Relay For Life is a cancer society that organizes events to raise funds to help cancer-stricken people. This WealthHow article will provide you with 6 good Relay For Life fundraising ideas for teams.
Fundraising events take place for a number of reasons―charity, business, helping the sick, treatment for the underprivileged, college clubs, weddings, etc. There are many such societies that officially organize these events on a regular basis. Relay For Life is a cancer society that exists in more than 20 countries all over the world. It is dedicated to raising awareness about cancer, conducting events to raise funds, and spreading hope and positivity among those affected by this dreaded disease.
Hundreds of different activities take place at these events, and the funds raised are used for cancer research, treatment, early detection programs, etc. Contributing to these events will not only help people financially, but will also help spread optimism among the masses. Some creative ideas for raising funds are given in the following paragraphs so that you can implement the same.
Organize a book sale. Collect old books and sell them at an event. You could request your family and friends to donate books for the same. Contact a stockist or a bookshop owner to contribute by giving their secondhand books for sale. You could also ask publishing houses for assistance. Set up tables or stalls in malls or open grounds, and organize your sale there.
Making homemade candles is an art in itself. You can use leftover wax and some other materials to make regular and scented candles and sell them. You can conduct the sale by organizing a huge event, or sell them individually to your friends, relatives, colleagues, etc.
Use beads, sequins, shells, etc., to create exquisite pieces of jewelry. Sell them at the event or to private collectors. Make a variety of necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. You can even organize workshops on jewelry making, and charge people for the same.
Make little wooden or plastic toys and put up stalls to sell them. You can get as creative as you want, with toys. Use paper, cardboard, Styrofoam, etc., to make small toys for kids. Put up tables in the neighborhood and organize a sale.
This is one of the best ways to help people as well as nature. Use old materials and recycle them to create new items. Use waste paper to make lovely greeting cards, old T-shirts to make tote bags, tin containers to make tea lights, and lots more. Organize a sale in your community hall or public garden, you’d be surprised at the number of people who would buy them.
School, college, and country fairs have a variety of games as attractions. You need not organize high-profile games, like the roller coaster or merry-go-round, but games that would be interesting and fetch you money include throw-the-ring, hoopla stalls, coconut shies, rifle shooting, draw-the-cat’s-tail, etc. Kids in the neighborhood would flock to the games and would help you raise a lot of money.
Creating paper crafts and handicrafts has a high potential for earning money. Organize an exhibition with the help of your team. Make a variety of crafts, like a jewelry holder, pen stand, card holder, items made of clay, paintings, etc. People will buy them out of fascination, if nothing else. Donate the amount to the organization.
Nothing attracts people more than food. You have a wide variety of choices here. Set up stalls selling lemonade, pizza, quesadillas, ice cream, chicken rolls, muffins, cakes, donuts, pastries, etc. Have separate stalls for baked, fried, and steamed goodies. You can make them yourself or order them in bulk. Preferably, make them on your own. You’d be amazed at how much money can be raised through this.
Organize a talent show. Let people participate and exhibit their talent. Charge an entry fee for the participants as well as the audience. Not only will this help raise money, but it will also be a good platform for kids and adults to display their talents. Alternatively, you could organize a separate dance show, theater show, singing contest, etc.
Encourage young boys and girls to come out with their best costumes. Organize the show in the community hall or the local auditorium. The show can be held separately for adults too. Make it more efficient by issuing tickets to those who attend the show.
Organize a show for your lovely pets. Bring out all those dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, monkeys (yes, people do have them as pets too), hamsters, etc. Sit with them throughout the show and charge people for seeing your pets and their cute antics. Do not force your pets to do anything though, it may offend animal lovers.
A lot of people are fond of gardening as well as cultivating their own plants and flowers. You can encourage such people to get their flower and other plant cultivations for a show. Set up individual stalls for each, have the participants explain how they went about growing the flowers, etc. You could also organize a small workshop explaining the basics of gardening. Charge people with a reasonable entry fee. People will also buy the flowers, and all these funds can then go to the society.
