SummerWolf Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I would like to ask what fundraising activities you readers here use for High Adventure Trips! We live in a small community, which gets hit with us, Girl Scouts, School Classes, FFA, 4-H, well you get the hint! It's hard to come up with "new" ideas for fundraising that generates the kind of monies needed for our boys to afford high adventure trips. Council fundraisers just don't seem to cut it. People are tired of the high prices of Scout Popcorn, with the small amount you get for your money. I know it goes for a great cause, and it helps fund council camps and activities, but we need money down to the troop level that will really help some that just can't afford to participate. Do any of you have fundraisers that really work? Thanks in advance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Organizations in our area have had good luck with car washes. It is especially good when they are held near another activity that is already well attended. Our Girl Scouts held one behind the church on Sat evening and all day Sunday. This way folks could stop before or after mass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellyr Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 You might try having a pancake breakfast. We did it twice and made over $400.00 each time for our trip to Philmont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny2862 Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Some restaurants will work with you so that if you will do the advertising and provide scouts to buss tables and greet customers, they will donate a percentage of the customers checks between the agreed upon hours of the night of the event. Some will also let you put out a tip jar, others will let you do all of the above but you only get what is in the tip jar. It gets you some local exposure, lets the non-scouting public see your scouts cheerfully working (don't forget the smiles)and you get a fundraising activity where people are only paying what they otherwise would for the product. I forgot, its state fair time, but any event that requires parking on unpainted lots or where the event organizer wants the lots filled from front to back will often let you direct the vehicles to their spaces and keep a portion of the parking fee. Additionally you can sometimes get the use of a nearby lot(sometimes closer than the official lot) donated and you can keep the whole parking fee.(This message has been edited by Gunny2862) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSScout Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Might be too late to arrange this year, but we have 4 Troops that negotiate to work at the County Fair each year. In Uniform, they help direct parking and traffic, deliver ice to concessions, pick up trash, and act as 'gofers' for the Fair headquarters. I know, also, that the Fair is open to proposals from folks to operate food concessions and such. Are you chartered to a church or civic club like Lions? Perhaps they would partner with you for a funding project. Frinstance, at the Fair, we have several churches that run food stands and you'll see Scouts behind the counter in Troop Tshirts. Another idea::: Sponsor an "Outdoor Gear Flea Market" for your District or Council. Organize a place, advertise, rent tables and space for Troops and individuals to sell outgrown packs, tents, boots, etc. Good Luck... YiS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuneblender Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Have you considered selling Music CDs? http://www.CharityCDs.com features several CD titles that are appropriate for scouts, especially "Campfire Collection" a 21 song compilation. There's a No Risk Return Policy, with 60-Day Final Payment Terms. I am directly involved with this fundraising company, and would be pleased to clarify the program for you. For more information, visit the website or call 800-826-1100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanescouter Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 I spent months compiling a e-book of sorts full of fund raising ideas. I should note now that it is not Scout specific, it also has stuff that relates to other youth groups and religious institutions. You can find this book at http://insanescouter.org/t276/Fundrasiers.pdf'>http://insanescouter.org/t276/Fundrasiers.pdf ... Feel free to make suggestions... hope it helps... Scott Robertson http://insanescouter.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxieman Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 One unit in our district had a very successful Car Smash during the town's 4th of July Celebration. A what? Get an old car, and let people pay you to hit it with a sledgehammer. Said troop got a local lawyer to donate his services writing up a "Hold Harmless" contract that each participant had to sign before they were allowed near the vehicle. Basically, in lawyerese: Thou shalt be responsible for thy own actions. Thou shalt not attempt to sue the scouts or the business who's property the bust takes place on or thou shalt be responsible for everyone's court/lawyer fees and thou shalt lose because thou signed this contract. Also anyone under 18 had to be accompanied by their parent/guardian. They approached the local auto parts store which was very happy to host the event--it was publicity for them. They even took the gas tank off the vehicle for the troop. They got a couple of mechanical know-how adult members of the troop to remove the engine. So no concerns about any hazardous liquids leaking on the day of the bust. They also got a wrecker service to donate