In this day and age, fundraising has become a necessary part of running a school or company for some administrators. No one likes to ask for money from others, but a fundraiser is a way to increase your revenue while providing a valuable item or service to those who seek to help you out. They invite engagement from students, faculty, and staff, so everyone feels as if he or she has a stake in the organization.
However, fundraisers are not a new concept. They have been around for as long as people have needed money. This means that some people will pass right by your fundraiser because so many are around. When a market or area becomes saturated with the same ideas, your revenue will not be as high as you would like. New and fun fundraising ideas can revitalize your organization and set you apart.
Cook-off
A cook-off is a variation on the classic bake sale. In a traditional bake sale, private individuals and businesses donate baked goods to be sold to the public. A cook-off has a similar premise with an added competitiveness.
A cook-off is usually based on one item or themes such as chili or barbecue. In a chili cook-off, cooks sign up in advance to cook chili and compete with other cooks for the title of best chili. Patrons pay for tickets to get into the cook-off and taste the food. In some cases, admission is free but patrons must buy food tickets to be able to taste the food. Either way, the competitive nature of the contest inspires many talented cooks to participate and tends to raise a good deal of revenue.
50/50 Raffle
A raffle is a classic but a twist on the formula can make it one of the new and fun fundraising ideas. In a standard raffle, patrons buy tickets for select items or services. A ticket is then chosen at random, and one person wins the item or service. The drawback of this approach is two-fold: How much do you have to invest to obtain the item or service? What if not enough people want it?
Everyone wants money, however. In a 50/50 raffle, patrons buy tickets for a predetermined price (usually under $10). After a set amount of time, a ticket number is chosen at random. The person who bought that ticket then wins half of all the money in the raffle. No prizes are given just cold, hard cash. The benefits of this are that everyone will want the prize, and there is no initial investment from the school or business putting on the fundraiser. The number of tickets sold determines the amount of money awarded.
