Looking for $ Saving & Fundraising Ideas....Please Help???

[collins0616]

Looking for Money Saving ideas and Fundrasing Ideas to get 23 Girl Scouts to WDW in May.

Any ideas & suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Samantha

 

[PaulaSue]

Here our Giant grocery stores sell gift cards to groups as fundraisers. They cost us nothing extra and the group gets a straight percent for the cause. Our Church and a friend's school does this. I beielve they make $25 for every $500 sold. Adds up quick, IMO on what I spend a month as the store...

 

[nilseks]

My son's baseball team has been doing online football pools (squares) to raise $$$. I supposed technically that may be illegal in some states, but it is not in ours. Super easy, we just set up the pool and then everyone sends out the email to all their friends and family members. We charge $10/square and we split the pot--so the team makes $500 with every pool.

 

[collins0616]

I have been toying around with the idea of a Poker Run/Bike Ride along with a dinner and maybe auction or something of that effect. A full day event. Any thoughts on something like this?

 

[21yankees]

My odd's troop is working towards a trip to San Francisco this coming spring. So far they've had a bake sale (parents/girls donated items) and collecting cans/bottles.

Another troop contacted a local restaurant. The troop handed out flyers to bring to the restaurant for a certain date/timeframe. When the customer(s) presented the flyer the restuarant donated 20% of the bill to the troop.

 

[Marionnette]

I have been toying around with the idea of a Poker Run/Bike Ride along with a dinner and maybe auction or something of that effect. A full day event. Any thoughts on something like this?

I think that you would need to run it past your council. It sounds like a fun way to raise money but our council is very strict about what the girls can and cannot do while operating under the Girl Scout name.

 

[Sagginit]

when i was in HS the big fundraiser for one of our clubs was a dinner/silent auction. it would take time for them to organize but they always ended up with great donations, thus lots of bids. since its right after xmas if you mobilize quickly you could do a holiday re-gift auction. ask people to donate those items they don't want and group together to make baskets (all candles together, all bath items together, dvds together with some popcorn for movie night).

 

[undertheradar]

Don't you need to submit a plan to your local council to be able to do this? Your plan must include how you are paying for your trip. Looking at the ages involved, it would be surprising if your council allowed such a trip with the young ages involved.

 

[crisi]

My odd's troop is working towards a trip to San Francisco this coming spring. So far they've had a bake sale (parents/girls donated items) and collecting cans/bottles.

Another troop contacted a local restaurant. The troop handed out flyers to bring to the restaurant for a certain date/timeframe. When the customer(s) presented the flyer the restuarant donated 20% of the bill to the troop.

That one wouldn't fly in our council. You can't drive business to a for profit operation. My guess is the Giant gift cards wouldn't work either. And any food sale has to meet all State food standards. That makes it tough.

Car washes, leaf raking, dog walking. One of the troops around here has done regular big "badge" events - they held a chocolate badge day last year that sold out and made them over $1000.

 

[DreamLiveLoveDisney]

Just sent you a pm

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

GS is tricky, as I am a Leader also.

You are not allowed to sell, promote, solicite commercail products or host product parties for profit.

You are allowed to do things that the GIRLS themselves actually plan and run.

Depending on your council, usually there are limits as to what you can charge for profit. They want a serious plan with detailed specifics as to why you need the money, exactly what you are going to use it for, what are the girls going to learn ( planning, budgeting, marketing, leadership?) what part of a Journey/badge does the proposed plan benifit ?

Between now and May is pretty short time frame.

Are you looking for earning the full amount between now and then. Or just to fill in the gap ?

Things that come to mind :

Father Daughter Sweetheart dance. We just did a Father/daugher WinterWonderland Dance. We were allowed to charge a max of $5 per person. We provided snacks and refreshments. We purchased a cheap backdrop from Party City for $5 and had a picture taken of each dad/daughter. Prints were 9 cents each. We had 180 people attend. People paid in advance. We had about 3 couples show up at the door who wanted to attend, so they paid cash, which was fine.

Pancake Breakfast. Sell tickets in advance $5 aduts, $3 kids. We did a serving of 3 large pancakes for adults and 3 reg pancakes for kids, a side of breakfast sausage, OJ, milk, tea, etc. We sold over 120 tickets but only 50 some ppl showed up. We made over $500 for a few hours work. Some areas let you do things like this at Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday's/ Fatz Cafe. Our applebees lets you have a car wash in the parking lot at the same time.

