I need fundraising ideas for a family night out?

Question

We are planing a fundraising event to raise money for a local child battling cancer. We have an outdoor venue, with some food being donated. We are looking for family oriented ideas that we can use to make money. We are going to have face painting, bake sale, etc but am looking for some other ideas you may have.

It is going to be in the evening. (4:30 to 8:30) in the middle of June.

Thanks

Answer 1

You can set up an ice cream bar and have people make their own sundaes.  Get some flavors of ice cream, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, and some toppings like sprinkles, chocolate syrup, whipped, and cherries, and some of those waffle cone bowls and people can make their own sundaes.

You can ask your local nail places if someone will come and do basic manicures and pedicures, just paint fingernails and toenails.  I'm sure the little kids would love that and the parents would like it.

Fake tattoos?  I know you have face painting, but you can charge like $1 each and apply fake tattoos, kids love them and so do adults!

Games?   You can do a pie eating contest, they pay to enter and then instead of real pie, or you can do real pie, but you can also do just whipped cream and whoever finishes first, wins.

What about asking a local place to donate a bouncy house and have a small fee for the kids to go in and use it. The kids would love it and it would bring in the money.  

What about a dunking booth, where someone throws the ball at the target and dunks someone.  You can see if you have a carnival supply in the yellow pages and someone to volunteer to sit in it.  If you tell the company your reason, they may either donate it or give you a price break.

What about a local Karate or Tai Kwan Do school doing demonstrations?  It would be good for their business because it could bring them students, and you can charge for people to sit and watch the demonstrations especially if their child is interested in the school.

How about the local police and fire dept?  Ask them to bring a car and truck for people to come and check out the insides of a police car and the insides of a fire truck and climb the truck, little ones LOVE that and it would draw people in.  I don't think you can charge for that though, it's more of a community service that they provide, but it's something that draws people in.

What about horseback rides?  You can ask local places being it's still light out in the evening if they're willing to do pony rides.  They may not because of the risk but you can charge per ride and someone walk with the pony and make sure to helmets and things for the kids as they go on the rides.

You can ask local florists to donate some floral arrangements that can be sold to raise money.  Not huge arrangements, but some bouquets that people can buy for $5 or $10 a bunch and all the money goes towards the boy.

I hope some of these ideas help and that your fundraising event is a success!!

Answer 2

A successful project I've found is making painted incense burners out of wine bottles.  You take used wine bottles, clean them out and strip off all labeling.  If you have access to a dremmal or powerdrill with a glass drilling bit, you make a hole on one side of the bottle about an inch from the base.  Then you have children paint the bottles with fun colors and designs.  Then you take a large paperclip, stick an incense stick on it perpendicularly, light it and stick it inside the bottle.  The paperclip holds the stick in place and the hole at the bottoms give you air flow.  These bottles can be sold for $15 - $20 each, and are very popular especially if it's for a good cause.

good luck!