Fundraising For Little League

So, you need to do some fundraising for little league again this year? Know where to start? Well, you've made a good start just by coming to this site, so well done! One of the most important considerations when choosing a fundraiser is to make sure that it is one that will involve as many volunteers as possible, and will be one that they will all enjoy.

In many ways you cannot beat a car wash. Kids enjoy water sports, and car washing certainly provides plenty of water. However it is probably going to end up with the adults doing most of the car washing, as the kids will tire easily and find it a chore. I've participated in many car washes through various fundraisers, and although my daughters were very enthusiastic to begin with, the standard of work fell during the day! It is hard work, especially if you have few members, and end up being there the whole day, but it can be very worthwhile, and does bring your group closer as you work together for a common goal.

Selling products like candles can be very profitable too, but it does not have the social side to it. It is more up to individuals to try promoting and getting sales, and that task can be quite daunting for those whose parents do not have as many supportive friends as others. For car washes you are offering a service to people, not selling a product, and with good signs and notices, and some luck with the weather, your day of hard work will pay off.

For a little league fundraiser, try to make the actual selling cycle some where between one and two weeks. If it goes too much longer, people get tired of trying to push products. That's another advantage of the car wash, the majority of the work is over and done with in just one day. There isn't too much preparation to be done in advance.

For more information on fundraising that will help you boost your sales, click here.

Now have a look at the following article to see if it gives you any more ideas for help with your fundraising for little league.

How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips)

by Alan Sharpe

1. Address your reader as a friend, not as Friend.

When was the last time you received a letter from someone dear to you, addressing you as Dear Friend? Never, right? The days of the Dear Friend letter are dead. I heard recently of a chairman of the board of a national charity who has given his charity millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of his time, yet he still receives fundraising appeals from this charity addressing him as Dear Friend. Ouch.

2. Arrest attention with an opening that resonates with your
donors.

Assume your reader is standing over a trash can with a stack of todays mail, reading the opening sentence of each letter before deciding its fate. You have only a few seconds to grab the readers interest. So make it a zinger. Here are two openings for the same non-profit. Which one grabs your attention and makes you want to read on?

Opening 1: I am writing to you to ask if you would like to support a low-income housing building project in your neighbourhood.

Opening 2: If I invited you to walk over to your neighbours house with a bundle of roof shingles under your arm as a gift, what would you do?

3. Put flesh and bones on your need.

One truth in fundraising is that people give to people to help people. So always describe your need in terms of people, not programs, not ministry, not money.

INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . We operate three vans.

SAY . . . The three vans that we use for emergency medical relief play a vital role in saving lives throughout the year.

INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . Essential medicines in many countries are not affordable.

SAY . . . Phillip Mbago is dying from a treatable disease for no other reason than that he can't afford his cure.

4. Ask for funds by painting a picture.

Don't just ask for a donation. Show your readers how their donations will make a difference. Instead of saying, Send a gift today, say, Your gift to Habitat for Humanity today means that another family will soon move into a simple, decent, affordable home thanks to you.

2005 Sharpe Copy Inc.

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