This is one of the most creative ideas. A lot of amateur photographers wish to exhibit their photographs to the public first. A photography show is exactly what they need. Who knows, some of their photos might get purchased. That, along with the other fees will contribute to your fund.
One of the oldest and most commonly-practiced idea is to ask for donations. Divide your city/town into different areas. Delegate each area to a member of your team and ask them to visit each and every house. Explain to people the purpose of your visit, and ask them to contribute whatever they can. Remember, do not be too pushy, because some people might think your request to be fake, and may not donate anything at all. Be serious and sincere while explaining. A lot of funds can be accumulated from door-to-door donations.
Place donation jars at shop counters, outside churches, etc. Of course, you need to obtain prior permission. Have a signboard with ‘Relay For Life’ written on it. Customers and church-goers will read about the fundraiser and gladly donate any spare amount they can. In fact, some shopkeepers may even contribute a percentage of their collection for that day.
Set up donation stalls at malls, plazas, parks, halls, multiplexes, churches, etc. Have banners and boards explaining the cause. Preferably, choose crowded areas. People will willingly donate for a good cause.
Mow your neighbor’s lawn for a day or twice a week. In fact, plan it such that your team mows the lawn of every house in the neighborhood. You can also ask permission, and mow the public gardens. You would be contributing your time for the good of the public property as well.
Walk your neighbors’, friends’, or relatives’ dog/s. Take care of them when they are sick as well. You get to spend some fun time with these lovely animals while earning money as well, even if they don’t pay much.
Work in people’s gardens. Select two-three days in a week and allot each day for one garden. Pull out the weeds, water the plants, plant new saplings if needed, etc. Let the other team members do the same at other houses. Gather the money and donate.
Work at a car wash. It is a tiresome job, and people would love to hire someone to do this job for them, privately. Delegate the work among your team for every house (car) in the neighborhood, and be sure to mention that the money is to go towards a good cause. People might pay you more.
Another one of those tiresome jobs on weekend, especially for people who own a really huge house. Maintenance becomes a major issue. Help them clean and wash the yard and the driveway. Collect the payment and donate.
This is a fairly common part-time job for teenagers. Baby-sit your friends’ or neighbors’ children. Or, if there is a public event, your team could babysit several kids together. Organize fun games and make the experience eventful. Working parents would be very grateful for your services and may pay you well.
Off late, this has become a common norm. Using social media and the internet as a platform to spread the message of hope and raise awareness is gaining ground due to the increasing number of people using digital media sites. Let your group members take some online surveys. These take around 10 minutes to complete. You might receive many such surveys even in your inbox. This is relatively easy job and brings in a lot of money. Also, this is something you can continue doing for a long time, so you’ll have a consistent flow of funds. Over a period of time, you’ll have more than enough for donations.
Some other fundraising ideas of a more or less similar nature include:
- Gift Wrapping Service
- Super Bowl Party
- Christmas Party
- Indoor Game Night
- Janitorial Services
- Recycled Paper Products Exhibition
- Hot Chocolate Stall
- Dress Down
- Baseball Tournament
- Essay Competition
- Debate Competition
- Breakfast For a Day
- Drama Show
- Spa Party
- Karaoke Night
- Barbecue Event
- Yard Sale
- Garage Sale
- Functions
- Auction
- Movie Night
- Scavenger Hunt
- Hopscotch Competition
- Tea Party
- Potluck Parties
Fundraising is a small effort that helps contribute towards bigger things. Participating in such events can only lead to something positive, for everybody involved. We owe it to ourselves as human beings to help other fellow human beings in trouble. And Relay For Life has been doing a spectacular job for the last 30 years in raising funds and awareness. So, the next time an event like this is planned either by this society or some other group/organization, or there is someone who needs help, just gear up and implement any of the above ideas or any of your own to help them out. A small contribution from your side can help bring a smile on someone’s face. Help societies like Relay For Life in their selfless endeavor.
