fundraising ideas

ok i open this thread for fundraising ideas....weirder the better........please add anything thing you can think of....:)


I was thinking of some fundraising ideas for the tiny little church on the island, who are the people who provide soup and open up the church floor at night..etc..they want to expand, but need money. (its written for them, I have other more tradional dull ideas…but this one seemed more”in your face”….I haven’t sent it yet…what do people think…..!!!))

Unusual Fundraising idea…..I was thinking about public a-where ness. We should concentrate on the rough sleeper/squatters first as it’s what most people associate with homelessness (lets not bombard them with too much too fast…). It’s gonna sound wacky but I might just work. With permission, we build a small piece of a dummy squat (*based on a real one), and set it up in the strand shopping centre. For people to try out, they can lie in it, sit…feel how uncomfortable it would be. We’d play on the, “this could be you, your friend, your kid angle…”
The boards behind would contain really basic info, a few pics to the sort of conditions they sleep in, a few details about what the money would be used for, and why we need it. Then we’d have a Donation tins, ect.
We would have contacted local business for the opening and arranged for them to show up and have their picture sitting in the dummy squat holding signs “”no more”” or “fight homelessness”” or something equivalent with more boot and less cliché. (It gives their company promotion and shows they care.) Both the radio and paper would be there to get involved. The General public would come to see what all the fuss was about, and if it taps into that guilt/humanity they will donate. Seeing as most are not a-where of the situation!!!

Maybe we could set up a wall of shame like shelter has….but instead we get people who run companies, local bands, maybe even someone a little famous….to pay to have a Polaroid taken in it, which could then be put up on the wall. Hopefully local people would follow suit.
:confused:




comments welcome...as it probly sounds real silly....but i was thinking differnent is good. i could be and prob am totally off base here..........???????????

The lack of understanding is going to be the biggest factor here I think as to if it will work or not.

The novelty factor is certainly there, so the media interest would follow.

The thing I would want to work out with something like this is what is the message? And how does that feed into a call for action?

Charity fund-raising should be able to satisfy Aristotle's call for ethos pathos and logos - and I would say if not equally than in the very least those bases should be covered.

Long story short - credibility / logic / emotion.

The person who appeals to me is credible, they make logical sense in what they say and I feel emotionally moved as well. Do that and you can take it to the bank.

Most charity appeals rely on emotion / pathos and false logic / logos and present their brand as credibility / ethos. Brand name charity says poor little Timmy needs a blanket kinda crap. The emotion is there but the logic is a lie, but it works for the audience because the brand is presented to assure them in terms of credibility.

My point is the stuff that works address all three facets. I've seen appeals that weigh too heavily on the emotions but present no logic. And others that get stuck in the logic and don't enlist the emotive side. You need balance between the two and to reveal credibility to the donor that your organisation is well placed to respond.

Go back to the people you are targeting and design your efforts so they can experience contact with you and say: The person who appeals to me is credible, they make logical sense in what they say and I feel emotionally moved as well.

ok people the first idea came from a fluy dream...so ive been thinking about it more...and After talking with box boy (who has been great with the ideas…cheers)), I’ve now begun thinking about….

behind the model squat……3 boards.....

1: filled a board with all the nice things.....house car flower pots, shower, cake, family, curtains.....bla.....etc…. some sort of sign, ""if you lost everything, where would you go...? ""or something like that,

((maybe as the first board leads into the next it could have a list of possible reasons as why/how someone could so easily loose those things, or find themselves in such an emotional low or lonely place…etc…. …..maybe just phrases….like
“after I lost my job I couldn’t pay the rent”
“or as my relationship ended I began to find waking up harder, soon I was hitting the bottle and out of a job, home…..”””
(ok…..so that would be less cheesy…but you get what I mean…))

2: then show all the possible places on the other board. do it like a holiday brochure .....
giving ratings to the different places,,,like,
“”looking for a place to sleep? look no futher than this luxurious 5 star squat, that’s right folks, this old place is full of a classic charm with its peeling wallpaper to its crumbling woodwork, its like living by the sea with that moist dam smell, not to mention that fresh breeze coming in through the pre- broken window…….” sorta thing…((scarky type of thing….))

public toilets bus station squats...etc......with signs...like "what a great choice" or ""which one would you choose"....? etc """or would you rather"""….

3:the plans for the night shelter, saying all the great things it would have/do.....then underneath ""it seems the best of a bad bunch, but it doesn’t exist here...help us make it a reality...donate today/sponsor"

the message would be::

what if it happaned to you, it could easily...if it was your life your things your health.....your life changes

what would you do
where would you go
where could you go
who would help you
cant answer....? dont know....?

so what about those already there where can they go?
we need to take action and give them a bed.help us 2 help them....



thats the idea of the 3 boards.........
the sqaut would be there as a physcial pressance to touch, to try, to feel, to make people look. to allow people to get IN-vovled ,to make the children question their parents...etc
as a ""this is real its happaning.....look see act""

also alot of people dont know whta they are or have never seen one.

hope that made sence......lol..........i ramble when trying to spit it out....

I think running races and marathons is always a great way to raise funds. Additionally, you can organize charity dinners that charge for a plate.