Fundraising Ideas

Compiling a thread of all the fantastic fund raising ideas for our beloved rescues (and other causes!)

Marketing/Communication ideas
--Facebook page and/or group - communicate often!
--Facebook "Causes" page to enable donations
--Constant Contact for newsletters (30% discount available)
--Local TV news and radio - do they highlight a charity or group weekly?

Catalogue Parties
--Tastefully Simple
--Pampered Chef
--Tupperware
--Check with your neighborhood consultant!

Community Garage/Yard Sales
--check for community guidelines/permit requirements

Donation tables/jars
--Grocery stores
--big box stores
--local businesses (small business owners)

Raffles
--electronics
--portraits (pet, personal) for discount (know any great/generous photographers??)
--gift baskets

Silent Auctions (on-site events)

Pug Meet ups
--Pug-o-rama
--Pug-apalooza
--Pugoween
--Spring Pug Bonnet/Hat Gathering
--Weekly adoption events (Petco, Petsmart, etc.)
--etc. etc.

Restaurant Nights
--local restaurants in your area
--chain & fast food restaurants
--Call - ask for the manager
--donate a % of sales
--usually a week night (when restaurant traffic is slower)
--info table/donation jar
--fliers, communication, e-mail and mass marketing to EVERYONE

Best Friends Network Charity
http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/NetworkCharities.aspx

Grants
--Petco
--Celebrity foundations (Greg Biffle Foundation, Ryan Newman Foundation)
--Build-a-bear
--elderly animals

Work the network
--ask friends to donate $5
--e-mail campaigns
--who do you know?
--ask friends to donate items to add in a gift basket for raffle or auction

Grocery Store Cards
--many grocery store chains will allow you to designate a charity and donate a %
--sign up your rescue to receive
--e.g. Kroger, Safeway

Internet Searches w/ donations attached:
Goodsearch
Network for Good

Items for Sale
--T-shirts
--Car magnets
--mugs
--keychains
--Pug note cards
--personalized items (embroidery, graphics, etc)
--Candy bar sales
--ads in newsletter
--Calendars
--photo contests ($1 donation per vote)

Please feel free to add other ideas I may have missed!

Yankee Candle catalog party - http://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/

Sports tournaments - volleyball, basketball, golf (big $$!!), others? Work those connections!

For big events, team up with another rescue in the area

Krispy Kreme fundraisers (mmm donuts!)

Whole Paycheck has three charities a month, and people can donate the use-your-own-bag refund money to these charities. Not sure how to get in on it, though.

I forgot on my response we have an "Annual Garage Sale".

I think the silent auction bake sale that Polar Pug Rescue had is an excellent idea.

You can also sign up for Macy's Shop for a Cause on Oct. 17 -- http://www.macys.com/campaign/shopforacause.jsp

The non-profit signs up with Macy's and sells tickets for $5 each. Each ticket is good for a discount ticket (from 10-25% off) for shopping on October 17, either in-store or online. The non-profit gets to keep what you make on ticket sales. So if you sell 100 tickets, you get to keep the entire $500.