Fundraising for kid trip?

[CowboyCO]

Our son is eligible to go on a tour with the local children's chorale to South Africa in June 2011, but the cost is $4,500.

We already pay about $1,500 year in tuition for the chorale and there is no way that we could bankroll that kind of trip. We could take the whole family to Disney for 10 days for that much $$$.

So we would have to raise money for the trip. They do a holiday sale fundraiser where they sell coffee, wreaths and poinsettias, but that is their busiest time of year with rehearsals and performance (this group does 60+ performances a year and practices at least two days a week. We've never found more than 4 or 5 days to go out and sell, and we might have raised $200-300 in the past through that.

They recommend a letter campaign, but I hate the thought of asking anyone, including family to pitch in on something for our child...

He is 11 and is very willing to do things, but he'd have to average $450 month starting NOW to raise enough money. We could probably kick in some over the year, up to $1,000, but that is a big bite.

Mowing lawns is out. We live in the mountains of Colorado, don't own a lawnmower and there are not many lawns and besides- winter is fast approaching and any grass will die by late September, early October. He could do some light snow shoveling (he only weighs about 68 lbs), but we really don't get that much snow until March/April. Does anybody have any ideas for some good fundraisers they have done in the past? This would not a be a group effort other than our family.

 

[dsilva51]

Our HS always has the kids bag groceries for tips for their fund raiser. You may want to get with the other parents and set up some of those. They always bring in a good amount of money.

My daughter just went to Las Vegas for a dance compt. so I'm trying to remember what we did, we did raise over $10,000 for the whole team in about 9 months.

We held 50/50's which brought in a few $100. Some one donated a $100 gift card to target and we sold tickets for $1.00 each for a chance to win.

If you have a 5 below, they do fundraising nights and give 20% of their profits for anyone who shows up for your organization.

Most chain restaurants will do a fundraising night for the group.

I know we made about $2,400 selling candy bars.

Hope that helps. It's ALOT of work. But good luck!

 

[CowboyCO]

Our HS always has the kids bag groceries for tips for their fund raiser. You may want to get with the other parents and set up some of those. They always bring in a good amount of money.

My daughter just went to Las Vegas for a dance compt. so I'm trying to remember what we did, we did raise over $10,000 for the whole team in about 9 months.

We held 50/50's which brought in a few $100. Some one donated a $100 gift card to target and we sold tickets for $1.00 each for a chance to win.

If you have a 5 below, they do fundraising nights and give 20% of their profits for anyone who shows up for your organization.

Most chain restaurants will do a fundraising night for the group.

I know we made about $2,400 selling candy bars.

Hope that helps. It's ALOT of work. But good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions. The big fundraiser for the group is the christmas sale, but the first $200 goes to the organization and then the kids get 50% of everything over that. We also donate a saturday a month of our time to go work bingo to raise money as well, so that knocks one saturday out a month as well.

We're just very concerned about raising that kind of dough in just 10 months. Doesn't bagging groceries take away an employment opportunity for a bagger?

 

[lovesmurfs]

Our son is elegible to go on a tour with the local children's chorale to South Africa in June 2011, but the cost is $4,500.

We already pay about $1,500 year in tuition for the chorale and there is no way that we could bankroll that kind of trip. We could take the whole family to Disney for 10 days for that much $$$.

So we would have to raise money for the trip. They do a holiday sale fundraiser where they sell coffee, wreaths and poinsettias, but that is their busiest time of year with rehearsals and performance (this group does 60+ performances a year and practices at least two days a week. We've never found more than 4 or 5 days to go out and sell, and we might have raised $200-300 in the past through that.

They recommend a letter campaign, but I hate the thought of asking anyone, including family to pitch in on something for our child...

He is 11 and is very willing to do things, but he'd have to average $450 month starting NOW to raise enough money. We could probably kick in some over the year, up to $1,000, but that is a big bite.

Mowing lawns is out. We live in the mountains of Colorado, don't own a lawnmower and there are not many lawns and besides- winter is fast approaching and any grass will die by late September, early October. He could do some light snow shoveling (he only weighs about 68 lbs), but we really don't get that much snow until March/April. Does anybody have any ideas for some good fundraisers they have done in the past? This would not a be a group effort other than our family.

I've had a number of requests from family members and kids' friends for money for things like this and for church missions trips. I would definitely not remove that from the realm of possibilities. The address to mail the money has always been the organization, rather than directly back to the child. At the very least, if your DS wants it (and makes your family aware of it), perhaps any gift he gets for the next year is money rather than a "thing". He'll need to be focused and quite mercenary for the next 10 months.

