If you've ever been to Vegas, you know how much glitz and glam the city offers. Lights everywhere, music, people in costumes—and that's just on the strip. It gets even better when you get into the casinos and theaters. For those who haven't been, the city is probably on a list of places they want to visit sometime, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Why wait? Bring the fun of Vegas into your community with a Casino Night fundraiser!

Where to Hold Your Fundraiser

You'll need a place with plenty of space. Real casinos are usually huge, covering several thousand square feet, almost every inch taken up by slot machines, gaming tables, and bars. You don't need to get that elaborate, but you do want to have enough room for the gaming, and for people to be able to sit down and enjoy some refreshments. If your group has access to a facility, clear some space for the casino equipment, and set up some tables and chairs. Maybe include one large table to hold snacks and beverages. If you don't have a place already, check into renting a hall. For this event, you may want to avoid church and school facilities. We'll get to that shortly.

Setting it Up

A Casino Night fundraiser will take a little more planning and organization than other types of fundraising events because people and groups don't usually have casino equipment sitting around in storage! Many party planning companies offer these types of items for rent. Check your local listings, or do a search online to find a company near you.

Before you call to rent anything, decide what games you want to offer. Games like blackjack, Texas hold 'em, and roulette need dealers to manage the tables. Recruit volunteers from your group to run the games. Some companies even rent out slot machines which don't require anyone to manage them, but you will need to be able to either provide tokens, or make change for your guests. Remember, you'll also need cards and chips for the other games.

If this is starting to sound a little complicated, consider hiring a casino party planning company. They not only provide the equipment, but the staff to manage it. They'll take care of all the setup and cleanup. All you have to provide is the location.

Getting Into the Spirit

For an added twist of fun, why not ask your guests to dress in their best Vegas-inspired outfits? They can go for the '40s glamour, or the days when the Rat Pack made Vegas a prime destination. Much like a fundraising ball, you can make it a formal event, requiring evening gowns and tuxedos. A nice touch would be to offer valet parking. Get a few members of your group to volunteer as valets, and put all the tips they collect toward your fundraising goal. You could also have wait staff serving drinks at the tables, just like they do in Vegas.

Provide Entertainment

One sure way to add to the ambience is to provide music, whether it's a live band, or a stereo system playing CDs. For true Vegas style, ask a local magician to donate some of his time to do his act for your group. Add a stand-up comedian, and you've got yourself a Vegas show!

Raising Money

There are a few ways to go about raising money with a casino night. You can charge admission for the entire event, and let guests play the games with fake money and chips, just for fun. You may also charge separately for refreshments, or include them in the price of admission. Or, you can make things a little more interesting, and open it up to raising even more money by allowing guests to play the casino games with real money, with the understanding that any money they leave at the tables goes towards your cause.

If you go with the real money option, be sure to provide your guests with documentation of the amounts of their donations for tax purposes. You can pre-print several letters, and fill in the individual amounts at the end of the night. Be sure to keep copies for your own records.

A Word of Caution

Although a casino night fundraiser is set up for charity, it can still be considered gambling. Some states have stricter rules than others regarding gambling, and may require licenses, or may prohibit this type of fundraiser altogether. Before you start, check with your local government and educate yourself on the rules and regulations set forth for your community.

In addition, if you decide to serve alcohol at your casino night event, check the local laws about liquor licenses and requiring proper identification. Remember, a casino night fundraiser is a grown-up event, so ask your guests to leave their kids at home.

Every March, members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) take part in a basketball championship tournament. Every March, basketball fans go nuts rooting for their favorite teams. It's a huge event, right up there with the Super Bowl and the World Series. You might think it would be a bad idea to hold a fundraiser when such a popular sporting event is taking place. We think it's just the opposite. A big sporting event like March Madness gives you a theme to work with, and an opportunity to appeal to a group of people who might not otherwise participate in your organization's activities. Not only that, it's the perfect time of year to hold a basketball team fundraiser, if you're involved in raising money for a school. Use March Madness as a backdrop, and let the games begin!

Hold a March Madness Party

Who doesn't like to watch a big televised event on a big screen television? Not everyone has one at home, and not everyone can afford to rent one. Pool your group's resources to rent the biggest TV you can find and invite members of your community to come together for sports, food, and fundraising. Set up a sports-watching party in your group's facility, if you have one. If you don't, see about using a local hall, or even a school gymnasium for your event.

