THE PURPOSE
Westside CDC is building a 4-star retreat center called Jordan Ranch for the purpose of taking people away for weekend retreats to be healed and restored.
MORE ABOUT JORDAN RANCH
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Fund Raising Tips
Try these fun ideas to increase your fund-raising efforts. The more creative you are the better. Your enthusiasm will help you raise money to restore families.
Fund Raising Tips
Try these fun ideas to increase your fund-raising efforts. The more creative you are the better. Your enthusiasm will help you raise money to restore families.
- Change your answering machine to mention your participation in Run2Restore.
- Create return address labels that read: “I’m running in the Run2Restore 5k. Will you sponsor me?” Click here for the Run2Restore logo to add a graphical touch.
- Make a list of pledge donors. List the amount you’re counting on them to pledge. Click here for a printable pledge sheet!
- Hold an office bake sale. Ask friends to bake goodies so you won’t do all the baking yourself.
- Stage a silent auction. Ask stores to donate, such as $10 worth of dry cleaning, a book of five car washes, free sandwiches or drinks, or free coffee. Set minimum pledge limits. Hold the auction over the space of a week and notify the winners.
- Identify one corporate sponsor to ask for a large donation.
- Hold a garage sale. Ask friends and family to donate items.
- Ask waiters in your favorite restaurant if they will donate a percentage of one day’s tips. If you work in a restaurant, ask colleagues to donate tips to a pledge jar.
- Conduct a mow-a-thon. Get your kids involved and declare a weekend where you’ll mow your neighbor’s lawns for $50 (or whatever amount you want to set.)
- Hold a dinner party with a special theme for 10 friends. Donations could be $50 per person. Spend no more than $20 per person on food and you’ll have more than $300 in pledges.
- Hold a car wash. Ask businesses to donate items. Get your kids and their friends involved.
- Ask doctors, dentists, chiropractors, insurance agents, massage therapists, veterinarians, hair stylists, etc.
- Leave “Have you seen me running?” letters or packets on front doors to get donations from neighbors.
- Make a bad habit pay off by making a “bad habit” jar at work or home. If you commit the bad habit, you have to donate $1.
- Ask area artists or creative friends to donate art or jewelry that you can raffle.
- Ask a restaurant manager if you can hold a fund-raiser one evening.
- Send a pledge letter to friends and family. It should include the amount you request and a date/deadline.
- Get your apartment complex to donate one month’s rent to sponsor you.
- In lieu of a gift on your birthday or other occasion, ask family and friends to make a pledge to the Society on your behalf.
- If riding to honor a loved one with MS, include a picture of you with your loved one in your pledge letter, on posters, etc.
- Delegate. Give 10 pledge forms to 10 friends and ask them to get pledges for you.
- Send letters to the parents of kids on your child’s sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) teams.
- Hold a movie-watching party. Every time a character says the words “run” or “restore,” everyone antes up $1 in the pledge bowl. Find movies that have a running theme.
- Find companies looking for a tax write-off. Ask friends and family to help.
- Following up is a critical aspect of fund raising. Call all potential donors today.
- Hold a pie raffle. Ask friends to bake pies. Set a minimum pledge at $5.
- Hold a garden tour at your home or local historical home. Have it promoted in the newspaper. Remember, the cost of the tour will be tax-deductible.
- Make business cards with Run2Restore information, your name and address. Hand them out to everyone you meet.
- Ask your hair salon if they would donate $2 of each haircut over a weekend to you.
- Contact the national chapter of your fraternity or social organization and ask for a donation. If you did not belong to a fraternity or sorority, ask someone who did.
- Create a Web site. Send e-mails to everyone inviting them to visit your site. When they reply, send them a pledge form.
- Create a rolling screen saver on your work computer as a reminder of your commitment.
- Post an e-mail on your company’s “Announcements” bulletin board. Send respondents a pledge form.
- When asking for pledges, mention “my average pledge has been around $XX. Can you sponsor me?”
- For any chores that you’d normally do for free for neighbors, friends or family, leave a pledge form and ask them for a pledge.
- Ask your auto mechanics for pledges.