A family at church was selling candy bars (at $1 each -- they kept $0.50 of each, I believe). One of the kids (he was 11) just had a box everywhere he went for about 6 months!

Dog walking? Pooperscooping? Babysitting? (you can get certified to babysit at age 11 through the American Red Cross) How about helping someone with spring cleaning or other odd jobs? Car washing? Pet sitting?

Best wishes!

 

[cluvsdisney]

What about a garage/yard sale?

Can you make & sell things at craft fairs or church sales?

Start a change jar.

 

[CowboyCO]

I've had a number of requests from family members and kids' friends for money for things like this and for church missions trips. I would definitely not remove that from the realm of possibilities. The address to mail the money has always been the organization, rather than directly back to the child. At the very least, if your DS wants it (and makes your family aware of it), perhaps any gift he gets for the next year is money rather than a "thing". He'll need to be focused and quite mercenary for the next 10 months.

A family at church was selling candy bars (at $1 each -- they kept $0.50 of each, I believe). One of the kids (he was 11) just had a box everywhere he went for about 6 months!

Dog walking? Pooperscooping? Babysitting? (you can get certified to babysit at age 11 through the American Red Cross) How about helping someone with spring cleaning or other odd jobs? Car washing? Pet sitting?

Best wishes!

I hadn't thought about babysitting. I know we pay through the nose for that. LOL!! DS does love little kids and says he wants to be a preschool teacher... We'll have to look into the certification - thanks! Dog sitting/walking would be possible also, as long as they are not too big. Car washing is tough because of our climate (8,500 feet in elevation). Thanks for the suggestions -- keep them coming!

 

[CowboyCO]

What about a garage/yard sale?

Can you make & sell things at craft fairs or church sales?

Start a change jar.

We could definitely do a garage sale. We've donated many, many things to Goodwill over the last winter, but with growing kids, I'm sure there is always stuff to do a sale.

 

[CowboyCO]

I saw another thread where somebody mentioned selling books on Amazon. We generally donate all our books to the library, but I never thought of selling them. We literally have thousands of books - kid and adult. Anybody ever done this? What is the likelyhood of actually selling them?

 

[dsilva51]

WE don't have baggers in NJ. We have to do it ourselves. Do you have baggers? You lucky duck!

But we don't pump our gas. LOL

 

[CowboyCO]

WE don't have baggers in NJ. We have to do it ourselves. Do you have baggers? You lucky duck!

But we don't pump our gas. LOL

Our Safeway where we shop does have baggers most of the time. I rarely shop at Wal-mart, but I know the checkers do it on the bag carousel themselves...

 

[a_sailor's_wife]

Oops! Double post more suggestions below.

 

[a_sailor's_wife]

A garage sale is a great way to earn a little extra money. If you do not like the idea of sending out a letter asking for donations, how about asking them to donate items to put in the garage sale instead. You'd be surprised at what people can and will give.

As another poster stated, I wouldn't give up the idea of sending out letters to family and friends. My cousin did this for years with his homeschool football association. I gladly sent him money each year as this is something that he loved to do.

I know you said that your organization only does the Christmas sale, but about some of the parents getting together and organizing a few more events to help raise money such as a bake sale or see about selling the Entertainment books.

Another idea, is to have someone in the group design a t-shirt based on the trip and presale them.

Last idea, is to have the mothers (and fathers) come together and make a cookbook out of their recipes. The entire group sell those as well.

I think your best bet is to either do a rummage sale or get together with the group and sell more items than just during Christmas.

 

[disneymom3]

I saw another thread where somebody mentioned selling books on Amazon. We generally donate all our books to the library, but I never thought of selling them. We literally have thousands of books - kid and adult. Anybody ever done this? What is the likelyhood of actually selling them?

I wouldn't want the hassle personally but have never tried it. DD raised almost a $100 in one day selling baked cinamon rolls and coffee at our garage sale. I advertised on Craig's list and sold all kids clothes for 50c each. She sold the rolls for $1 and coffee at 50c a cup. Sold like hot cakes as the saying goes.

Papa Murphy's is an easy fundraiser. They sell cards with coupon stickers on them. The org buys them for $1 and sells them for $5. They will buy back any unsold cards so it's an excellent set up.

