Want to take your COTA fundraising event to the next level and raise more funds in honor of your local patient? Consider supplementing your large-scale event with one (or more!) of these fundraisers that are ideal for incorporating into another event:
Silent Auction. For a little more effort but no additional cost, host a silent auction alongside your benefit dinner, bowl-a-thon, or other large-scale event. Gather in-kind donations from local businesses and the community to auction off for extra funds to your community campaign.
COTA Paper Icons. Build awareness, gain support and raise funds with this simple add-on fundraiser. Provide event attendees the opportunity to display a COTA Paper Icon with their name for a contribution of $1. Consider displaying them at the check-in booth or in a prominent location at the event.
Bake Sale. Engage the chefs and bakers in your community by requesting donated baked goods to sell at your large-scale fundraising event. Perhaps bowlers will want a snack between games!
T-Shirts and/or Bracelets. Whether you design a t-shirt or bracelet specifically for the fundraising event, or have leftovers from a previous bulk order, this is an easy way to raise funds and awareness for the COTA community campaign.
COTA Coin Canisters. Similar to Paper Icons, COTA Coin Canisters allow you to build awareness, gain support and raise funds. These can be utilized in a variety of ways, from being set up at the registration or auction check-out table to serving as table centerpieces at a benefit dinner.
Craft Table. Similar to a silent auction, ask your volunteers and members of the community to donate crafted items. Remember to provide supporters gift-in-kind forms as their receipts for donating crafts.
Balloon Pop. Collect donated prizes (from small trinkets to gift cards) to award players who pop certain balloons. Perhaps each balloon has a different slip inside connected to a prize; or specific colors equate to specific prizes; or popping several in a row allows the player to select a prize of their choice.
Photo Booth. Set up a photo station with props and a fun backdrop. For a donation, supporters can have their photo taken by a volunteer — consider getting a Polaroid camera so participants can take their pictures home that night.
Game of Skill. Fill a jar with jellybeans, M&M’s, coffee beans (anything tiny) and invite participants to donate $1 to guess how many pieces are in the jar. The winner gets bragging rights and half the proceeds … but might just donate the winnings back to the COTA campaign.
Adopt-an-Envelope. Set out COTA pre-paid envelopes with gift amounts on each ($1-$50) on a table and invite supporters to take an envelope, put their selected donation inside and leave it in a displayed mailbox (or take with them and mail back to the organization).
Wine or Fork Pull. Visit local wineries and restaurants throughout the community and request bottles of wine and restaurant gift cards as in-kind gifts. For a donation, supporters will ‘pull’ a numbered bottle or fork that connects to a wine or gift card prize.
Face Painting. Artists can donate their time and creativity for this small add-on fundraiser kids will love.
Lollipop Tree. Decorate a cone-shaped item, like Styrofoam, with lollipops. Before putting them on the “tree,” color the bottom of the sticks in one of four colors. A supporter will pull a lollipop and make a donation based on the color of the stick. Perhaps red is free (no donation), orange is 50 cents, blue is $1 and green is $2 — use any amounts that will work for your event.
Visit the For Volunteers section of COTA.org for more fundraising ideas. Please contact CampaignInfo@cota.org with any questions.
