Fundraising Ideas to get you started to reach (and surpass!) your fundraising goal.

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1 Fundraising Ideas to get you started to reach (and surpass!) your fundraising goal. 1. Corporate Matching Gift Ask your company to match the amount of donations you receive from your fellow coworkers. 2. Poker or Blackjack Night- Ask your friends to ante up and donate the pot to your fundraising goal. 3. Cookbook Collect your favorite recipes and sell copies of your book. 4. Corporate Sponsorship Identify local businesses in your area and ask them to sponsor you. 5. Garage Sale Everyone has extra stuff lying around to sell. Promote your yard sale by advertising that proceeds will go to your fundraising total/bia-ma 6. Bake Sale Bake (or buy a box of yummy premade cookies!) and host a bake sale during lunch at your office, at a community event or even in conjunction with your garage sale! 7. Change Box Place an empty jar in a visible spot, perhaps where you keep your keys at night. At the end of every day, empty your pockets and fill the jar with your extra change. These coins really add up! For additional success, place one in your office break room and encourage your co-workers to empty their pockets too. 8. Wear Blue! Every day that you wear something Blue, ask someone to donate to your run. 9. Office Fundraising Challenge Speak with everyone in your office and get them to challenge each other to donate the highest amount. Give the winner a prize like movie passes or a gift certificate to lunch or dinner. 10. Candy Jar Set up a jar of candy at work, and ask anyone who wants a piece to donate to you or your team. 11. Golf Outing Hold a golf outing at a local golf course. Ask individual golfers, twosomes, threesomes, and foursomes to make a donation in order to participate. Make it more family friendly by hosting it at a MINI Golf course. 12. Use Social Media Post a message on your Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In profile, or your blog. Update social media with news about your training, BIA-MA or the reason why you ve decided to run and fundraise. 13. Raffle Everyone that donates is entered into a raffle to win a prize, such as tickets to a game or the movies. 14. Ask your local waiters, waitresses and bartenders to donate a portion of one day's tips to your cause. Be sure to place a sign out for the patrons letting them know of their contribution. If the patrons see the sign, they may be willing to dig a little deeper into their pockets. 15. Car Wash- Host a car wash and donate the proceeds to your fundraising. Better yet- ask a local carwash company to donate a percentage of the proceeds to your fundraising goal! 16. Ask your local restaurants or community hotspots to place a collection jar at the hostess station or in another hightraffic area. 17. Dine-out Event - Host a fundraising event at a local restaurant. Many restaurants are willing to get involved in nonprofit causes! 18. New England Clam Bake Grab some seafood and hold a good old fashioned New England Clam Bake. 19. Skate-A-Thon Strap on some roller-skates and head to your local skating rink. Pledge to skate a certain amount of laps or time and ask people to donate for each lap or hour. 20. Dress Up- Host a Halloween party in the summer. Ask everyone to dress up as their favorite character and charge an entrance fee. 21. Movie Ticket Donation Ask your local movie theater to donate several movie tickets. Sell them and put the money toward your fundraising.

2 22. Movie Night Pick up a movie, make some popcorn, pour some drinks and host a movie night with your friends and family! Be sure to have plenty of donation forms out or a laptop/tablet cued to your fundraising page. Or, go the extra mile and organize a Movie Night in your town. Promote the event and look into hosting it at a local community center. Charge for admission and popcorn and keep out a donation jar! 23. Ask a local theater to donate tickets to a performance such as a musical or play, and auction them off. The auction proceeds go directly to your fundraising goal! 24. Birthday/Graduation Gift Pledge Instead of presents, ask for donations! Encourage friends and family to donate to your cause for your birthday (or any other occasion!). 25. Creative Friends Find a local artist or ask a creative friend if they would donate a piece of art or jewelry that you could auction off. Or, work with them to promote their products and have them donate a portion of their proceeds to your goal! 26. House Warming Party Are you moving anytime soon? If so, ask your friends to make a donation instead of purchasing a gift for your new place. 27. Eye-Catching Letters Use brightly colored paper (perhaps blue?) for your donation letters or sponsor/donation requests. Help your request stand out and get noticed! Go one step further and use colored envelopes too! The bright colors will stand out among bills and junk mail Signature This is something so easy and effective! Add a short sentence at the bottom of your signature, letting people know you're participating as a member of Team BIA-MA. Include an link to your personal fundraising page. 29. Sports Tickets Ask the local semi-pro or town/college team to donate tickets to the game. You can then sell or auction them off. 30. Travel Agency Do you always make your travel plans through the same agency? Ask them to donate a travel voucher. You can auction it off or use it as a raffle prize! 31. Doctor/Therapist/Veterinarian/Insurance Agent Ask him/her to write a check for you instead of the other way around! 32. Dentist Hopefully you won't have to pull teeth to get him/her to help you out a little! 33. Chiropractor They've cracked your back. Now ask them to crack open their checkbook and make a donation! 34. Yoga Instructor You've bent over backwards for them, now it's their turn to do the same for you! 35. Radio Station Call your favorite radio station and ask them to make an announcement on the air. They may even interview you! Donations can be sent directly to the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts office. 36. Gym Ask your gym to place a donation jar at the front desk! Leave a stack of flyers or a copy of your donation letter with a photo so other gym goers and learn more about why you re running. 37. Spinning Class Have a stack of donation forms with you, and ask your spinning instructor to make an announcement in class. Ask your spin instructor to hold a special 90-minute spin class, which people would have to donate to for a saved seat! 38. Hair Salon Ask your barber or hairdresser to donate a portion of every haircut they complete over the weekend. Or, inquire if the salon would hold a Cut-a-thon, where proceeds would go directly to your fundraising! 39. Fundraise through Facebook - Link your fundraising efforts with your Facebook page. This is a great way to keep your followers and social media audience aware of your fundraising progress! 40. Mow-a-Thon Get your kids involved in this weekend activity. Offer to mow your neighbor's lawn for donations to your fundraising goal.