Set up some tables and chairs, all centered around the TV so everyone has a good view of the action. Serve party snacks and beverages like soda or punch. You can even turn it into a big barbecue if your group either has a grill, one of your members can loan you one, or you can rent one. Recruit a couple of volunteers to do the grilling, and cook burgers and hot dogs. Add some fixin's like pickles, relish, lettuce and tomato, or keep it very simple with just ketchup and mustard. Just don't forget the buns! Some party supply stores sell plates and napkins with sports teams logos on them, so see if you can find some that match whatever teams are playing on the day of your party.

You can either charge a per-person admission fee, or make your money by charging for the food and drinks. You can also do both to avoid freeloaders coming in just to watch the game, but not buy anything. This is a fundraiser, after all!

Get Your Game On

Watching sports may not always be a family activity. Not everyone is a sports fan, and most small children are unable to sit still for long periods of time. Augment your March Madness party with some good natured competition that everyone can participate in.

This would be especially ideal if your group holds the fundraising event in a gymnasium. Set up the party at one end of the gym, and use the basketball hoop at the other for games. Ask participants to make a donation to join in a friendly basketball game. Get a little silly with a game of H-O-R-S-E. See who can make the most shots from the free throw line. See who can make the most shots while backing up a foot from the hoop for each shot. Set up a kid-size hoop so any kids in attendance can get in on the fun and not feel left out. Make it an event fun for the entire family, and you'll get a lot more participation.

You can come up with lots of ways to get a fun competition going, and raise money at the same time. Don't forget to provide small prizes for the winners! A competition's not really a competition without a reward.

Take Pledges

If it's not possible to find a venue to hold a party or sports-related event, you can still use March Madness to raise money for your cause. Have the members of your group, and volunteers from your community, take pledges for the number of consecutive baskets they can make, or the number of times they can dribble a ball without losing it. You get the idea. Come up with something that can be done a number of times that people can pledge to support. Because something like just dribbling a ball can be pretty easy, donors can pledge just a few cents per bounce of the ball, if they like. This way, your group is raising money, but it's not getting to be so expensive that supporters would back out of their pledges. Be sure to explain how it works so donors understand what they're getting into, and what they're supporting. Then have fun!

A lot of fundraiser events take place on weekend afternoons, or evenings, especially if they're dinners or dances. An evening out is always fun, and usually encourages a lot of participation. Sometimes you need to stand out from the crowd and do something a little differently, something unexpected to get even more participation. Pancake breakfasts are common fundraisers, but you can take it a step further with a spring brunch.

Brunch offers several appealing alternatives to any other type of fundraising event you could hold that includes a meal. A brunch includes a little bit of everything. Breakfast foods from simple scrambled eggs to fruit-filled crepes. You'll also find more substantial fare such as meats and pastas, as well as fruits, salads, and desserts. There's something for everyone at a brunch, which makes it the perfect opportunity for a food fundraiser.

When to Hold It

Brunches usually take place on Sunday, so take into account that many of the people who want to support your event may attend church first. The good thing is, brunch usually starts later in the day than breakfast, and can last until just after lunchtime, so there shouldn't be too much conflict in schedules. Just don't be discouraged if people don't show up right when your event starts. In fact, you may want to take reservations and require payment prior to the date of the event.

Where to Hold It

The easiest way to put on a fundraiser brunch is to find a restaurant that already offers it, and reserve a party room for your group. This will alleviate any concerns about cooking and cleanup. You may be able to work out a discounted group rate with the restaurant, and then charge guests a bit more to raise money for your cause. It will be easier on everyone if the event organizer arranges to pay the restaurant one amount rather than every person in attendance getting a separate bill. Be sure to take the wait staff into account and show some appreciation for their taking care of your group.

If a party room isn't available, or you can't find a restaurant willing to make arrangements for your group, your group can provide a brunch on its own. You'll still need to find a facility with enough room for several dining tables, and a kitchen to prepare the food.

What to Serve

If it comes down to doing it yourselves, you may want to provide simpler fare, and leave the eggs Benedict and prime rib roast off the menu. Prepare things that can be kept warm in chafing dishes such as scrambled eggs, sausage links, and even pancakes. It's easy to set up a waffle station and allow guests to make their own. All you have to do is provide syrups and fruit toppings, which are sold in bottles and jars.

