Suggest ideas for fundraisers for Tsunami Relief

January 4, 2005 10:08 AM

I don't have much cash to donate to Tsunami Relief. Any ideas for fundraisers? [+]

The need is severe, and the level of compassion is high; how do I tap into it? details: I'm in Maine, work population is low until school restarts end of January. Bakesale for school restarting is under consideration.

posted by theora55 to grab bag (10 comments total)

I saw something on the news last night about a Newburyport (MA) teenager who stood on a streetcorner in the main square with a tin can and a sign.... and raised $11,000.

So maybe you don't need to sell anything at all.

Why not call the Red Cross or some other charity capable of global relief and ask if they need someone to stump for them?
posted by Miko at 10:28 AM on January 4, 2005

We're having a pancake breakfast @ work. All donations going to the Red Cross.
posted by xena at 10:29 AM on January 4, 2005

Miko, if you come across a pointer to this story (I can't find it in Google News), I'd much appreciate your passing it along. A teenager of my acquaintance has been fretting about wanting to help but having no money to do so.
posted by bac at 10:44 AM on January 4, 2005

5$ handjobs
posted by skwm at 11:17 AM on January 4, 2005

Friends are having a poker night. $10 donation to relief efforts, $10 in for the game.
posted by Alt F4 at 11:53 AM on January 4, 2005

I've heard talk of a giant musical-chairs game at a local univeristy. The chairs will be set up around the running track, a local dj provides the music, and prizes are donated from local stores and restaurants. Entry fee of $10 or so, proceeds go to the Red Cross. Seems like a cool idea.
posted by bonheur at 12:07 PM on January 4, 2005

I've looked for a source for my story, and I'm frustrated that I can't find it. And I'm very big on citing your source! I saw it on local TV news last night. Can't remember the station name or channel number because I just moved here and it's all still confusing to me. Very impressive story though, and a cool-looking long-haired high school kid. I'll see if I can retrace my viewing steps (if only TV had a 'history' function...)
posted by Miko at 2:25 PM on January 4, 2005

I have a $50 Amazon gift certificate that I was hoping to donate through their One Click system last week but only payment through credit cards are acceptable. Being out of work this is my best option and posting an offer to trade/sell it on my blog hasn't brought a single response.

So if any of the rest of you are going to buy something on Amazon anyway, let me know (preferably via email to bill at my username.com) if you want to make this work.
posted by billsaysthis at 3:42 PM on January 4, 2005

The Tightwad Gazette book has an article with ideas for frugal fundraising. Some ideas were white elephant auctions, potluck or spaghetti dinners, group yard sales, car washes, and coin-collecting (students bringing in pennies to fill a big jar, then applying the money to the cause).

The easiest one was to send out "invitations to an event that you don't have to attend", with levels of donation marked on the card, and pointing out that by not spending any money on food/drink, decorations, or entertainment at a fundraising party, all the money will go straight to whatever you're fundraising for. (A similar idea suggested taping a tea bag to the invite and saying "have a cup of tea on us instead of attending an overpriced fundraising party".) The reader that submitted the idea said they raised more money for their Humane Society with this solicitation than anything else they'd tried before.
posted by Melinika at 8:04 PM on January 4, 2005

I recently went to an amazing event that might fall under the category 'white elephant auction'. It's an occasional auction thrown by an artists' collective to raise money when someone has a medical emergency, tight financial spot, or other money problem.

An open invitation went out by e-mail, passed from members to friends to distant acquaintances. The rule was, you had to bring something to the auction to donate; but it could be anything - "think high-end garage sale", the flyer said. What it meant was that people went around their houses and chose cool objects, books, furniture, and art to donate. Things you'd get rid of eventually anyway. Others brought no auction objects, but brought potluck food and booze instead. So it was like a big party, hors d-oevres, drinks, the works.

A local community-theatre guy who was quite funny was hired to be auctioneer. His schtick was mercilessly making fun of everyone's offerings, so there was high entertainment value to this event as well.

Because it was a good cause, people were generous. This auction raised thousands, and everyone went away happy and having had a good time. I donated a 6-cup-and-saucer demitasse set that I think I got at TJ Maxx for $8 and never used; in the auction it went for $35. Other items people donated were skills (massage, photography), original art (since many attendees were artists themselves), and nice opporunities (restaurant gift certificates, weekends at a lake house, etc). One of the most fun and productive fundraisers I've ever been to. Kind of a 'Stone Soup' thing.
posted by Miko at 8:22 AM on January 5, 2005