3 41. The hood Write to all your neighbors on your block or in your building. Attach a letter (make it colorful!)) stating why you are participating and ask them to make a donation. Or stick a flyer in their mailboxes explaining why you're raising money for BIA-MA and ask them to support you! 42. Cue Up Go to the local pool hall and see if they are willing to donate a few hours & tables for you to host a party. 43. Good Karma Tipping Jar Ask local businesses to put a donation jar near the register or on their front counter. Tape a picture (of yourself or your inspiration) to the jar and a short explanation of why you are raising money. 44. Pick up the Dry Cleaning Offer to be your friends' and/or coworkers' personal assistant for a day (or maybe for just a few hours) in exchange for a large donation. Make it count - try for $250 or more. 45. Garden Tour Check with a local historical society to see if they would sponsor a garden tour of one of several homes in your area. Promote the event in local newspapers. 46. Meet the Press Does your company distribute a newsletter? Does your company have interoffice ? Take advantage of these...it's a perfect way to get the word out! 47. Have a Pool Party Have a pool in your yard? Or know someone who does? Host a pool party and ask swimmers to donate to your run in exchange for some time in the pool on a hot summer day. 48. Pet Sit Are your neighbors going away and they don't want to leave their pet(s) at the kennel? Offer to watch their four-legged kids, charge them what they would have paid at the kennel, and donate it to your fundraising total! 49. House Sit Are your friends going out of town for a while? Maybe they need a warm body to stay at their place while they are away or at the very least someone to pick up the mail and water the plants. 50. Neighborhood Chores Are you a Mr. or Ms. Fix-It? A lot of your neighbors would probably rather pay you than someone else. Place signs around your neighborhood or place in mailboxes advertising your services (i.e. watering gardens, cleaning roof gutters, sweeping the driveway, fixing an easy plumbing problem, painting a room, etc.). 51. Karaoke Night Who cares if you can't carry a tune? Organize a karaoke night either at your home or a bar. Or, simply spend your Friday night at a karaoke bar and sing for donations! 52. Talented Friends Do you have a little piano bar in your neighborhood and a talented piano-playing friend? Ask the owner to let you bring some friends in one night for a cocktail and piano night. Host a fundraising event for your team and charge anyone who attends. 53. Ebay Gather up goods from you and your friends and auction it off on ebay. 54. Company Vacation Days Ask your boss or human resource director to swap one of your vacation days for a day's pay to be donated to your fundraising goal! 55. Sell some PinUps We supply the pin-ups and you sell them! Reach out to local businesses or even your own office. Sell them for $1 and put that toward your donation total. 56. In Memory/Honor Of If you're to honor someone, include a picture of you with your loved one in your donation letter, on posters, etc. 57. Donations for Miles Ask people to donate a specific amount for each mile of the run. 58. Pet Birthday Party Host a pet birthday party! A fun event for you, your friends and your pets, you can easily turn this into a fundraiser. Instead of presents for your pup, ask attendees to donate and support you. 59. Television Show Party Host a television screening party! Make some small bites, provide drinks and send out invitations for your friends to watch the big game, awards party or season finale at your place. Of course, charge them at the door and put the money toward your goal. 60. Game Night Get out those board games and start playing! Break into teams and let the fun begin. Get creative and have people bet on games or pay when they lose. Either way, let all the money from the night go to your fundraising goal.

