Here are some more U.G.L.Y. Fundraising Ideas
1) Truck Touch…Perfect for Volunteer Fire Departments! Children LOVE trucks—their flashing lights, big wheels, loud noises! Bring the excitement of real trucks to children in your community. Families will appreciate the opportunity to let kids see and touch for themselves! Prep Steps: 1.Contact authorities and owners of interesting vehicles that would be willing to park their truck for a few hours in a central spot on a weekend, and that would let children and families touch the inside and outside of the truck. Think about fire engines, UPS or Fed Ex trucks, ambulances, a dump truck, a Post Office truck, etc. 2.Determine how much you will charge for this event. Will you charge per truck, or a flat fee (our recommendation)? 3.Create and distribute flyers advertising the truck touch. 4.Recruit volunteers to sit and monitor each truck. Materials Needed: 1.Donated trucks 2.Flyers Helpful Hints: • Invite an employee from companies to volunteer their time to demonstrate special features and answer questions. • This is a great fundraiser to combine with a food sale.
STORY! One rural Ka BOOM?! partner held this fundraiser, and raised more than $4,000 in a day. More than 800 children and parents attended, each paying a $5 flat fee.
2) Tailgate Parties: GO PITT! March Madness is here! Does the whole community attend your high school’s football games or other sporting events and competitions? Have a tailgating party. Hold your party prior to the game or event. Consider barbequing. Nothing draws a crowd better than the smell of charcoal in the air! Prep Steps: 1.Determine how and what to charge attendees. 2.Recruit volunteers to cook and manage the event.
3.Advertise beforehand and encourage folks to sign-up beforehand so that you’ll know how much food to prepare. 4.Begin to prepare food a couple of hours before the event is scheduled to begin. Materials Needed: 1.Signs 2.Aprons 3.Safety cones 4.Food 5.Trash cans
3) Boat Race or Running of the Ducks A great springtime activity! Plastic duckies are sold to the public (can be purchased for $1 a local party stores), and then all released on a stretch of a local river. First “ducky” to cross the finish line wins! Don’t live near a running river? That’s ok! You can hold a Tennis Ball race. Just use tennis balls instead, and release them down a nearby hill…have participants write their name with a sharpie on the tennis ball. Prep Steps: 1.Get support from authorities in the area to use the local river or hill for an afternoon. 2.Sell “Duckies” or balls to the public (Suggested price=$10-$15) 3.Clearly mark duckies or balls with a permanent pen, so you’ll be able to match it up with the winner! 4.All ducks or balls are released at the same time and the first one to cross the finish line wins a prize. Materials Needed: 1.Rubber duckies 2.Permanent markers 3.Loud speaker/megaphone 4.Prizes….T-Shirts, UGLY Merchandise, Gift Certificate to the bar, Helpful Hints: This is a great event to pair with a food sale or festival.
4) Parking Space Auction Designate a prime parking spot in your school, church or organization’s lot. Name it your “Parking Space for Play” and auction it off each month! The winner gets to enjoy a reserved spot closest to the entrance.
Prep Steps: 1.Get approval. 2.Determine when to have your auction and what the starting bid will be. 3.Advertise your event and overall contest. 4.Place a sign in front of the auctioned spot identifying it as a “Play Space?!” 5.Auction it away. Materials Needed: 1.“Reserved for ______” parking sign. 2.Flyers Helpful Hints: • Advertise your event well in advance and build hype. • Consider auctioning off more than one spot on a monthly basis.
5) Kiss a Pig Contest Is there someone you’d like to see kiss a pig? How much money do you think it would take for them to do so? Why not hold a contest and find out! There are many ways that you can run this contest. For example, elect two or more people, such as a local school’s principal or a local athlete, to kiss a pig. Have folks pay to vote for whom they would like to see kiss a pig. The person who earns the most cash gets to pucker up! Consider asking a few local schools or groups in the community to hold separate contests. The more sites you have, the more money you will raise for the playspace. You can also use this as an opportunity to create media attention. Prep Steps: 1.Recruit your pig kissing volunteers. In a school situation, it could be a contest between the principal and the teachers, or in a community, between local well-known citizens. 2.Place photographs of the candidates on the collection jars. People will place a donation in the jar if they would like to see the candidate kiss a pig. 3.Hold the contest for a month (or a scheduled period of time) and announce the top candidates. On the date of the actual “pig kiss” ask people to match donations for each kiss. Materials Needed: 1.Photographs of candidates 2.Mason jars with a top that includes a slit (so the money can be secure within the jar) 3.A pig or any “un-kissable” animal 4.A public place to hold the pig kiss.
Helpful Hints: • The candidates should be light-hearted and good sports about the contest. • Scan a picture of the “candidates” and the pig to create posters and to decorate the
voting containers.
