by Dan H.
Member since:
August 9, 2007

Fundraising Ideas?

February 19, 2008 10:22 AM EST
views: 407 | comments: 37

The cost of sheet music for a bunch of medical students seems to be slightly prohibitive currently, so I'm wondering if any of you have any quick and easy fundraising ideas that could be put to use at school simply to help us raise about $200 at most. Any ideas? Many med students are pretty pressed for cash already. I would appreciate your thoughts.

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Comments: 37

Bridget ♥ Feb 19, 2008, 10:27am EST
In December I had a fundraiser to help my brother with medical expenses. He fell off a roof and borke both legs and both ankles. Here's what I did...

I put together 3 different "gift baskets" full of brand new items, all of which I already have because I shop clearance sales!

One was geared towards adults, 1 towards kids and one bath and body basket. !st place was the most expensive basket, then 2nd place and then 3rd.

We sold raffle tickets for 3 weeks: $1 each of 6 for $5

And we raised $888!
juley g. Feb 19, 2008, 10:29am EST
That is great Bridget!
Bridget's was wonderful.. also you can often get local biz's that DO biz' with those students to DONATE gift certificates and other items for the raffle.
Kimberly Ripley Feb 19, 2008, 10:39am EST
I would do something silly, like print up some posters saying "Med Students Will Sing for Their Supper" or some other silly play on words....then identify the students and ask for donations. Each student has to sing a short line from something pertaining to this sheet music in order to recieve the donation.
J. G. Weddle Feb 19, 2008, 10:39am EST
50/50 raffle. The only cost is the tickets, which you can make. Sell 400 tickets for a dollar each, pick a winner and give them $200.(wallah)
Joseph H. Feb 19, 2008, 10:40am EST
I'd say have a concert, but you'd need sheet music.
Kathleen**Hair is my LIFE!*** K. Feb 19, 2008, 10:40am EST
Find a direct sales person who makes a hefty profit (Mary kay consultants make 50%) and ask them to gather simple items all would use and see if she would give you 25% of her profits. That's my idea!
Joseph H. Feb 19, 2008, 10:40am EST
You could have the concert without sheet music, but people might want their money back.
Rob Appell Feb 19, 2008, 10:47am EST
Have them go out in the streets and ask for it. If each one of them asked for their own, you'd have your goal in no time. The piece I wrote a little while back on panhandling proves it can be done. Ask enough people, and eventually, you'll run across some who will give it to you simply because you asked.
Maybe do something for Easter coming up-sell plastic eggs to students with candy inside or try a bowling night where you charge like 10 bucks to bowl 3 games and have a 50/50 drawing-most bowling alleys will work with you on that. You could also try a McDonalds day for lunch where you sell cheeseburgers at lunchtime.
Kylee S. Feb 19, 2008, 10:54am EST
All I can thing of is the common tag sale, car wash or book sale. If you want, I would charge by donation and not a specific price. A few weeks ago I went to a library book sale in which the price of all the items were by donation. Many library booksales charge $.50 for softcover and $1.00 for hardcover. I purchased a book of postcards for one dollar. From my experience with fundraisers, I think that people will give more if it is by donation.
Chris E. Feb 19, 2008, 10:57am EST
Car washes are quick money. Although I don't know what the weather is like where you are so that may not even be an option.
Amber D. Feb 19, 2008, 11:02am EST
bake sales? Sometimes you can get local bars or resturaunts to sponser things like that..more people come out and they charge like a 5 dollar cover which you get to keep, they get extra people to come out (hopefully) and they get to be like well we did something good.
Cindy K. Feb 19, 2008, 11:38am EST
We're doing a Tricky Tray to raise money for Head Start in the spring, but that is a big production. We've done what Bridget did, in the past, and it's always done well. That's why we stepped it up this year, to a full fledged Tricky Tray. Being a non-profit organization enables us to get donations from tons of businesses.
For you, being a for-profit group of students, Bridget's idea or a tag sale would be a good idea. The candy bars or lollipops would be great, too, if you don't have to be a non-profit to participate. Good luck!
Heather J. Feb 19, 2008, 11:39am EST
These are some great ideas. Also maybe, if you have somewhere to have it because space could be a problem, have a rummage sale.
Sharon P. Feb 19, 2008, 1:32pm EST
We use yard sales to raise funds for both cancer & Concern for Animals. We get lots more then $200. Just stuff people donate mostly.
