players in this market. However, recent spikes in the input costs for chocolate manufacturers is making it harder and harder for candy fundraising companies to continue offering their products at the standard $1 price point.

The problem with both cookie dough fundraisers and candy fundraisers is that they are both inherently very unhealthy. Loaded with processed sugars and trans-fats, school boards, health officials, and parents are mandating a change in the fundraising world. They want new ways to raise money that don’t endanger the health of their customers.

New Fundraising Ideas

These health concerns, the desire for something new, and the recent surge in “going green” has led to a new fundraising idea; Green Fundraising. Green fundraisers allow groups to sell items that either help the environment, help themselves, or both.

Examples of green fundraising items include organic foods, reusable shopping bags, and trees and flowers. All of them are designed to improve health or to improve the environment. They are also intentionally different from anything seen in fundraising before. People have grown weary of buying the same fundraising products year after year and green fundraisers offer them something new. Healthy fundraisers and green fundraisers look to be very much the future of fundraising.

What Green Fundraisers Mean for You

This idea of something new in fundraising is proving to be very successful for the groups willing to try it. Customers have responded incredibly well to the notion that buying something from a fundraising catalogue doesn’t mean a donation with a cheesy gift anymore but can actually mean they get something they want, can use, and often times need. This approach to fundraising makes the job of the seller much easier as the products almost sell themselves.

Jordan Gottlieb
http://www.go-green-fundraising.com
Learn more about Green Fundraising
Learn more about Healthy Fundraising

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Rec.fm allows you to recommend products to your friends via your social networks in three easy steps.

First, search for the product you want to recommend on their website.

Next, explain in 140 characters or less why you’re recommending it.

After completing the prompt to log in via Facebook or Twitter, you’ll then be given a shortened rec.fm URL to share information about the product via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and nearly a dozen other social networking platforms.

If someone makes a purchase via your recommendation, the charity of your choice will receive the majority of Rec.fm’s revenue from the sale. Read more about this creative fundraising idea at Mashable.com.

How to Hold a Bachelor/Bachelorette Raffle Fundraiser

Decide on a list of services to be provided such as; flower bed clean up, lawn thatching, trash and animal waste pick up, readying planter beds for new plants, and even spring flower planting.  These are all good ideas because they require very little experience on the part of the volunteer.  It’s just simple labor!

You will need to determine what and how much your services will be.  This will depend on your volunteer base.  Distribute the flyers wherever you can, always making sure to make it clear what you are raising funds for.  Consider asking your local home improvement centers if they would allow you to pass out the flyers at their location of if they would display it on a bulletin board.

By: Jessi McCafferty

Need tips on cheerleading fundraising? Well, if you have a cheerleading team that needs to go on a special trip or needs to have new uniforms, then cheerleading fundraising ideas are a major concern for you. Fundraising can be a great way to get what your team needs and it can be a profitable experience too.

A cheerleader fundraiser can be a fun event to come up with many fun and profitable ideas. The ideas may include putting together a cookbook that contains tasty recipes from teachers, students, and parents. If you need a nice place to sell the cookbook then the games, which the cheerleaders attend, can be the best place. You can also sell the books among the parents or go about door-to-door selling in your community. Another good idea is to have the cheerleaders teach cheerleading classes for a day and charge the students who take the lessons. If you hold the training classes at your school’s gym, then the up-front cost will also come down – this is a hit cheerleading fundraising idea.

What More Can Be Done?

There are more cheerleading fundraising ideas that can be very lucrative for you. You can always hold a raffle and you will not believe the incredible revenue it can bring. This cheerleading fundraiser will help you to sell the tickets and the prize will take up half of whatever has been collected in the funds. Even then, the fund that you have will suffice for a clean profit. The PTA fundraising if requested will be happy to help your cheerleading team.

Among the list of the cheerleading fundraising ideas, you also have the option of getting started with a game between your team and another team. There will be ample opportunity for you to have fun and at the same time collect the funds that you have been intending to. People have a general liking for sports and this idea is wonderful as there will be no up front cost. You could also have a rummage sale. Just get from your community stuff that they do not require. Chances are people will be generous when it comes to donating for a proper cause. You would really end up with a good stock of things to sell and make a respectable sum.

Advertise Well – Getting The Word Out

You need the right kind of publicity for your cheerleading fundraising activities. More and more people should know about it. Another fundraising idea is to request the business establishments of your city for letting your cheerleaders work at their establishments for a day and get a share of their profits. You can target the fast food services to work and earn for your fundraising.

Always explain the donors about the purpose of the fund being collected and it is essential to be really polite while collecting funds. Be in the proper uniform, be pleasant, and keep track of what you are collecting and from whom. This is required later when you have to thank the ones who have helped with generous donations. Now good luck with your cheerleading fundraising!

About the Author

Jessi McCafferty writes about fundraising and recommends the friendly folks over at http://www.easy-fundraising-ideas.com/ as a great resource for accurate information and profitable Cheerleading fundraising ideas. Easy Fundraising Ideas is the fastest growing internet based fundraising company in the country. With their legendary service and help, they make you the hero! Check out Easy Fundraising Ideas today!

(ArticlesBase SC #685563)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Cheerleading Fundraising – Fun and Profitable at the Same Time

• Advertise for local talent to enter for a fee.
• Decide on a location such as a church or community hall, a local dance studio, etc…
• Decide if you want to have both individual groups and or individual dancers.
• Ask a local dance instructor to donate their time to your group by agreeing to judge the competition
• Solicit a donation from local business owners for the winner.  Pitch this to them as a great way to obtain free advertising
• ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE
• Make it a fun night for everyone….including yourself!

• Advertise your event through flyers, word of mouth etc…
• Decide on a list of rules(i.e: do you only want edible by humans dishes….does it need to contain an entire can of spam….. )
• Ask for goods &/or donations for award winners from local businesses
• Ask local “celebrities” (with iron stomachs) to judge your spam-a-thon
• Decide on an entrance fee
• Have fun with this!  If you do, others will too!  Nothing is better than raising funds for your group and enjoying yourself at the same time!!

First, decide on a location – a park, a community hall, etc.  Second, ask friends, family and group supporters to make their favorite pasta dish.  Anything goes, as long as it is based around pasta! (think macaroni or tortellini salad, moms favorite mac-n-cheese, or stroganoff…..)  Third, purchase plates, utensils and drinks and decide on an admission price per person.  Fourth, put out the word!