6) Jail and Bail For once, being arrested, escorted to and locked up in jail is fun and beneficial to your community! Popular “jail and bail” fundraisers involve arresting citizens and UGLY supporters on trumped up charges, escorting them to a public space (jail) and having them make calls to friends and families for “bail.” All bail money supports your project! The event usually begins with someone calling “criminals,” informing them of their “arrest.” Off-duty police officers or volunteers “arrest” the unsuspecting participant, serving them with a warrant. He or she is then whisked off to “jail”. An alternative is to have people make a donation, thereby earning the right to choose someone who will go to jail. That person then has to either raise enough contributions to match their friend’s donation, or match bail set by a judge. When the participants arrive at the “jail”, their bail is set by a volunteer judge. With telephones and telephone books, the jailbirds make pledge calls to friends, relatives and co-workers to earn their bail. Most incarcerations last for one to two hours. Prep Steps: 1.Decide how you’d like to organize your Jail and Bail. You may want to have wellknown folks “volunteer” to be sent to jail. 2.Recruit lots of volunteer police officers, judges and a couple of cooks to prepare a snack for the jailbirds. 3.Decide on a public location for jail. Get a supply of telephones so that jailbirds can make bail calls. 4.Advertise your event. Materials: 1.Phones 2.Phone books/Phone Lists 3.Snacks 4.Flyers Helpful Hints: • Fun-loving folks may only be arrested with their consent. • Consider a “Most Wanted” list for prominent citizens willing to participate.
7) Flamingo Hop This hilarious, interactive game can result in huge donations for your playspace project. Community members such as students, parents, etc., pay to have a big pink flamingo in their neighbor’s or schoolmate’s front yard. In order to have the flamingo removed, the person that received the flamingo has to pay $5 to have it removed and placed in another yard. You’ll need more than one flamingo to start this game, or you can use your school’s mascot or anything else that has meaning to your community. Folks will love going out in the morning to see who got “flamingoed” the night before. Prep Steps: 1.Either purchase a plastic hot pink flamingo or create a 4-foot tall wooden pink flamingo. You will need 6-8 flamingos to start this game. 2.Explain the game clearly to the community through informational flyers, or even beter, through a letter to your neighbors and members. 3.Explain that ten, huge, hot-pink flamingos will mysteriously appear in ten yards on a given day. For a $10, the flamingo can be removed, or the recipient can pay $15 to have the pink flamingo placed in someone else’s front yard. You can offer “flamingo insurance” for $25. This game continues until the cutoff date. 4.To avoid “flamingoing” someone by accident, have folks sign-up to participate in the Flamingo Hop. 5.Recruit volunteers to help deliver the flamingos. Materials Needed: 1.At least 6 plastic flamingos or tall wooden flamingos 2.Registration forms Helpful Hints: • The element of surprise is important with this game, but it’s your decision to let the
person know who sent them the flamingo. • You can do an office-friendly version of this fundraiser by making paper cut-outs of
flamingoes, and charge office mates to flock other people’s offices or cubes. Reduce costs for an office version. STORY: One community raised nearly $2,000 and had a lot of fun with this fundraiser. While most donations were in the suggested range of $10-20, organizers were surprised by the number of larger contributions.
8) Fashion Show Ask clothing retailers or designers in your area to donate their latest outfits for a community fashion show. Select models, get some cool lighting and music, create a
walkway, and then spread the word! This is great advertising for stores, and a fun way for fashion fans to raise money! Prep Steps: 1.Strike a deal with local clothing retailers and designers to get the latest outfits “on loan” for the event. 2.Recruit models of all ages, shapes and sizes! 3.Find a fun venue for this event. A popular restaurant, night club, or even school auditorium will work! 4.Try to recruit the services of a local DJ for the evening! 5.Sell tickets! Materials Needed: 1.Loaned Clothing 2.Volunteer Models 3.Lighting/Music 4.Sound system 5.Tickets 6.Chairs for audience 7.Signs/flyers Helpful Hints: If you can’t find a DJ for free, simply ask a teen to be the DJ (and bring his/her own equipment and music) TIP! See if your retailer or designer will also donate a fabulous door prize!
9) Easter Mystery Eggs During an Easter-time bake sale or other event, sell small plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and small slips of paper. Some slips will notify purchaser that they have won a prize such as a big chocolate Easter bunny or a special Easter basket. Prep Steps: 1.Work with your volunteer committee to first arrange a significant spring/Easter event, like a spring carnival or bake sale. 2.Go to a party store to buy eggs. 3.Ask local businesses to donate small products for prizes. 4.Write out small slips of paper that denote prizes—one piece might be inserted into every fifth (or tenth) egg, for example. 5.Sell eggs! Materials Needed:
1.Eggs 2.Candy 3.Slips of paper 4.Prizes 5.Signs/Flyers Helpful Hints: On the back of each slip of paper, include a little information about your project. Be sure to include a phone number or Website where someone can go to learn more!