Our group also wrapped gifts at a bookstore for tips, did a TON of car washes and sold plants in the spring.

See's candy also has pretty good fundraising and the kids make a decent profit off of it.

Would the group be open to doing a benefit concert? That is what DDs choir did a few years ago. We also had raffle tickets to sell for items that were donated. That raised a LOT of money.

 

[mjkacmom]

WE don't have baggers in NJ. We have to do it ourselves. Do you have baggers? You lucky duck!

But we don't pump our gas. LOL

Speak for yourself - our shoprite has a bagger at every aisle, about 15 - 20, plus free help if you need help getting the cart/carts back to your car. I wouldn't write letters - I get them from my nieces, and don't send money - I spend thousands on my own kids!

 

[momof1princess]

when i was in high school, my church choir did a tour each summer (we rehearsed a musical, then traveled across neighboring states performing it) and we had many fundraisers for them. i know you said a car wash was out (we did one of those one year), but we also did a spaghetti dinner (the youth choir prepared and served the food, and boxed up the to-go orders), a bbq supper (same as spaghetti dinner) and a pancake breakfast (this one was eat-in at the church fellowship hall, we did all the cooking and serving). we did babysitting as well.
the candy bar sales should go over well. i've seen the fundraising boxes of candy bars at sam's club. my DD's school has done these numerous times, and the candy bars sell like CRAZY! DH can take a full box to work, and sell the whole box before his shift even starts!
i also agree with the PPs who said not to discount the letter to friends and family-if i got one of these from my nephew, i would certainly send him as much as i could afford to. good luck!

ETA: DD's upward basketball league did a fundraising night at our local stevi b's pizza, where 50% of all proceeds from sales to anyone who came in and mentioned upward basketball went to the league.

 

[quentina]

I've partaked in MANY fundraisers....the best, by far, is the Chinesse auction.

It is alot of work. Call on every organization, restraunts, store's, casino's, movie theatres, karate, gyms, daycare etc. Get donations and set them up for a night at a local event (example would be Bingo at a neigborhood club etc). ADVERTISE! Run it over 2 or 3 events if you can. Keep tic prices cheap ($1.00 each, 6 for $5, 15 for $10.00) Most people will buy the $10.00 worth.

We did it last year and earned over $2500.00 after expenses (donation to location where event was held and tickets).

If you can get the parents involved and do themed baskets....all 8th graders would be sports, 9th music etc. Then make BIG baskets, think WOW when the kids look at them.

We got a 3 night vacation from Trump in AC......that had major movement!

 

[LuLuO]

Could the children put on a free concert and ask for donations? Maybe you could sell refreshments also. Advertise with local news and/or radio stations to bring people out? Maybe a holiday show also?

 

[cassandrap83]

Sign up for a Pepsi Refresh Project and get everyone & anyone you know to vote.

Is he 11 & going by himself with the group?

 

[Pembo]

I'm the dissenter in the group....save the $4500 and keep him home. At age 11 he won't remember this trip. What do you remember when you were that age? I went on a tour of New England with the Girl Scouts and remember very little. That $4500 will pay for ALOT when your son is older OR it would be a very nice family vacation.

 

[momejay]

I agree with the gift auction. We did one every year to benefit a disease of the aging. We made $2,000 selling craft items & auctioning prizes.
We also bought a few items from the dollar store & sold grab bags for the kids. We sold the bags for $5. Each bag had a bouncing ball, a puzzle, pens pencils, some had a doll, stuffed animal or a car.
It was easy to get a pizza from the local store, a balloon bouquet, a manicure, one free dry cleaning, a movie or free trial from the local video rental place. One of the local horsetracks donated a lunch including drinks & admission to a private box. A local party place (bouncy play things & ball pit type place with arcade games) donated a free party for 10. A deli donated a 6 foot sub!
I won a spaghetti dinner basket. It had a box or 2 of pasta, 2 kinds of sauce, jar of black olives, a box of garlic breadsticks, some cheese, a red & white checkered tablecloth, a candle, & 2 plastic wine glasses.

We had a pokeno night too. It brought in about $300 & we used craft items that didn't sell, & free movie rentals. If a child won, they got the leftover grab bags. We printed our own pokeno cards off internet & didn't need a bingo ball, just a deck of cards.

For church group...we had a candy bingo night. $5 a card & a package of candy. Some used M&Ms & skittles as markers. Winners were given the candy bars.

I hope you can team up with a few other families & make enough money. What an opportunity! Good luck!