Does your community or school have a festival, fair or carnival coming up? If so, we have some great ideas on activities your group can host for a fun day of fundraising.
Balloon Pop
Everyone loves a chance at winning prizes, so a balloon pop makes for a fun way to raise money. All you need is balloons, tape, slips of paper with printed prizes on them (make sure to place in the balloons before blowing up), a board to tape the balloons to, darts, and a cash box with at least twenty dollars in small bills and coins.
For the prizes, ask around at area business if they would like to donate small prizes you could give away. At the event, make sure to post signage up explaining Variety of Greater Kansas City’s mission and the cost to play.
Cake Walk
Cake walks are fun for the whole family, and they are easy to set up. First, ask for volunteers from your group to bake the treats. Then, secure a portable stereo and music for the walk. At the event, supply paper plates, forks and napkins for those wanting to enjoy their treats right away!
Dunk Tank
A dunk tank is a great way to raise money during warm, outdoor events. If you don’t have access to a tank through the festival organizers, it is fairly easy to rent one from an area party supply company. Once you secure the tank, make sure you have access to a water source to fill the tank and keep it topped off during the day. Also, be sure to bring lots of towels to hand out to volunteers so they can keep dry and warm.
Face Painting
Are you a little more artistic? Then hosting a face painting booth is for you! Painting kits can be bought online, at party supply stores, and even some toy stores. Once you secure your kits, you’ll want to have tables and chairs, water for cleaning brushes, wet wipes, and examples of facing painting the kids can choose from. For simple designs, you could charge a dollar or two, and for more elaborate ones you could ask for $5.
Duck Grab
One of my favorite fair games as a kid was the Duck Grab. All you need is a kiddie pool, prizes, and some rubber duckies with numbers listed on the bottom. Each number represents a prize the kids can win. Maybe just number them 1-5 to keep it easy. Since this is such a popular game, check out the dollar store or party supply stores for little give aways. Duck Grabs are fun because kids of all ages can pick a duck for a prize, and it usually only costs a dollar for a try. Everyone wins!
Variety Gold Heart Pin Sale
Another easy fundraiser is to sell the Variety Gold Heart pins. By selling them for $3 each, your group can raise money and awareness for Variety of Greater Kansas City. If you’re interested in selling the pins, contact us at varietykc@gmail.com.
Whatever type of booth or activity your group decides to host at your community event, make sure to take lots of pictures. The Catie Cares program is all about building awareness, so we want to share with others how great our ambassadors are!