the towing charges to/from the busting site. Safety: The area was roped off with many signs reading "Caution: Flying Debris. Everyone within the roped off area had to have safety goggles, long pants and closed-toe footwear on. Troop had three spotters around the roped off area at all times. Only one participant was allowed in the roped off area at a time. What did they charge: $5 to smash out a window and 2 hits anywhere else for $1. Implements of destruction offered included a few different weight sledgehammers, a full set of old golf clubs, aluminum baseball bat, 20 lb rock, section of steel I-beam,...you get the idea. Over the course of the day they made over $600. The tow company hauled their vehicle to the scrap yard for them and they got another $140 or so for what was left of the vehicle. This troop plans to do this again next year and already has three vehicles that have been offered up for the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASM162 Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Our Troop has participated in the following fundraisers: Night at Pizza Hut. Pizza hut allowed us to choose a night for our fundraiser, and provided us with flyers to distribute to family members, friends, co-workers, etc. The flyer had the info concrning time, date, place, etc. Everyone that showed up and presented the flyer to the cashier allowed us (the Troop)to recieve a donation of 20% their bill. I forget the legalese, i.e.tax not included in the total, things like that. Painless fundraiser and we made a couple of hundred bucks. Our local grocery store sells gift cards in several denominations. The Troop being non-profit,set up an agreement with the store that allows us to earn 5% on every dollar for gift cards that we order. The gift cards are purchased by the Troop at the discounted rate (Face value less the 5%)and then sold to the families of the troop at full value(Hey, you have to eat, right,and you're going to the grocery store anyway). The Troop gets it's money back plus the 5%. The 5% then goes into the general fund. We earn roughly $800-$1000 a year. Again, another painless fundraiser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 fund raising.... dinners- spaghetti, BBQ chicken/ribs, brunswick stew... Food services at local fairs/concerts...hot dogs and burgers/popcorn breakfasts- pancakes usually Mulch sales in early spring...big hit in our neck of the woods but must be early spring...just before folks start getting the "bug" to plant...we do presales and are looking at a presale-site sale (haul in a tractor trailer to a local lot and sell off the truck for a couple of days... parking services at local events... service to other organizations...we started putting up flags serveral times a year on our towns Main Street to help a service organization who's membership is either too old or too busy and started getting a $400 contribution from them...for a few Saturday mornings and Sunday/Monday evenings...I am sure there are others out there. Yard sales...easiest way is to "procure" a lot and sell "table spaces"...to john Q public...you do the advertizing and have to clean up the juck left behind but its not a bad way to do things. sell fire wood...buy in bulk and "crack" it yourselves...deliver cords half cords and quarter cords...work is hard but scouts seem to love it... course there are a few scouts I'd like to sell but doubt if I'd get any takers... anarchist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I'd love to set a couple of scouts in front of a wood pile and back up a truck and then tell them to come and get me when you have a cord loaded on the truck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASM915 Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 A variation on the carwash idea. If you have a moderate to large size company in town, you can offera "Get Your Car Washed While You're at Work" day. Charge $5 per car and $10 for trucks, Suv's and vans. The same can be set up with a church with a large congregation. Only problem is that with the church, they're not there all day. Earlier this year, another posters Troop did a Hoagie sale. The local deli sold the sandwiches to the Troop in bulk at a discounted rate, $2.50 - $3.00 and the troop sold them for $4.50 - $5.00. The Troop posted signs along the roads leading up to the sale sites that they had set up. The sites were worked by 4 or 5 Scouts with 2 adult leaders or parents at each site. they ran 4 sites and made over a $1000 for 2-3 hours work. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SummerWolf Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 Thanks so much for all the ideas. We're trying to find something different that no one else does, and it's really hard. I love the car crash idea - I could see the scouts themselves giving money to break stuff!!! lol Thanks again everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 About the wood... you can rent a hydraulic splitter for about $25/day. Quadruples the amount of wood even a strapping 17 year old can split. We doubled our money, though. After a big storm, we charged a "nominal" fee to remove down trees, then cut them up and sold them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 I read through the Guide to Safe Scouting and don''t see anything that would prohibit a 17 year old from splitting wood (granting that he has a totin'' chip.) What do you mean that we "are in violation of the BSA safety policies and can have (y)our membership permenantly removed?" Please cite the violation you allege. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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