Fundraising Ideas... help needed

[hippyhoppy]

My daughter is planning a gap year in Chile after her A levels next year, has joined a group called Project Trust and is currently freezing her bits off on a tiny island in Scotland for her selection week.

However, she has to raise funds to support her for a year and needs to have £5,000 by next summer... I KNOW *thud*.

So any ideas for fundraising, begging from benevolent companies or just looting (as seems to be popular at the mo!) .. ok, that last one was a rather poor joke...

[sallybb]

Thats a lot of money, . How about auctioning her services. She could walk dogs, clean houses, wash cars, babysit etc, by auctioning these activities she should get more money than just doing jobs for payment. We often see teenagers simply asking for funds for similar trips in our local monthly magazine, they dont get a very positive response. Its very difficult to get the public to give away money. I think people are more positive if they see the reciprient actually doing something to raise funds. But If she decides to loot , make sure she loots from the looters. ;o)

[didoatwork]

Could she and her friends do a "bag pack" in Asda, Morrisons or wherever. Round here they raise loads of money in one afternoon that way.

[boxtops]

That's a good idea - here, our Air Cadets do bag packing for funds, it's very good for fundraising,but you have to agree it with the supermarket well in advance.

[hippyhoppy]

Thanks for your answers.. her dad suggested a BBQ.. who on earth is going to pay for a cremated burger and a flat beer.. Anyhoo.. she's got a few months and part of this week's selection is a fundraising ideas workshop so she might come back full of ideas.. she's quite resourceful.. (ps the looting quip was a joke.. don't want to upset anyone!!)

[granny grump]

How about a quiz hippyhoppy - I'd buy one - good luck to your daughter

[bednobs]

isn't it a bit like asking people to fund a holiday for you though? WOuldn't she be better off just getting a job to fundraise?

[Maydup]

Its always more difficult to raise money when you're not an official charity. People wonder what will happen to the money if she changes her mind about going and how can they ensure its spent on the trip.

Its much better to try to "earn" it. I'd rather pay her to wash my car for example than put a couple of quid in a collection bucket.

Continuing along the supermarket theme, how about she asks them hem if she could hand wash cars in their car park while the shoppers shop? I think £5 per car is the going rate.

Another idea is to have a clear out of her childhood things and sell them at a boot fair or on eBay. She might get a few donations of items for friends and relatives too.

And as you say, it is worth writing to local businesses as many of them have budgets to support young people and the community. Writing to 100 business for £100 each could bring in up to 10% return which is £1,000. Very easy money if you can get it!

[hippyhoppy]

Humm..bednobs.. I thought that... but apparently they have to prove they can raise the funds themselves and not depend on demented old grandpa to give them the money.. But I suppose if she earns through work then that's her 'raising the money'.. it's all a bit oblique

[hippyhoppy]

Maidup - I concurr.. I think I will know more when she gets back.. what's acceptable (ie donations, working, fundraising).. thank's for you input everyone.. anyone fancy a cremated burger for £1...?! lol

[beejay1124]

would a year in Scotland(eg) not work out a bit cheaper?

[boxtops]

Has she got anything she doesn't use any more, that she can sell on eBay - or go to car boots and charity shops where you can get things for a few pence, and resell? Lots of people do that to raise money for living, let alone for a big trip like this.

[hippyhoppy]

lol - Bear.. I could always send her to Norn Iron.. but would she be able to teach English to all the little Chileans nestled there?

[boxtops]

Does it have to be Chile? There are a lot of people much nearer to home who could do with support with English lessons, you can teach TEFL here at home.

[hippyhoppy]

Boxy.. you're a font of all knowledge! I'm sure that bio hazard of a bedroom must be full of stuff she doesn't need.. prepare for my 'how does e-bay work for sellers' in the next couple of days...

[boxtops]

Happy to help, hippy - we are clearing out loads of my years of junk-gathering by listing it on eBay, it doesn't all sell but a surprising amount does (my greatest achievement was selling a gold plastic elephant for 75p, I listed it for a laugh!) - we use the funds raised for our holiday spending money.

[bednobs]

75p to take on holiday - wow!

[boxtops]

LOL bednobs, I just knew that someone would say that, I saw it after I'd posted it. Last of the big spenders, moi!