Fundraising Tips

There are several factors that make a fundraiser successful. The most significant factor is the cause you are supporting. Communicating to your participants how their support will benefit others will go a long way to making your event successful. Be aware of the following information as you plan your BMO Hockey Heroes Weekend fundraiser:

- Where will the money go?

- Who will the money help?

- What is MY motivation for doing this?

- Who do I know that has benefited from the Heart and Stroke Foundation?

Before you begin planning your event you will want to consider some of the following:

Risk- If you are renting a location or buying items you may want to pre-sell tickets to ensure your costs are covered. Things like rain and snow can ruin an event.

Attendance- The old saying "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush" has never been more accurate than with fundraisers. Get people to buy tickets in advance showing they are committed to attending. Many times people get busy or something comes up. If they pay and don't show you have not lost money.

Timing- Know when and where to have your event. If you're not sure, ask around for some opinions. Make sure there is not a similar event going on at the same time or another fundraiser that may take part of your prospective attendees.

Legal- Raffles and draws usually require a permit. This is your responsibility to obtain through Service NS. Most of them are free for smaller items and minimal fee for larger items. You will also want to be sure you are covered for liability insurance. Please contact your Heart and Stroke office if you have any questions.

Step 2: Choose your fundraiser.

Here are some popular fundraising ideas:

We've probably all bought or sold tickets for a 50/50 draw and know how it works. Half the money goes to the winner and half to the cause. The most common amounts would be $2 per ticket or 3 for $5. You can also try to put some interesting twists by including prizes for 2^nd and 3^rd place, selling an "arm's length" of tickets for $10 or anything else fun to generate interest

Live and silent auctions are all popular fundraisers. A live auctioneer always generates fun and excitement. Have a viewing time for people to see what they are bidding on them get everyone in a room and let the fun begin. Silent auctions might be better in a quieter environment like around the office or at an event. Put out a sheet for each item which allows people to bid on that item. Set a cut off time and have a final countdown to help drive up the bidding amounts. Here are a few ideas of things that might garner a good bid:

Auction off a prime parking space at work
Auction off a half or whole day off from work
Gift certificates, services or items that can be donated from local businesses.

Your local gas station is probably equipped with an outdoor water tap that will suit your needs. Get their permission to have a carwash on a weekend and all you need to do is show up with supplies and man power... A little event promotion would help too!

Most office environments are doing "casual Fridays". But how many are paying a fair price for this? Most offices have stopped collecting or don't bother collecting the loonie or toonie. Check with your employer about this and be sure to make people pay for dressing down.

There are a lot of options of when and where to have a barbeque. Stores like M&M Meat Shops can often help provide product, tents and supplies to help make things easy. Also, you could try your local grocery store or hardware store for a possible location and support for a barbecue...

Grab a couple electric frying pans and whip up a batch of pancakes for the office some morning. Selling a breakfast is a great way to raise some funds and build office moral. Remember that you can always provide some fruit add-ons to keep it heart healthy. To maximize profit, invite neighboring offices, clients and friends to drop in and support.

Booking tables at malls, drug stores and any high traffic area can help you raise money. By getting a great prize or package of prizes donated you can generate interest. The key to success with this event is to have people who can sell tickets and are not shy about approaching people!

Similar to the pancake breakfast above, but making spaghetti for lunch. Pre-selling tickets will help eliminate waste and maximize profits!

Everyone has a competitive streak in them. Tap into that and get people out for a one day fundraiser. Charge people an entry fee and have a 50/50 draw as well as a silent auction going on. Be sure to give out prizes for "the most honest score".

Wine consumption has never been more popular than it is right now. People are also interested in learning about different wine but don't want to shell out $30-$100 to try a bottle of wine. To help people broaden their knowledge you can ask a sommelier to come in to your home or other location with a variety of high end wine. Then charge your friends appropriately to cover the cost and raise some funds. They get to experience several different wines and you make some money. Also consider a wine store as a possible host location since the have the people, product and knowledge to make this easy for you.

Gather up all you unwanted items and put together a yard sale. This is great to do as a group with several tables. Saturday mornings are the prime yard sale time, so get things priced up and ready to go! Also keep in mind that selling used goods online can be an effective fundraiser as well. Be sure to tell everyone where the money is going! Maybe that will get them to dig a little deeper.

Step 3: Build your event

Getting your BMO Hockey Heroes Weekend team to help out with the fundraiser will be important. Delegating tasks to each member of the team shares the workload. Some roles can be: logistics and event setup; ticket sales; promotion; donations; etc...

Now you simply need to choose your date and location. Keep in mind your considerations from Step 1.

Step 4: Execute your event

Whether it's a simple 50/50 draw or a large scale event you are executing, get everyone to help out. You have put in a lot of effort so be sure to maximize the dollars you raise.

Step 5:

Collect and turn in your funds. Your team captain will know who to contact to make arrangements. It is recommended that you prepare a bank draft or cheque for cash that was turned in and have all cheques made payable to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick.

Thanks and recognize all those who have contributed to the success of your fundraiser (volunteers, donors, participants, etc).