Fund raising / goal setting

[guy4580]

Anybody with any good ideas for fund raising for cadets that I could try or has proven fund raisers that worked with your wing/ squadron... I think car washes are kinda out of the pict right now too its only 5 degrees here in ohio...
                          thanks
                      SM Guy W. Credit

[jimmydeanno]

Not really an external fund raiser, but an internal one.

We have a snack fund.  We purchase candy bars and those small gatorades at the local warehouse store (you know, where you can get 5 gallon buckets of dill pickles )  We make sure that the cost per item is under 25 cents a piece.

Then, we sell them out of a donated refrigerator (sounds like you could store yours in a snow bank) for 50 cents per item, giving us a 'profit' of 25 cents per item.

The first time I did this at my old squadron, we earned $2,500 IN PROFIT in a year.  Our new squadron is slightly smaller, but we started this in August and at the end of December we had accumulated about $600 in profit.

We use this method as an alternative to paying squadron dues.

Are you trying to get cold cash for a general fund or looking to raise money for specific things like encampment scholarships or something.

If it is the latter, I've found that going to businesses and asking them to donate money to help send a kid to summer camp is usually more accepted than "would you like to give us some cash to do whatever with."

Other things we have done:

1: Lemonade stand at airshows.
2: Selling lunch at SAREXs (Bag of chips, 2 hamburgers and soda for $5.00)
3: Airplane washes (too cold for you right now)
4: Car Washes
5: End of tax year notices to the membership (last minute tax deductions)
6: Mugging girl scouts and selling their cookies
7: Asking all the seniors to hit up their jobs for money
8: Wal*Mart employees (we had like 10 in our last squadron) participating in their V.A.P program (volunteerism always pays - the person from each store who volunteers the most hours get $250.00 to their organization per quarter)
9: Picking up trash at NASCAR tracks (you get like $10/hr per volunteer).
10: Parking at airshows ($10/hr per volunteer)
11: Getting donations from other organizations like VFW, Foreign Legion (tend to be specific things like buying color guard equipment or something).

There's more, but those are the ones that I've participated in and seem to work pretty well.  I'm sure others will have more though.

[Pylon]

We've had great success with Pancake Breakfasts at the airport, hosted by the local EAA chapter.  They hold 'em one Sunday a month during the warmer times.  Hundreds of people come out (some fly in and taxi up), and CAP and EAA volunteers cook in the hangar and serve.  Brings in hundreds of dollars per breakfast.

I really don't like "time consuming" fundraisers.  Selling lollipops/coupon books/other tchotchkies.  You invest a lot of time and effort to raise comparatively (per manhour) low profits.  50 cents here, a dollar there is not really an effective way to fundraise.

Corporate sponsorships of trips, projects, or using in-kind donations (like office/computer/printer supplies from your local Staples) can also help reduce your regular operating costs.

[guy4580]

yes! we've talked about plane washes and also breakfast for fly-In's didn't really know how to go about it I'm new at this I will have to the Major about that he just transferred here from Minn. so I know I can pick his brain a bit to...I just wanted to get a good Idea of what to possibly plan or to bring to the table(so to speak) at our meeting ...
              Thanks alot guy's you've really helped me out, If you come up with any other ideas or suggestions don't hesitate to reply or email me at guy4580@yahoo.com  Thank You....

[brasda91]

The first time I did this at my old squadron, we earned $2,500 IN PROFIT in a year.  Our new squadron is slightly smaller, but we started this in August and at the end of December we had accumulated about $600 in profit.

And then you sent those funds to your Wing Banker account, right? 

[jimmydeanno]

The first time I did this at my old squadron, we earned $2,500 IN PROFIT in a year.  Our new squadron is slightly smaller, but we started this in August and at the end of December we had accumulated about $600 in profit.

And then you sent those funds to your Wing Banker account, right? 

Did I give any indication that I didn't? - but since you ask, the first time the WB program didn't exist.

[guy4580]

Yes!  that should never been implied nor questioned by any person, no TACT.  Sorry if this upsets you and yes there are probably some bad apples but it should never be implied not even in joking matter...I expect my cadets to do what is right and I have faith they will and my fellow seniors that I work with have good morals and set a fine example.

[brasda91]

The first time I did this at my old squadron, we earned $2,500 IN PROFIT in a year.  Our new squadron is slightly smaller, but we started this in August and at the end of December we had accumulated about $600 in profit.

And then you sent those funds to your Wing Banker account, right? 

Did I give any indication that I didn't? - but since you ask, the first time the WB program didn't exist.

That's what I guessed. 

[brasda91]

Yes!  that should never been implied nor questioned by any person, no TACT.  Sorry if this upsets you and yes there are probably some bad apples but it should never be implied not even in joking matter...I expect my cadets to do what is right and I have faith they will and my fellow seniors that I work with have good morals and set a fine example.

Guy, who are you talking to?  If your comment was made to me, chill out.  It was a joke, made in light of how messed up the WB program is.

[Johnny Yuma]

[HUMOR}

1. Rolling drunks outside the local bars has always been  good for a couple hundred every Saturday night.

2. Use the 182's SDIS to take airborne photos of folks walking out of porn shops, run their tags an ask them for "donations" in exchange for the photos.

3. Have the smaller cadets dress in baggy clothes, place them at intersections with signs that  read "HUNGRY HOMELESS PLEASE HELP God Bless" is great for several hundred, especially during the holidays.

4. Squadron-wide Plasma donations 4 times a month.

5. The betting pools on Wing and Region Command firings has been incredibly popular (and profitable) over the last 2 years but has started to wane...

6. It's amazing what cadets find that have found "fallen off the truck" and found it's way to Ebay...

[/HUMOR]