For the more lunch-type foods, try including things such as a hearty soup, breads, lunchmeats, and cheeses so guests can create their own soup and sandwich combination. It's not too much trouble to set out a large bowl of lettuce and a few other salad items like chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. Pre-cut lettuce is sold in bags at grocery stores and discount clubs, but the toppings may require a bit of work from your group. Remember, simplicity is the key.

Those Extra Touches

If your organization doesn't already have a venue with tables and chairs, you can rent them from a party supply company. Many such companies will also provide table linens, silverware, and glassware, if you want to make it a little fancy, and if your group can afford it. If the budget is a little tight, head to the nearest discount store for paper tablecloths, plates and napkins, and plastic cups and flatware. As long as the food is good, no one will mind what they're using to eat it.

Make it Entertaining

One way you can make your spring brunch even more enjoyable is to provide entertainment. Whether that means getting a soft rock band to donate some time, or just hooking up a stereo and playing some light classical music, it will add to the ambience and make it seem more like a fancy brunch than just a regular breakfast.

Be Aware of the Rules

Before you start preparing and serving any food, be sure to check your city's regulations about food service, and make sure you get any licenses you may need. The last thing you want is to raise a bunch of money for your group, only to be forced to use it to pay penalties and fees for not following the rules.

Once you find the method that works for your group and your community, your spring brunch fundraiser may be so successful you'll have to make it a regular event!

A perfect combination of raising money and having a great time. What is a trivia night?! Quiz games have been a popular pastime for generations, and were some of the first shows created when television made its entry into America homes. Some of them remain today, and eventually an entire network was built to broadcast game shows. Something so ingrained in pop culture is sure to help you successfully raise money for your cause. A trivia night fundraiser just takes a little planning for a lot of return.

The Basics

Finding a venue will probably be easier if you are holding a trivia night for a school fundraiser. Anyplace where you can set up tables and chairs with enough room for everyone who wants to play will work. You'll also need a table for the emcee, and maybe a microphone to make sure everyone can hear the questions, especially if your trivia night is held in a large space like an auditorium or gymnasium.

Answering trivia questions takes brain power, and to keep sharp, people need sustenance. Include a table loaded with snacks, hors d'oeuvres, and an assortment of finger foods, as well as sodas, or a big punch bowl. Don't forget plates, napkins, and cups. Let guests serve themselves so no one has to miss out on the fun.

Probably the easiest way to raise money with this event is to charge an admission fee per person at the door. If you put on a team trivia event, you can have teams pay a fee to compete. If you prefer, rather than setting food out for people to serve themselves, you can have a concession stand and sell snacks and drinks to raise a little extra money. Or just include the cost of the refreshments in the admission fee.

Create the Game

There are a lot of trivia board games out there that come with hundreds, even thousands of questions. While this may seem like an easy route to take, be careful. They're copyrighted. It may not seem like a big deal in your small community, but it's still a good idea to heed copyright laws because your organization is most likely a legally recognized non-profit, and you must file taxes as such. The last thing you want is to lose your non-profit status over a copyright issue. Besides, it's just more fun to make up the questions yourselves.

By creating your own questions, you actually open up the playing field a little. You won't be confined to any predetermined categories or information. Think up questions related to anything from history to art to film. You can even create trivia questions that pertain to your organization, or to your community. Giving people a chance to demonstrate their knowledge of where they live can give them a sense of pride that they wouldn't experience with pre-written, boxed questions.

Choose a Theme

Any category is fair game in a trivia contest, but to make it really interesting, and even more fun, come up with a theme for the event. Maybe have an '80s trivia night, where every question pertains to the decade's pop culture, films, music, movies, and news events. Add a unique twist by asking everyone who attends to dress up in their finest—or wackiest—'80s outfit. Another idea for a theme is movies, and everyone can come in costume as their favorite movie character, actor, or actress. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Another fun theme is a Battle of the Sexes. Have your participants create teams of women and men to compete against each other. Ask the women questions about things men would usually know more about (cars, sports, etc.), and vice versa. If you hold an event for grownups only, you can even make it a little more interesting with some adult-themed questions. Just know your group and how far you can take this without offending anyone. Remember, the goal is to raise money, not anyone's blood pressure.

