Fundraising can also be “fun” raising. Have a great time raising money for your Homeschool Co-op, by using some or all of the following ideas to boost your groups financial standing.
Fundraising Ideas
Hold a car wash. Get everyone involved, from the oldest to the youngest members of your group. Assign everyone a job, such as washing windows, hubcaps, rinsing cars, or collecting money. Holding your car wash in a busy area of town, on a Saturday afternoon, can help you earn big money, plus car washes are always a fundraiser that the kids enjoy.
Host a Dinner. While spaghetti dinners seem to be one of the most popular events for a fundraising dinner, there are plenty of other menu items to choose from. Try a Mexican Fiesta, for example, complete with music and costumes. A “Gourmet Buffet” is another great fundraising dinner idea. Make it a “black tie” affair and include dinner by candle light, soft music, and lots of atmosphere. Teenagers can act as the wait-staff, while younger children can be coat checkers, and serve bread baskets, salads and more.
Auctions. There are tons of opportunities for your group to make a profit, by holding your own auction. Request that each family donate at least one item to the auction. The items should be original, and handmade. They can range from homemade jams and jellies, to hand sewn quilts or embroidered pillows. Whether it’s an original oil painting, a piece of handmade jewelry, or a basket of homemade fudge… encourage your members to look within themselves to create the items that will make up your one of a kind co-op auction.
Hold a Carnival. Some of the best carnival activities are simple, and inexpensive to put together. A duck pond, ping pong toss, penny pitch, water gun “shooting gallery”, as well as a baseball (or bean bag) pitch, are just some of the games your group could put together on a shoe string budget. Along with traditional carnival games you might want to consider adding a pie eating contest, and a cake walk for even more fun. Include some active games such as old fashioned races (such as the three legged race, and wheelbarrow race) as well as an egg or water balloon toss. Clowns, face painting, and balloons brighten up the day, while members can contribute to food “booths” which offer such goodies as sloppy joes, hot dogs, chips, pop, and popcorn.
Rent-a-Family Fundraiser
Get families and kids involved. Ask for ideas, and find out what special skills and talents the members of your group possess. If you have several members who can donate a skill or talent to the community, you might want to try a “rent a family” fundraiser.
For a minimum donation of $$ (you decide the price) families will donate all of their combined skills and talents to the purchaser for one day. Each member of each family can list a specific job, or talent, that they will donate to the purchaser.
A parent may be able to do the days cooking, and/or home maintenance work, while a teen does cleaning tasks, or yard work, and even a very small child can donate their special abilities, by entertaining the “winner” with his many jokes and riddles, or performing her lovely ballet routine for their enjoyment. This type of fundraiser is wonderful for families to do together as it helps to build closeness, and gives a sense of accomplishment. It can also be great community outreach for your group.
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