When winter is in full swing and Christmas is fast approaching, consider a fundraiser that’s appropriate for the season. If there’s little time left for poinsettia sales or Christmas wreaths, how about a winter festival in January or February?
Fairs and festivals in cold climates can be held indoors or out and don’t need to be tied directly to a specific holiday. There are lots of activities to do on ice and snow such as skating, skiing, tubing and snowboard competitions, ice sailing and even Jeep racing. You can have ice sculpting or snowman building contests
and nightly sleigh rides followed by hot cider around a crackling fire.
Raise money with entrance and exhibitor fees. You can sell arts and crafts, and food such as seasonal treats and warm drinks like hot apple cider and cocoa.
This can be an annual event that your supporters and community will look forward to every year.
Gift-wrapping Fundraiser
Before the holiday season is upon us, here’s a simple fundraiser that can yield a significant income with a dedicated staff of volunteers. Offer a gift wrapping service for time-strapped shoppers and those of us who would like nicely wrapped gifts but lack the appropriate skills to accomplish such a feat (ahem).
To raise the most money, get permission to setup a wrapping station in a mall or shopping center where there are lots of potential customers. A secondary choice is a school, church or recreation center, but will require more promotional efforts to garner sufficient business.
You’ll need a fair amount of table space and chairs, plus lots of supplies like tape, boxes, scissors, ribbons, bows, gift tags, and of course, wrapping paper. Don’t forget to bring a cashbox with change and a receipt book, plus plenty of refreshments for the volunteers.
To increase your profits, try to get donations for all the supplies and refreshments. If possible, combine this with other fundraisers such as a bake sale (holiday goodies!) or a candy fundraiser.
Be sure to put up a banner with the name of your organization so people know who is benefiting and a jar for cash donations.