Explain the Rules

Every game has rules, right? It's a good idea to make sure everyone knows the rules of your trivia event before you get started so there are no arguments or misunderstandings during the evening.

In this day of hand-held electronics, people have information literally at their fingertips, or at the touch of a few buttons. Being able to use the Internet to look up answers to trivia questions isn't just unfair or unsportsmanlike, it's cheating. Ask everyone who participates to leave their cell phones or other hand-held devices in their pockets or purses so no one is tempted to search for answers.

Depending on how you've set up your trivia game, whether it's a few people ringing in to answer, or teams writing their responses down, ask everyone else, whether they're playing or watching, not to yell out answers, right or wrong. This can be distracting to the players, and just unfair to those who are trying to compete.

Decided beforehand whether your trivia competition will be set up for individuals, teams or both. If you go with teams, it's fun to have each team make up a name for themselves. It creates an atmosphere of camaraderie and sportsmanship, and is much more fun for everyone than just “Team Number One,” and so forth.

Don't forget to have a prize for the winning team!

Include Everyone

You can make your trivia night a family event by having at least one round set aside for kids. If there are kids in differing age groups, create questions that are appropriate for them so they stay engaged. Remember the goal for the event, after raising money, is to have fun!

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E! Doesn’t this childhood competition take you back?
Anyone who participated in a spelling bee as a kid knows how thrilling a competition it can be. Well, there’s no reason why, as an adult, you can’t find

yourself in the spelling bee spotlight once again. That’s right—an adult spelling bee. Plus, everyone loves a hearty competition, making a spelling bee the

perfect theme for your next fundraising event!

Spelling bees are a fun day of competition, and other than some marketing efforts, they are very
href="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/featured/">profitable fundraisers that require very little overhead or work. All you need to find are spellers for your

competition. Considering all the attention the word game applications get on Facebook, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding willing adult volunteers to

show off their spelling abilities.

Next, collect entry fees from each competitive speller to raise money. You can also charge an admission fee for the audience members. This fundraiser is

profitable at three or four levels:

1. Entrance fees paid by each spelling bee team or individual competitor


2. Donations and individual sponsorships from businesses


3. Admission ticket sales to audience members attending the event


4. Extra fundraising dollars through audience spelling sponsors. Members of the audience can donate a certain dollar amount to help the team of their choice
   
   spell a word they’re stuck on

Planning a spelling bee charity event will be where the most work is required. You will need to gather your volunteers to participate in the actual bee, and

set up the guidelines for the competition. We recommend the following:

Set Strict Competition Guidelines

Use official spelling bee rules, and make sure every participant has a copy before the competition. The official spelling bee rules ensure the competition is

structured and fair.

• Each competitor must spell the word, and then use it in a sentence.


• The contest should begin with easier words for the first few rounds and progress to harder words in the later rounds.


• As each competitor takes his or her turn, if they misspell the word, the next competitor has a chance to steal the word.


• Spelling teams can be comprised of three or four participants so individual contestants are not singled out.


• When a team misses two words, they are disqualified from that round.


• Getting a list of spelling bee words from the dictionary or via an online dictionary ensures there is no cost to you.


• Remember, and this is important—distribute the list of words to the emcee and judges so they are well prepared for the competition.


• Two winning teams go on to the finals.


• The last team standing wins the spelling bee.

Publicize the fundraiser via the Internet, and contact local media outlets to help you spread the word. Also, get the word out to schools and community

centers by using print advertising. You can also ask for sponsorship donations from local businesses and provide a batch of free tickets in exchange to fill up

your audience.

Next, secure a location for the spelling bee. To keep overhead costs low, research free venues to reserve for an evening such as community centers,

church recreational facilities, and to really take your guests back, high school gymnasiums. Your venue will require plenty of chairs on the day of the bee for

audience seating, so try to find a location that already has chairs on site.

Have a concession stand on site to sell snacks and drinks to audience members and hungry spellers. This will help earn extra money for your charity.

You could have volunteers make letter-shaped cookies, or you could sell boxes of alphabet crackers as a fun treat.

Be sure to have an award ready to present to the top speller. It’s also a nice idea to have something to give all participants, such as a contestant

certificate or individual dictionaries. You can also get some fun prizes lined up by approaching community sponsors. A couple of options are gift cards, and

movie theater tickets. This will entice more people to sign up as spelling bee contestants.