4 61. Casino Night Call your card-playing friends and invite them over for Vegas night! 62. Bowling Night Plan a fun night of bowling at your local lanes. Ask the owner to waive the cost of bowling, and you can collect the money and turn it into donations. 63. Used-Book Sale Everyone has books that have been sitting on shelves, collecting dust. Ask your friends, family and neighbors to donate their books and set up a weekend book sale in your front yard! Put up some signs to let people know the money will be going to a good cause; hopefully, shoppers will be enticed to pay more for your old paperback! 64. Local Stores Ask a local store manager what the hot-selling item is these days and then ask if he or she would be willing to donate a percent of the sales from that particular item to you. Or ask if you can set up a table out front and collect donations from shoppers. 65. Curse Jar Place a curse jar in your office and whenever someone says a bad word they toss a dollar in the jar. All those taboo words will surely add up! 66. Dress Down Day Ask your company to allow an official BIA-MA Dress Down Day. For the privilege of dressing down or wearing jeans, employees donate $10 or $20 toward your fundraising goal! 67. Company Grants Find out if your company offers grants to employees who volunteer their time for charitable causes. If so, you can volunteer your time at the BIA-MA office and get paid grant money for the work. You may need a letter from us stating that you'll be volunteering in the office and we'd be happy to make that happen. 68. Church Bulletin Place an advertisement in your church bulletin/newsletter letting the congregation know what you're up to. Or better yet, ask to speak after services to share your story in person! 69. Is there a teacher in the house? Get students to help you raise funds! Host a small-change campaign, and encourage the students to bring in their spare change to donate to make a difference. Have special incentives available for those who donate. And, keep them involved in your fundraising efforts! 70. Other Parents If your kids play in the soccer leagues or on any other sports teams, distribute a donation letter to the other parents at the events. Better yet- ask them to donate right then and there. 71. Run Along Ask your potential donor to join you on a training run. He or she may be more willing to donate once they fully understand what you are committed to doing. 72. Remind Them If you didn't receive an answer the first time you asked, ask again! Your potential donor may need a little coaxing. 73. Inspirational Bookmarks Create them and sell them to your friends and family. 74. Universities and Colleges Contact your local schools and ask if you can put an advertisement in their school newspaper asking for donations. Some of the organizations may even invite you to make a short presentation. 75. Chili Cookoff- Host a chili cook-off. Chefs can donate $10 to enter their recipe and ask tasters to donate a dollar per vote for their favorite recipe. 76. Computer Screen Savers Create a BIA-MA screen saver on your own computer that others will see when you re away from your desk. We re happy to send along a jpeg to help you get started! 77. Mechanics You've given them lots of money to work on your car. Now it's time for them to give a little back! 78. Rock On! If you know any musicians, ask them to perform a benefit concert. Tell people that their admission ticket is a check made out to the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. 79. Tell Your Story The more you talk about your race, the more people will share in that excitement and want to donate to you. 80. Children's Party Throw a party for the little ones! The kids will be having funs as their parents are writing you donation checks.

5 81. Wine and Cheese Party Host a party at a local restaurant and ask the owner to donate the wine and cheese. Or, inquire at local liquor stores if they will donate wines to your event and host at your home! 82. Temporary Tattoos Swap a temporary tattoo for a donation. 83. Local Publicity If you subscribe to a local newspaper, they may be willing to sponsor you or promote your involvement in their paper! 84. Fraternities and Sororities Contact the National Chapter of your fraternity or sorority and ask them to make a donation to your run! 85. Alumni Organizations Call your own college or university and ask them to place an ad in the alumni newsletter asking for donations. 86. Ask for the Right Amount Take a good look at your potential donor list. Don't ask for $10 if you know someone could potentially give $ Where does the $$ go? Learn more about the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. You'll be asked what the money is being used for and it will be very impressive to a potential donor if you're able to speak eloquently about who we are and what we do. 88. Make Your Own Contribution Lead the way by making a donation to your fundraising page first. 89. Ping Pong Tournament Host a ping pong tournament! Charge twosomes to participate, award the winners a trophy and put the funds raised to your fundraising efforts. 90. Pizza Party Ask your local pizzeria to donate pizzas and charge your coworkers $2 a slice. 91. Clubs and Organizations Send a solicitation letter to your local Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Junior League, etc. They support individuals in their communities. 92. Shop at the big box Stores like Walmart, BJ s and many grocery stores have local funds to support individuals in the community. 93. Rib Off! Fire up the smoker! Challenge the cooks in your life to make the best ribs they can, charge people to taste, and let everyone vote on the best! 94. Talk to Strangers- Ask someone you don't know for money! 95. Hot Off the Press! - Contact newspaper, community websites or other media outlets to get an article. Make sure that you put in information about how people can contribute. And have a photo ready to go! 96. Local Politicians You supported them; don't you think they should support you? 97. Snail Mail- Send a letter or to everyone you know asking for support! 98. Try Fundraising Companies Purchase flower bulbs and sell them to friends and family so you receive a portion of the profits. Or try selling candy, wrapping paper, nuts and calendars. Companies offer these fundraising packs year round. 99. Start NOW The earlier you begin fundraising, the better off you'll be. You'll be able to go way beyond your fundraising minimum and then you can focus on your training Ask as many times as you can; then ask again!