FUND RAISING IDEAS

First there are the calendars, peanut and cookie sales. Older girls may be eligible for a higher commission on the peanuts and cookies. Besides going door to door, the booth sales are a big help. Booking early is important if you want to get good spots for your sales. For the peanut sale, call stores in the summer, and for the cookie sale, try to get all your stores booked by November or December the latest. If you wait until January you will find all the best places already taken. After you call the store and schedule, follow up with a comfirmation letter in duplicate. Let the manager sign the copies and keep one for themselves, and send one back to you for your records. You'll get a better response if you include a self addressed stamped envelope. Here's another hint we have used with the cookie sale...often supermarkets will tell you in November that they do not have their new calendars yet. I usually buy a few extra GS wall calendars for this purpose and give them to the stores. The store gets a free calendar, and you get first choice of a date to fill in for the sale.

There are other GS Council fundraisers such as the spring plant sale available to the older girls. Often there is a fall mum sale or a Christmas poinsettia sale too.

When you are doing a fundraiser, that does not involve GS products, certain guidelines must be followed. First of all, an application must be filled out and submitted to council for their approval. You can not endorse any other product or business, so things like a pizza or candy sale are not allowed. You also could not sponsor a flea market where vendors would be selling new items, but you could have your own yard sale with used things.

The following are some ideas that have been used succesfully by troops in our area.

Rec dances: These are held in our recreation center for the middle school. Call the recreation department to schedule a dance. Average admission price is $5.00 and you can also make money selling soda and snacks. You will need plenty of adult supervision to run one of these dances-at least 20 adults. It's a good idea to notify the police department that you are having a dance, or even hire one of the policemen to be at your dance. Make up a flyer advertising the dance and get it approved by the Board of Ed office. Once approved, they can be handed out in the middle school.

Breakfast with Santa/Breakfast with the Easter Bunny: Both of these are sponsored by the Recreation Dept but they will let non-profit organizations run them as a fundraiser.

Moms Day Out: This is especially good when done before the holidays. Set aside a Saturday to babysit for the children while the parents go Christmas shopping.

Rock Show: Small local bands will play free of charge just for the exposure. It is run as an exhibition, not a contest, so no judging or awarding of prizes is done. Money is made on admission charges and snacks sold.

Sand Art: Supplies can be obtained fairly inexpensively from a wholesaler in Lakewood. There are numerous fairs in the summer and also right before the holidays. Many places will give a non-profit organization a free table or charge a reduced fee.

Dad & Me Valentine Dance: Since the Barnegat Recreation Department has one for the younger children, you could possibly have one for older girls, or have one in another town.

Classic Car Show: Open to the general public, this type of show needs lots of advertising and legwork ahead of time. Best time for this show is late spring or summer.

Country Line Dance: Open to all age groups. Admission is charged and snacks are sold.

Lip Sync Show: Although the show itself is run as a fundraiser for our service unit, troops can make a profit by selling snacks.

Pirates Day: Non-profit organizations can set up tables and make money with things such as a carnival type game, face painting or sand art.

Car Wash: Hold in early fall, spring or summer as long as no water restrictions are in effect. You sometimes make out better asking for donations rather than charging a set fee.

Bagging Groceries: Both Lacey and Manahawkin Shop Rites offer this at certain times of year. Call store for info. The girls earn $5.15 an hour and a check is mailed to the troop leader.

A service unit event, such as the mother/daughter tea, can be run as a fundraiser.