Fundraisers that offer participants the opportunity to get crafty, and maybe even learn a new skill are among the top successes. If you’re playing with the idea of a craft fundraiser for your next charity event, consider a community quilt raffle.

Quilt making has quite a following in many communities, and what’s even better is that you will raffle off the chance to win something that can become a family heirloom and be passed down from generation to generation.

Quilt fundraisers are the ideal charity raffle for local town fairs and other community fundraising drives because they tighten the bonds within the community. Oftentimes, the raffle winner will know each hand that created the winning quilt.

You don't need to be a master quilter to organize a quilt fundraising raffle, but each contributor will need to know how to operate a sewing machine to assemble the quilt. Really, one experienced quilter is all you really need to lead your group of eager quilters. The head quilter will be the person who:

• decides on the quilting pattern


• determines what size the quilt will be


• decides how many quilters are needed to finish the project


• purchases all the materials needed

To make the quilt an authentic treat and a real reflection of your community, the head quilter may decide to ask each quilter to take a square and create the pattern of their choice.

Tips for head quilters/project organizers:

• Purchase the material needed for the back of the quilt. Choose a fabric and color that will complement the collaborative effort. You may need to ask each quilter to give you the colors of their square ahead of time.


• Buy quilt batting equal to the size of your quilt backing.


• Purchase color coordinated yarn to tie the quilt the together during final assembly.


• Determine the size of the squares you want on your quilt, and divide them equally between the volunteer quilters.


• Find a quilting bee location. Many local churches or community centers would be open to hosting a regular quilting afternoon or evening for free. This will help the quilters stay on track with the project. It will also allow time for collaboration and color coordination. It may even offer time to determine a main theme before you start, so you can brainstorm about the images in each square.


• If you can’t find a local facility, a large, cozy basement will do. Take the bonding further by taking turns hosting the quilting at quilting members’ homes.

How to Approach Quilting Sponsors

Now it’s time to make some money towards your quilt materials, and towards your overall charity goal. Don’t be shy about approaching people in the community for support. With the promise of some free advertising in exchange for material costs, many businesses and organizations will jump at the chance to help support your quilt.

• Start by approaching local businesses and organizations in your community and ask them if they would like to support your charity by sponsoring a quilt square. Great places to start are local churches, civic groups, the mayor’s office, local schools, the local fire department, and police station. Ask for a donation equal to the cost of the quilt fabric and design space, if you are renting a facility.


• If you are getting local business sponsorship (per square) for your quilt, you might want to save your design planning for later. Many of the businesses and organizations sponsoring your quilt are expecting some type of recognition for their donation. What better way than to feature their name right on their quilt square? The quilt could end up featuring an array of integral community members and emblems, making it a fantastic and memorable prize for the college student leaving town for school, or the mayor leaving office.


• Next, begin selling quilt raffle tickets. You can even go back to the organizations you asked for sponsorship to ask if they want a chance to win the quilt featuring their sponsored square. Chances are, they will!


• During the raffle, be sure to put the finished quilt on display in a public location. This will go a long way to encourage people to buy raffle tickets, and it will also drum up some local press around your event and cause.

Healthy fundraising events are possible. Even in the middle of winter, you can incorporate some good old fashioned physical activity into your fundraising plan.

Every time your child comes home with a new school fundraising project selling candy or cookie dough, you’re probably more worried about the potential dental bills. Schools concerned with healthy eating habits and food allergies might want to avoid food fundraisers altogether. It’s a good lesson for kids that delicious, fattening treats, as tempting as they are, don’t necessarily equate to a good cause. Plus, most active fundraisers are an effective way of engaging a larger number of guests, ensuring each of them has a fun time.

The lesson an active charity event teaches about fundraising is that yes, it’s hard work, but in the end, hard work pays off. Pairing healthy activities and charity fundraising is a no-brainer. The best winter fundraisers had better take the weather into consideration. That’s why our top pick is the skating fundraiser.

Now, your skating fundraiser could be hosted at an open city rink, on a large outdoor pond (just ensure it’s been checked and verified for safe skating), or you might approach a local indoor skating rink to see if you can host it there. Remember, the rink operator will never lose out if you book their location. Kids love to skate, and the rink operator will love the traffic!

