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Plan Your Own Fundraiser for Taylor's Tale Anyone can be a fundraiser. From lemonade stands to lake races to change collection, all you need to get started is a little creativity and a passion to support organizations like Taylor’s Tale. In case you’re coming up short on the creative side of things, here are some ideas to get you started: - On a spring cleaning kick? Don’t forget, your trash is often someone else’s treasure. Gather your giveaways and host a garage sale. While you’re at it, invite your neighbors to chip in as well. Don’t forget to mention Taylor’s Tale in your signage so that everyone knows sales go to a good cause.
- Roll out the red carpet! Host a movie night at your house, complete with dinner or snacks. Ask guests to pay a ticket price to enter. Better food, better seats and the ability to press pause for bathroom breaks will be worth the cost of admission!
- In need of a trim? Work with your local hair salon to get a trim for Taylor! They may agree to donate a certain amount per haircut for a week’s time, or perhaps they’d let you host a special fundraising night so that you can invite your friends to come along as well. Be sure to make signs that the salon can post in advance.
- Getting older? Aren’t we all! This year, ask for the gift that is always the right color and you know will fit – donations to Taylor’s Tale in your honor. For information on how to set up a birthday fundraiser on Facebook, click here.
- Off to the races! All bets are on for the Kentucky Derby, except this time, the guaranteed winner is Taylor’s Tale. Participants pay to play and draw horse names at random. The winner either gets a prize or splits the winnings with Taylor’s Tale. This same concept can be applied to NASCAR races, the World Cup, March Madness and other sporting events as well, so this concept can work all year long.
- Think you’re top chef? Time to prove it! Summer’s great for grilling, so what better time to invite neighborhood friends for a friendly competition? Each team will prepare a grilled dish and sides. Contestants pay an entry fee, and spectators pay to taste and judge. May the best griller win! Too cold to grill? Have a dessert-creating contest. Best-tasting treats take the cake!
- Assess your circle of friends. Who do you know who knows someone who knows someone who manages a retail operation and may be willing to help you fundraise? Get creative. Many business owners have a charitable heart and a strong business acumen and are waiting to find that perfect local effort to latch onto.
- Host a car wash! Tired of the pollen? Between the birds and the trees, North Carolina is a perfect location for driving spring and summer business. Work with a local business or shopping center located on a major thoroughfare so that you can land a highly trafficked carwash spot. Enlist some gregarious teenagers to stand at the street with signs to promote your services. You’ll need to decide whether you want to charge a set fee or ask for donations. Sometimes you raise more money when you don’t set a price. Either way, don’t forget to bring cash with you to make change on the spot.
- So you think you can spell? Who said spelling bees were just for kids? Partner with a local bar or restaurant to host your grown-up spelling challenge. Make things official and use the Spell It book used in spelling bees across the country. Charge a fee to participate and see if the venue will work with you to donate a portion of proceeds from the evening back to Taylor’s Tale. Give the winner a Spell It book and free drinks as a prize.
- A penny for your thoughts! Change your change habits and collect quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies in a jar set aside for Taylor’s Tale instead of in the nooks and crannies of your couch. Once the jar fills up, empty it out and start again!
- Fill’er up! Full service gas stations used to be the way of life in America. Bring back the service, even if just for a day, to a local gas station. Find a gas station that is willing to help out. Grab some friends and become gas station attendants for the day. For a donation, you and your friends can pump gas and clean the windows of all of the cars that come into the gas station. Gas stations provide the squeegees, cleaning solution and paper towels already, so you will have all of the equipment you need. Determine whether to ask for a set amount or let the driver decide. Make sure you advertise in advance to improve your turnout.
- Waiting for dollars. Find a local restaurant that is willing to host your waiting for dollars event. Solicit friends (it’s helpful if some have had serving experience) to wait tables and bus dirty dishes in exchange for tips one evening. Most patrons, hearing their tip money will be going for a good cause, will probably be generous and give more than the customary 15 to 20 percent. Be sure to advertise in advance! Remember to be polite, fast and accurate. Try not to break any plates!
Regardless of the approach, dollars raised are dollars raised, and every little bit helps fund vital research to find a cure for Batten disease. Remember, you, too, can make a difference, and better yet – you can have fun doing it!
For helpful tips on how to plan and put on a successful event, click here. To download a document with frequently asked questions about Batten disease as a tool to help educate donors and fundraiser volunteers, click here. |
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