Nancy 67 Feb 19, 2008, 1:47pm EST
I am clueless at fund-raising, Dan, but I like Angela's idea (but I'll bet your girlfriend won't like that idea at all)! ;-D
Nancy S. Feb 19, 2008, 2:22pm EST
Dan, you can get some sheet music online for free. If you founf what you wanted you just have to print it off.
Kelly M. Feb 19, 2008, 4:16pm EST
We have sold candy and cookie dough and had car washes for fund raisers.
B F. Feb 19, 2008, 8:34pm EST
Ask a local church to allow you to do a pancake breakfast fundraiser or something like that and split the proceeds with the church... There is one pancake mix company that will match your profits dollar for dollar (saw it on the package once)... Okay ran to the kitchen, it's not on the box now, but their website is PioneerBrands.com if you want to look into it further...
B F. Feb 19, 2008, 8:35pm EST
You could always auction each other off... Who wouldn't want to pay to date a med student?!?!?! I'm married and I'd be in!!! LOL
Angie O. Feb 19, 2008, 10:12pm EST
Collect outside of banks and supermarkets; usually folks will give. A bake sale is always good also.
Charli Mills Feb 19, 2008, 10:16pm EST
In MN groups can serve a pancake breakfast at Applebees.
holly s. Feb 19, 2008, 10:34pm EST
Gather donations from anyone and have a silent auction. That is all I can think of. Looks like there are allot of great ideas here already.
Patricia J. Feb 20, 2008, 12:09am EST
I think the 50 50 raffle sounds like your best bet. Just make up the tickets and sell them for 1 dollar each then you can give the winner half and you have your money.
Emma L. Feb 20, 2008, 1:15am EST
Things we did in the high school choir t raise money: sell candy (see's or helen grace), carwashes, junk sales, go to tv productions, sell magazines, sell those stupid entertainment books. Candy is the best bet- I think they give 50 cents on the dollar, and it would probably be easy to sell on a college campus.
Erin P. Feb 20, 2008, 9:20am EST
Some restaurants now offer fundraisers where you hand out flyers that people turn in when they pay their bills and then you make 20% off of all the meals purchased with one of those flyers that night. There's some PR to do, but our kids' school did one and someone stood out front and asked people to turn in a flyer with their checks. Worked really well. Think we earned about $800 with that one.
Jessica I. Feb 20, 2008, 10:04am EST
Offer Babysitting Services around the local area. Car wash (if it's warmer)? I like the idea of auction off college students as dates.
Kitty Lone Hawk Feb 20, 2008, 5:04pm EST
Hope it's not too late but I held a fund raiser once to help with the funds to locate a missing child....what I did worked for him but may not work for you...I contacted a button maker and begged him to donate to the cause his buttons and had the face and phone number to all police printed on them and sold them for $1.00 a piece most gave more but it worked.....maybe you could do the same but think of something "catchy" to do with your studies or medicine and go that route???? Good luck.
Kitty Lone Hawk Feb 20, 2008, 5:06pm EST
A friend of mine held one once to assist a family of a little girl that died of cancer with the funeral expenses and she asked every single person famous or not that she could think of to donate an article autographed or gift certificates etc....and she got tons from all over the states and raised enough to even fly the girls beloved aunt to the funeral......maybe you could do that too. Ask for items to auction off.
Austin Cushing Feb 21, 2008, 7:34pm EST
This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least five votes and over 8.0 average rating, and as such has been removed from Rating Resurrectionists! Congratulations!
Cheryl R. Mar 23, 2008, 9:58pm EDT
Wow, did you get some great ideas.
Beth - Doing God's work Daily J. Mar 27, 2008, 11:38am EDT
Great ideas..thanks for sharing
Alex In Wonderland Jul 15, 2008, 2:33pm EDT
I do restaurants for our school. Each one has different policies in regards to how much they donate or whether they require tickets. It is really easy!
Clark K. Aug 21, 2008, 3:22am EDT
Auctioning services or talents of students or local community members is another brilliant way to raise funds for your school. Come up with a list of participants and the corresponding talents that they have or services that they would render and organize an auction night. For example, a student can donate a six-hour babysitting service to the school for free. The school will auction this service off to the highest bidder and will earn the cost of the bid.

Here are some fundraising products to help you raise money.

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