Ice skating parties held at the local ice rink will hold a particularly fond place in the hearts of many people in your community, so it’s an obvious location for a local charity fundraiser. We’ve put together some helpful tips to ensure your skating party goes smoothly:

The Local Rink Versus the Iced Pond

Without a doubt, hosting the party at a community ice rink or community center is your best bet. This is because most community facilities offer a daily public skate block when the rink is open to groups. Community rinks also employ their own staff, so you can be assured the rink will be monitored by qualified staff just in case someone falls or gets separated from their skating partner. Just remember that with public skating come some rules and up-front fees:

• Public rinks typically charge $2 to $5 for the public skate, a blocked set of hours that can range from two to four hours in length.


• Guests can bring their own skates, but if they need to rent them, it’s another $4 per person on average.


• Many public rinks also require that skaters wear helmets.

Another option for hosting a skating party at a community ice rink is to speak to the operator about renting the entire facility for your group. Rinks will typically rent the ice per hour, and the price will vary depending on the day and time, the ice size, and the staff requirements. The benefit of renting out the facility is that your group will have a better quality skating experience with no people unrelated to your group on the ice.

Despite the up-front fees, you can make money for your charity with this type of skating fundraiser by asking guests to cover their skating rental (or bring their own skates), plus an additional ice fee.

Skate-a-Thon

Another money-making option for your skating fundraiser is a skate-a-thon. This type of charity event is similar to a charity walk-a-thon or fundraising marathon, where participants sign up for a flat donation or take pledges for time spent making laps around the ice rink. Skaters will gather pledges before they take to the ice, and then return to collect them after their skating date. With a skate-a-thon, you may need some type of incentive to get skaters to do laps around the ice. Try offering prizes for the most laps completed or the most pledges raised. Or infuse some fun prize categories such as craziest toque, or set up a silly obstacle course and offer a prize to the skater with the fastest completed time. Just remember—safety first!

Also remember, a skating fundraiser doesn’t necessarily have to entail ice skating, either. Especially during winter, it may be more fun and enticing to participate in an event held indoors where it’s nice and warm. If your city or town has a traditional roller skating rink, that’s also a great place to hold your event!

Looking into my crystal ball…I can see a fundraiser in your future! What better theme to add some fun and mystique to your next charity event than astrology?

A zodiac-themed evening filled with all of your favorite mystical activities—tarot card, palm, and tea leaf readings, a fortune teller with a crystal ball, numerology, past life regression sessions, and astrological readings—is a great way to bring fun and excitement to your fundraising efforts.

The key to a successful fundraiser with an astrology theme has everything to do with creating the perfect setting. Staging a great zodiac evening is easy to do with some simple items you can borrow from your more mystical-leaning friends. Or if it’s an interest for you, you probably already have these items on hand. To set a starry-eyed mood, we recommend the following:

Intriguing Invitations

There’s no need to wait until guests arrive at your zodiac fundraiser to get them in the mood. Try sending psychic vibes through the mail by making your invitations out of tarot cards accompanied by all the details of your evening. If there is a dress code (costume event), be sure to include this information on the invitations. You can extend the theme to the envelopes by drawing designs such as a moons, stars, and astrological signs.

Sensational Seating Cards

Inspired by the same idea, you can also use tarot cards for your seating cards if you plan a dinner event. Or you can have the various fortune tellers and numerologists use tarot cards to write individual appointment times.

Mystical Music

Did you know that you can buy cosmic grooves online according to your astrological sign? Maybe you’re a feisty Aries who enjoys a heavy drum beat and a slamming guitar. Perhaps the airy Aquarius in you would prefer some experimental tracks from Enya. Or as an “in control” Cancer, perhaps you’d like to hear “My Way.” Regardless of your musical tastes, you can find some fabulous music to make the party fun, and back up your astrological theme.

Dress the Part

Don’t limit the decorating to your venue alone. Have your fortune tellers and tarot card readers dress the part in their best gypsy garb, with lots of colorful scarves, bangles, bracelets, beads, and hoop earrings.

Other zodiac-themed decorations could include:

• Beaded curtains at the entryways.


• Astrological piñatas in the various signs.


• Lava lamps or dripping candles as centerpieces.


• Black lights and glow-in-the-dark products for ambiance.


• Decorations featuring the various zodiac signs. Research the signs’ attributes so you can incorporate fast facts about them into the seating cards, table arrangements, and wall hangings.