10) Dollar Days Charge participants $1 to wear something unusual or silly— a funny hat, pajamas, shorts, etc. Or if you have a themed night charge $1 for those who are not dressed appropriately (if it is a PJ party charge a dollar for those not dressed in pajamas). Prep Steps: 1.Get permission from your school principal first! 2.Decide on a day where no “formal” activities that might require regular dress or a uniform. 3.Advertise, and be sure to let parents know that proceeds will go to your playspace project. 4.Dress up! Materials: 1.Flyers or letter home to parents Helpful Hints: Consider doing this once a semester or once a quarter, changing the article of clothing each time.
11) Dog Wash Pamper your dog (and others) at the Dog Wash! Prep Steps: 1.Ask a local pet store for a donation of shampoo, brushes, and combs. 2.Ask a local hardware or gardening store and ask for a donation of several water hoses and buckets. You could also ask community members to loan their hoses and buckets for the day. 3.Advertise your dog wash at veterinarians’ offices, at local dog parks and pet stores. Materials Needed:
1.Buckets 2.Shampoo 3.Flyers 4.Water hoses 5.Towels 6.Dog combs Helpful Hints: • Ask the local pet store for gift certificate donations for your dog wash raffle.
TIP!: Advertise at a local dog park on a Saturday morning! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of dirty dogs!
12) Car Wash What better way to spend a Saturday morning than sponsoring a car wash! This classic fundraiser is super easy to do. All you need are some common household cleaning items, an enthusiastic group of volunteers, and some dirty cars! Prep Steps: 1.Be sure that your space has a water hookup and is in a central location with high traffic volume. 2.Sell advance car wash tickets during the days leading up to your event. 3.Make huge signs to display all day. Stand on the sidewalk and flag people down. Materials Needed: 1.Long garden hoses with nozzles 2.Buckets 3.Soap 4.Sponges and rags 5.A collection box or jar Helpful Hints: • Hold your car wash all day. For best results: 10am-4pm on a weekend. • Location is the key to your success. • Watch the weather and have the car wash on a sunny day.
TIP! Some communities have had success with “Topless Car Washes.” Before you blush, read on! Advertise that it’s a “Topless” car wash and set up the car washing area behind a business where it can't be seen from the street. People will flock to it out of pure curiosity! When the driver pulls into the wash area they find that a "Topless" car wash means 1) the bottom of the car is washed free but a donation of $X is required if they
want the top washed; 2) the entire car is washed except for the roof for $X and for an additional $Y you wash the top; or 3) convertibles with the top down (topless) get a free wash! Pick the option you like best. Folks are generally pretty good natured and appreciate the ingenuity.
13) Candy Guess…Jelly Bean Guess! Everyone loves candy. Grab a large jar fill it with either one colorful kind of candy such as jellybeans, M&M’s or Jolly Ranchers and sell folks the opportunity to guess the amount of candy in the jar. The person who guesses close to or the exact amount of candy in the jar, wins the jar! Prep Steps: 1.Place a jar of donated 2.BE SURE TO COUNT THE CANDY AS YOU PUT IT IN THE JAR. 3.Collect guesses for a specific period of time such as two weeks. 4.Create a guessing sheet to keep track of all of the guesses made. Materials Needed: 1.Candy 2.Clear container 3.Tickets to write each person’s guess for them to hold. Helpful Hints: • Hold this event with in conjunction with a larger event such as a dance or auction. • To keep integrity, only ONE person should know how many pieces of candy are in the
jar.
14) Bake Sale Have volunteers donate baked goods and sell them at the bar or other community event Prep Steps: 1.Recruit volunteer bakers. 2.Advertise for the event with flyers or a letter home to students. 3.Set up shop and sell away! Materials Needed: 1.Tables to display baked goods. 2.Napkins 3.Baked goods
4.Cash box Helpful Hints: • Mix up a batch of iced tea, Kool-Aid or coffee to sell with your baked goods. Drink
sales will bring you additional revenue. • Invite a youth group like the Scouts to help out by baking items to sell. • Hold multiple bake sales throughout your fundraising campaign.
TIP! Hold a contest for the yummiest baked item. Generate revenue by asking customers to enter their vote by putting an extra quarter in front of the particular plate.
15) A-Thon Event How about sponsoring a read-a-thon, dance-a-thon, walk-a-thon, or marathon? Have participants solicit pledges for each book they read, ½ hour they dance, or mile they walk or run. Prep Steps: 1.Decide on what type of a-thon event to hold. 2.Recruit community members to participate. . 3.If you decide to hold a walk-a-thon or marathon be sure to contact police for their assistance with street closings, guiding participants, etc. 4.Create pledge forms for participants. 5.Determine how you will collect pledge donations. Materials Needed: 1.Pledge forms 2.Other items will vary depending on the type of event you choose. 3.Whatever a-thon you choose, be sure it’s fun and something that the community will enjoy. Helpful Hints: Set a minimum amount per individual or per family to be raised in pledges.