JDRF

Magick1 · #1 01-12-2008, 12:11 AM

We have a Juvenile Diabetes Walk coming up March 1st in Des Moines that I will be participating in this year, for the 1st time.

I am also on my companies committee to drum up fundraising ideas at the workplace (in addition to collecting my own donations for my personal goals that we have to set up).

Does anyone have good ideas they have seen done or done themselves to drum up donations???

Thanks in advance!

**theworm**[$] · #2 01-12-2008, 12:19 AM

When coworkers participated in the Avon 3-day, the organized a bakesale at work. Lots of us volunteered to bake, and they kept all the proceeds. It went over fairly well.

**jgibson2**[$] · #3 01-12-2008, 04:56 AM

I don't know if a bake sale is the best fundraiser for JD

How about a talent auction? People volunteer their services and others bid on them. My hospital has talent auctions included in their on-line fundraiser auction every year. One of the docs offers a "pie a month" plan. Apparently he's a really good baker because it always goes for hundreds of dollars.

magenta321 · #4 01-12-2008, 08:31 AM

We did a 50/50 raffle that was very successful when I was doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

The bakesale did not go well for me, but, I didn't have anyone else participating.

My most successful means for fundraising have always been through writing letters. Perhaps you can write a draft for your coworkers that they can use to send to their friends and family.

I organized our company's participation in the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk. One thing I did to motivate people was to make a board. I put:

Walkers: and then had cut outs representing each person walking, so people visually saw the group growing

Donations:

I had a thermometer with the donations to date

Days 'til Event:

X days

It was a good motivator. I also sent out emails to the team members to keep them aprised of our successes.

**theworm**[$] · #5 01-12-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

jgibson2 said

I don't know if a bake sale is the best fundraiser for JD

.

good point

magenta321 · #6 01-12-2008, 09:55 AM

One idea that I always thought was a good one, but I never tried myself was to have a tag-sale. You could have employees donate goods and "work" the event. Any proceeds raised can go to the charity.

**lynnzop**[$] · #7 01-12-2008, 10:18 AM

For various fundraisers at work, they've done the following (with great success)

Get donations from local companies for GC and other items. Raffle or combine like things into a basket and have a silent auction.
Lunch (this is the most popular work fundraiser and there are at least 3 a week during the fall...all are VERY successful)...have a theme (Italian, hot dogs and chips, Thai, Soup/Chili) and have employees from a team donate (or secure donations) for the food makings and tableware. Set up in a commons area and sell a plate for $4-5 (entree/sandwich, side dish such as chips, dessert like homemade bars/cookies, drink). Seriously, there are teams who get thousands of dollars from their lunch fundraisers. We grilled hotdogs outdoors last summer for our JDRF walk, and raised a ton of money.

Margaret raises a good point on letter-writing, and just asking for donations. One of our top fundraisers last year wrote a very poignant letter about her brother who has Type 1 diabetes, and it moved a lot of people who otherwise said they would not have donated.

Good luck...I've been a team captain for JDRF several times, and while it's hard work, it's very rewarding!!!

**jgibson2**[$] · #8 01-12-2008, 11:33 AM

Lunch is very practical - everybody's got to eat and you're undercutting even the fast food places at $4-5/plate - and probably healthier.

I really hate wrapping paper/candy bar/etc professional fundraiser packages that ask you to pay inflated prices so the fundraiser company can make at least as much as the group fundraising. I'd MUCH rather have someone send me a letter asking me to make a tax-deductible contribution to their cause. I might not be able to contribute, but I'd much rather do that than spend money I don't have on things I don't need. Girl Scout cookies -- I need those.

Magick1 · #9 01-15-2008, 03:23 PM

With Valentine's Day coming, we have decided to try to sell Valentine's Cookies. I have requested a donation form from the local grocery store (just over the hill) to see if they can donate some or give a reduced price for the fund-raiser.

The idea about making a chart is excellent. I think something like that would be terrific for the # of walkers & donation amounts. I have gotten quite a bit already, thanks to a great friend.

We have a "guess the number" contest (but both items are sweets

) and a drop your loose change here bucket. We are also doing a bottle/can drive (they cost .05 in IA and we get that back when the bottles and cans are redeemed). So, we have some really great ideas...but, it's a campaign running now through the walk 3/1.

We thought about a "service" type of auction, we decided on a errand runner (for a quick errand) like going out to pick up someone's lunch or drycleaning for them. No house cleaning or anything like that.

I really appreciate the ideas.

If you think up any others you are willing to share, we are definitely open to them!

**Helen_B**[$] · #10 01-16-2008, 12:55 AM

Good ideas, Kim! Have you thought of holding a "No Bake Bakesale"? Instead of people baking for a bakesale to raise money, they donate the cost of the ingredients they would have used to the charity. It can be a nice little event, just one more way to involve folks.

Magick1 · #11 01-16-2008, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Helen_B said

Good ideas, Kim! Have you thought of holding a "No Bake Bakesale"? Instead of people baking for a bakesale to raise money, they donate the cost of the ingredients they would have used to the charity. It can be a nice little event, just one more way to involve folks.

Hadn't thought of it that way!

What a neat idea!

I will bring this up to the committee (or captain) and see what she thinks. I think that is neat!