• Since February is the beginning of the Chinese New Year, you could also include ethnic traditions such as fortune cookies, Chinese calendars, and figurines of the various annual creatures, such as dragon, sheep, ram, snake, dog, cat, and bird.


• Goody bags can be an inexpensive parting gift for your guests, including things like tidbits of zodiac info, fortune cookies, hand written fortunes, and good luck charms.


• If you can’t find an authentic crystal ball, make one from a large snow globe and some glitter.


• Make sure to have a Ouija board and a Magic Eight ball on hand as props.

How to make money from a zodiac fundraiser?

Now, don’t get too caught up in your astrology theme and forget about the fact that this evening is all about fundraising for your charity of choice. You can make money through this event by asking local psychics, tarot card readers, numerologists, palm readers, and astrologists to donate their time, and then charging small fees for readings. You also have the option of charging an admission fee to the entire event.

You can also ask the talent to donate gift certificates that can be auctioned off throughout the evening. This provides the people providing the entertainment with free advertising and potential future customers.

And don’t forget about the refreshments! Finger foods can be provided for free as a small incentive to participate, or if you’ve charged an entry fee. But if you go with a sit-down dinner, you can increase the entry fee, or charge by the plate.

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there is nothing better than a stress-free, fun, pampering charity event to get your fundraising efforts started in the new year! The new year always brings with it the desire for a new and improved look. A surefire way to ensure a fun party for the ladies in your community is a makeover fundraiser. Beauty fundraisers are easy to organize. All you need is a variety of beauty supplies, and a variety of feminine guests.

You can offer this fun and exciting fundraiser at the convenience of your guests by offering to come to them—at their workplace, club, home, or school. Cosmetic companies, such as Mary Kay or Avon, have representative who will come to the client. They will bring all the supplies and apply makeup in exchange for the possibility of selling some their products to your guests. Even many registered massage therapists and spa personnel will come to your home if you have a larger group.

You can make money for your fundraising organization through makeover-themed parties in the following ways:

• Offer a free makeover for a flat fee or donation from guests.


• Offer a free makeover from a qualified Mary Kay or Avon rep, but with the promise that each guest buys a minimum amount of product (arrange for your charity organization to receive a percentage of each sale).


• Ask spa aestheticians, massage therapists, and beauty consultants from your community to volunteer their time and services for free, but for each service provided, they charge guests a donation that will go to your charity.


• Ask guests to bring a collection of new, unused beauty products and have an amateur makeover party (so guests make up each other). Each guest will give a donation to the charity pot.

Remember that a makeover is even more exciting when you have a reason to show it off afterwards. So make sure that your guests get to flaunt their new face with some of these fabulous after-party ideas:

• Hit the town makeover – a night of dancing after your makeover


• Christmas party primer – make up for a pre-holiday dance


• Green or natural makeover – using animal-friendly, earth-friendly, or mineral cosmetics


• Stress buster massage – followed by a chick flick movie marathon


• Mani-pedi – Make over your fingers and tootsies with a nail file, polish application, and maybe even a glorious hand and foot massage.


• Facial and fondue – Imagine a cleansing facial followed by a chocolate, cheese, or yummy fruit-flavored fondue.


• Moms bonding – Invite all the moms from your church, PTA, sports team, or other group to relax, meet some of the other moms, and raise money for their children’s schools at the same!

Now that you’ve decided on all of the fun essentials, it’s time to set your makeover plan into motion by planning the following:

Set the Date and the Place

Decide on a date and location. Remember, many of your guests are working or busy moms, so it’s best to choose an evening or weekend time slot where everyone can relax and forget about their obligations. Don’t make things more stressful by choosing a busy time to hold your party.

Confirm the Details

Decide if you will use professionals and pre-arrange how your charity organization will make their money. For example, will you take a 10% cut from each product sale? Or will professional massage therapists be donating their time (or a portion of their fee) to your charity?

Invite your Guests

Send out your paperless invitations via e-mail, or by setting up a Facebook invite, and ask guests to RSVP by a certain date. Your guests will need to let you know how many people will be attending at least a week prior to your beauty event so you can arrange any last minute, extra beauty staff or products.

Set the Final and Fun Details

You can be the hostess with the mostest by providing (or asking guests to contribute) wine, desserts, snacks, or music to your event.

