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Have you enjoyed the fundraising ideas I’ve posted over the past several months? I hope they’re helping you to do a few special projects to enhance the lives of your residents.
Today I’m sharing five more fundraisers that work well to raise money for nursing homes.
Community Education
Invite a guest speaker to provide education on a topic that’s of interest to people in your community. Our nursing home hosts speakers on a variety of topics. Interestingly, the most popular speaker is an attorney who shares information about estate planning.
While you can present these programs at no cost as a community service, it’s also a good idea to charge a reasonable fee to help support a specific project. Sometimes attendance is better when you charge a fee because then people attach more value to the program.
Another approach is to ask for free-will donations. You’ll be surprised at how much people are eager to give to a project that they consider worthwhile. Finally, you can combine a free educational program with other fundraisers such as a gift basket silent auction.
Amazon Smile
When you enroll your nonprofit nursing home in this program, people who shop on Amazon can direct 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to your facility. This doesn’t alter the amount someone pays for their purchases.
While this isn’t a huge percentage, it’s still money that your facility otherwise wouldn’t receive. And if many people take part, it can add up to a significant amount with minor effort on your part.
The most important thing to remember about Amazon Smile is that you need to spread the word to as many people as possible. Then remind them to always direct their donation to your facility when they do their routine shopping on Amazon.
Painting Events
Last summer we visited my daughter at college and she treated us to a social painting class at a Mexican restaurant. We had so much fun and I would love to do it again sometime.
If you’re not familiar with social painting, it’s an event where a group of people gets together with an art instructor and everyone paints a beautiful picture. These events are often held in a studio, but many artists will go out to locations in the community.
I think this would be a great fundraiser for your nursing home. Simply invite people to your facility for the event, and the art instructor will provide all the supplies. Then you can ask for a percentage of the fee charged to participants. Another way to raise funds is by selling beverages and treats for participants to enjoy while they paint or while their paintings are drying.
Many companies around the country offer painting events. As an example, you can check out Creatively Uncorked that hosts events in my community.
Shoe Drives
While I don’t have personal experience with Funds2Orgs, I think it’s worth checking into. They have great reviews and an A+ rating with the BBB.
You simply collect gently worn shoes, and Funds2Orgs will pick them up (minimum number required). After sending you a check for the shoes, the shoes are sent to developing countries where they are sold to help support small businesses.
Dance Lessons
Invite a dance instructor to come in and provide group dance lessons for a fee. You can focus on one type of dance such as salsa, ballroom, or line dancing. Or you can offer a taste of a few types of dance all in one evening.
For this type of event, you’ll want to take reservations and payments in advance. To raise extra funds, you can offer snacks and beverages either included in the cost or for an extra fee.
When the event is over, encourage staff who took part to show your residents what they learned. The residents will get a kick out of this activity, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity to spark interest for other employees to attend future events.
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