Thursday, March 14, 2013

Fundraising Tip – Engage local businesses!


Is there a café, bakery, grocer or other local business that you visit frequently? Why not ask them to get involved in your fundraising? Here are a few ways local businesses can help you raise money!

•    Request prize donations. Having a trivia night, sports tournament or photo contest to raise money? Ask a local business to donate a product or service you can use as a prize in exchange for handing out their business cards or mentioning their name at your event. This helps raise their profile in the community while giving your contest a bit of extra flare!

•    Hold a silent auction. If you can get enough in-kind donations from local businesses, consider holding a silent auction. Set up a table at your workplace, school, place of worship or community centre where people can write down bids for the various products and services donated by local businesses – all the proceeds with go to your Mandarin MS Walk fundraising.

•    Set up a donation box. Ask if you can set up a donation box on the front counter at a local business. This is an easy way to reach a wide audience and collect a lot of extra money. Make sure it includes a sign that states the money is going towards Mandarin MS Walk and a short description of what the event is about. Ask the store owner or cashier to mention it to customers.

•    Approach businesses that carry the type of supplies you need for events. Holding a bake sale? Perhaps the local bakery would be interested in donating something. Throwing a karaoke party? The karaoke machine rental business might give you a discount if you tell them it’s for a charity fundraiser! Let the business owners know that you’ll acknowledge their generosity at your event.

•    Ask for pledges. If you’re a regular customer at a local store or business, don’t be afraid to ask the store owner or employees for donations!

Do you have any tips or success stories about fundraising with the help of local businesses? Share them on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

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