Before and After

And don’t forget, part of the fun of a beauty makeover is to take before, in-process (mid-makeup, curlers, and face masks), and after pictures of each guest. Be sure to document your fun and fabulous evening. If guests are impressed, you can guarantee that they will be jumping at the chance to do it again next year, making your makeover fundraising event an annual success for years to come!

Raising money for your child's school, sports team, youth group, or church can be a difficult endeavor. There are so many fundraising efforts to compete with, how do you set your group apart from all the rest?

Fundraising is even more troublesome if, as a parent, you've never organized a charity event before. If you keep the fundraiser focused on the group that needs the funds, success will almost always follow.

Fundraisers for kids are always a success when education and learning are associated with the event. That’s why one of the best fundraisers is the book fundraiser. Giving books as gifts is a great idea, especially around the holidays when so many other gifts seem frivolous. Book fundraisers can be the ultimate success, and we’re not simply talking about the same old catalogue fundraiser where buyers flip through a catalogue to pick out magazine subscriptions they want to order. No, we’re talking about a book that features all of the talents of your children such as a coffee table art book featuring the drawings of every kid on the soccer team, a cookbook with a yummy collection of your youth group’s favorite Christmas cookies, a book of photos taken of high school students at prom, or a collaborative story book that features tales told by the entire pre-school class.

Regardless of the subject matter, your book sale will have more meaning and garner more fundraising dollars if it’s personal to the community members who will purchase the books.

Here is a sample of some great book fundraisers:

An Old Fashioned Book Drive

The book sale collects family favorites from everyone in the community. Families can donate old books their children have loved, but outgrown. Almost every family has a dusty collection of most-loved fairy tales or fables that could be donated. Once the books are all collected, host a sale at the local school’s gymnasium, recreational center, church, or auditorium for kids and parents to come and purchase favorite titles at low cost. If books are left over, those can be donated to less fortunate countries, non-profit education programs, or the school library.

Coffee Table Book

This fundraiser is always a success with pre-schools, elementary schools, and daycares because it’s a coffee table art book filled with works of art, photos of, or photos taken by children from the community. You know that parents, grandparents, and family members will want to get their hands on their own child’s artwork. Plus, this book almost always guarantees multiple sales to the same customer because it makes a wonderful keepsake gift for everyone in the family. You can collect the art in the classroom or send a flyer home asking parents to submit one great piece of art or photo taken by their child. You can even ask parents to help their child write a biography that will appear alongside their art in the book.

Cookbooks

These are great books to give as gifts, especially around the holidays. A cookbook filled with a collection of favorite sweet breads, desserts, kid-friendly dishes, appetizers, school lunches, and more is a beautiful family heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation. The best thing about cookbook fundraising is that the book will most definitely feature a unique collection of family favorites from the community. A cookbook like this is a personalized treasure that everyone can use again and again. You can collect recipes for a pre-school cookbook by asking parents or kids to bring in the recipe for a favorite dish. When putting together a cookbook, a theme is important. Take these for example:

• Holiday recipes


• Scrumptious desserts


• Comfort food


• Kid-friendly cooking


• Bake sale favorites


• Recess snacks


• Best bagged lunches

Publishing your Fundraising Book

Now that you’ve chosen a book to create, you will need to find a means to publish it. Seeing your book in print can be as easy as collecting the art, photos, stories or recipes, typing them out on the computer, and laminating the pages. However, if you want a more professional design, you can use a printing company. Just be sure to do your research to compare prices, design options, and shipping costs. Remember, you will want to keep the creation costs low if you are selling this book in hopes of making money for your charity. Some cheap publishing options are:

• Create the book in apple iBooks. This program lets you collect and organize your book in a template for publishing


• Almost everyone knows a graphic designer. Ask them to create your book and set you up with a discount printer


• Seek printing sponsorship from local businesses


• Approach a local printer and offer to let them advertise for free in your book if they do the printing for charity

Selling your Fundraising Book

Get some advertising out to the public early on. This can be as simple as sending a pamphlet home with kids so that parents are aware and eager for the book. Once they know their child will be featured, you can almost guarantee pre-orders as gifts. This is why centering your book around a holiday is a great idea. If you collect personalized recipes, artwork, or stories parents will be more likely to buy a book just to see their child’s name in print.