Enjoy a day with friends all while supporting a great cause. Walking for a charity event is a fun way to spend a summer morning, and it benefits the community! Charity events are also a great way to get a big group of friends together to catch up while having a great time. Even those walks that take place in the fall need a lot of fundraising, and there’s no time like summer to start!
Oftentimes, people cringe at the thought of fundraising. Sending out tons of impersonal emails asking people for money is not always effective since it's far too easy for a receiver just to send your email to the trash. Instead, plan a fundraising event like a restaurant night. Call your favorite LA restaurant and ask if they would be willing to host a fundraising night for your team. Local is usually better since the owners probably have close ties to the LA community and a lot of familiar faces will be there and willing to contribute to the cause. If a local restaurant doesn't work out, try a chain like Chili's or McDonalds, both of which will donate a share of their proceeds for the day to your cause.
Once you've organized your event, advertise! Send out invitations, post flyers around town, spread the news at work, and get the word out to family and friends. Make sure to emphasize that it will be a fun night for a great cause. Chances are, many people would be looking for a place to go out for dinner, so why not make it a night for a good cause with your friends?
Each member of your team could also contribute a raffle prize to set out the night of the fundraiser for people to bid on. Lakers and Dodgers tickets are sure to make money, but small baskets with fun themes like "Movie Night" (microwave popcorn, DVD's, movie theater candy) or "Wine and Dine" (a nice bottle of wine, gourmet crackers, a restaurant gift card) can be just as successful. Raffles are easy, fun, and successful money-makers!
Walking for a good cause is a fun event in itself, and following the tips here will help take the pain out of fundraising and make it another opportunity for a good time! Take a look at some of the charities below, pick one with a cause dear to you, and get a team together for a great day.
AIDS Walk
10/14/12
http://www.aidswalk.net/losangeles
Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis
6/23/12
http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR/2012TakeStepsWalk/Chapter-GreaterLosAngeles?pg=entry&fr_id=3108
Relay for Life
8/4/12
http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12CA?fr_id=39923&pg=entry&sso_auth_token=