Host a clinic/seminar. Look at requirements for younger girls badges. Have your girls host an event/ activity day for them to earn some of their requirements.

Paying in advance is the best way when you do any activity. When you apply for your fundraisers to council, make sure you let them know participants are paying in advance, this signigantly reduces your financial risk as your troop is paying nothing out of pocket up front .

 

[collins0616]

Our girls are only allowed 2 fundraisers per year. This would be our moms organizing and raising funds & donating the money to the troop.

 

[undertheradar]

Have you checked with your council to see the requirements to undertake a trip of this magnitude? There are a lot of restrictions when it comes to out of state travel for troops.

 

[karibritt01]

Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see the age of your girls. What about a babysitting night? NYE would have been great, but too late notice at this point. But maybe Valentine's Day? You could also organize a huge yardsale for the spring. A pancake breakfast or spaghetti dinner go over big in our area, too.

Have you applied for Wider Ops? That provides a little money per girl for the troop. Then you can turn around and apply for scholarship funds for the girls to offset some of the cost.

As for out-of-state travel... we are a NC based troop. We have traveled to SC and VA without any issue. We are currently planning a May trip to visit Dollywood in TN.

 

[undertheradar]

From some other Disboards threads, girls are in range from k-5. Some other threads are looking for inexpensive housing for the group, an inexpensive or cost efficient character meal or 2, along with fundraising ideas.

 

[brymolmom]

Personally, for my own dd's troop or if I was going to participate/contribute toward another troop's fundraising for something that is just a very expensive and for fun field trip, it would have to be something that the girls actually do the work to get paid for. So, for example, a raffle where the parents solicit all the gifts and the girls just walk around with tickets isn't real 'work', IMO - so I wouldn't contribute. However, if it was for an actual charity that was going to help people in need - I would do that. For just for fun things - it has to be actual work - like raking leaves or shoveling driveways. Obviously a trip to WDW is going to be fun (yes - you'll likely throw one or two things in there that are supposed to be educational, but it is fun) - so I think the real 'lesson' that a girl scout should be learning for this to happen is how to work hard to earn/save for things that you want to do.

Think about it - many, many people can't afford WDW trips...but have to work hard, put in extra hours and just get good and tired to try to save for it. Just because they're girl scouts doesn't make them any different than these folks.

Good luck.

 

[PaulaSue]

That one wouldn't fly in our council. You can't drive business to a for profit operation. My guess is the Giant gift cards wouldn't work either. And any food sale has to meet all State food standards. That makes it tough.

Car washes, leaf raking, dog walking. One of the troops around here has done regular big "badge" events - they held a chocolate badge day last year that sold out and made them over $1000.

Giant is one of the biggest Grocery stores here in PA. It is known as Martins in MD.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Our girls are only allowed 2 fundraisers per year. This would be our moms organizing and raising funds & donating the money to the troop.

I see, this is different.

You need to be careful that you go about any fundraisers without breaking any of the rules.

For example : If you are going to do a pancake fundraiser, your tickets/flyer should NOT say Troop xxx, it should be worded very carefully.

It should say something more like Pancake breakfast is being sponsored by Parents of local youth organization, all proceeds will be donated to the group.

If this is the direction you have to go, I would advise you to be very careful using the Girl Scout name sake for any of the activities.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

So Im guessing the girls' parents are NOT paying? Or what percentage are they paying? Maybe plan it for NEXT May so the parents could help with a portion of it. Or if you want to go this may explain that they need to pay for a portion and they can make payments. THat way the girls as a troop dont have to come up with alot of money.

I do like the idea of a pancake breakfast. The Valentines day thing would be better if all the girls were older. Maybe a Carwash in the spring or a yardsale

 

[Marionnette]

So Im guessing the girls' parents are NOT paying? Or what percentage are they paying? Maybe plan it for NEXT May so the parents could help with a portion of it. Or if you want to go this may explain that they need to pay for a portion and they can make payments. THat way the girls as a troop dont have to come up with alot of money.

I do like the idea of a pancake breakfast. The Valentines day thing would be better if all the girls were older. Maybe a Carwash in the spring or a yardsale

There is a Girl Scout event being held at Disney in May 2012. I'm guessing that the OP's troop is hoping to be at it. So scheduling the trip for 2013 is not an option.

And the OP stated that the parents will be doing the fundraising and donating the proceeds to the troop. But I would still caution her about this. Our council would like nothing better than to get their hands on a large portion of any cash donations made to a troop. It sounds like she's trying to work around the "2 fundraiser" rule. That could come back to blow up in her face.