A Fundraiser Story, author unknown... 

A way to conduct a fundraiser for the Activities Department in the facility with the help of the employees and staff.

A good time of the year for this fundraiser is spring. Place an Ad in your local paper, in your newsletter, call all of the churches in your area and anyone else that you can think of to tell them about your up coming Craft Show.

Step One...

Contact crafters in your area, pass out flyers at local craft shows to inform the vendors of your upcoming Craft Show. i.e. 6 foot table space or booth space (determine the size) for rent for $15. Tell them that they will get to keep all of their profits. Be sure that you inform them it will be well advertised, via newspaper, newsletter, signs, flyers and posters.

Prior to the big Craft Show Event have Craft Days as an activity. Have your residents create items to sell at your craft show. 

Ask local businesses for donations of items you can sell.

• Local Florist for flower arrangements
• Hair Salons, Dollar Stores, Retail Chains for products
• Bakery, Grocery Stores for cakes, cookies etc.

Be sure to involve family and staff members by asking them to donate baked items that you and your residents can sell.

You can also sell tickets for items that can be won and/or raffled.

• Ask local reatil stores for gift certificates, 
• Ask the video store for DVD's
• Local resturants for gift certificates
• Book Stores

Decorate boxes or cans to serve as ticket collectors. Place them in front of the items to be given away and/or raffeled off. Draw one ticket out of each box/can at the end of the day for the winners name(s). You will want to consider if the person needs to be present to win or not.

If not then be sure to get names and phone numbers, so that you can contact the winner(s). Let them know if they need to be present or not.

This event is done yearly at our facility and is a hugh money maker for activities. It grows bigger every year. I recieve phone calls months in advance from people wanting to rent a table/space. People call asking when it will be beause they don't want to miss it, these are buyers.  The residents enjoy meeting people from the communiy that they might not otherwise get to meet and they also enjoy the shopping.