Hold a Car Wash

Ask a local gas station, shopping center, or other place of business if they would allow you to host a car wash for donations. Gather a team of volunteers. Some volunteers should stand close to a road or major intersection in a safe location where they can hold signs that direct people to your car wash. Other volunteers can collect money and help to organize incoming and outgoing traffic while others wash the cars. Ask each driver for a donation and tell them what you are raising money for. Be sure to thank them for their donation!

Host a Walk-a-Thon, Hike-a-Thon or Anything-a-Thon

A unique way to raise funds is by asking people to make pledges toward your anything-a-thon. Ask your friends and family, “Please help me reach my fundraising goal by pledging to donate a certain amount for each mile I run. I will post your pledge to my event page and follow up with you after the event for your donation.”

Host an Evening Out

Hold a beef and beer, wine-tasting, barbeque, or other event where your supporters m pay a certain amount at the door, eat, drink, are entertained, and have the proceeds donated to charity. Many successful events include food, drinks, bands, comedians, silent auctions, live auctions, dance contests, and games.

Sell Paper Lemons

Click here to print your lemons or ask us to send you some! Approach a local store or other business and ask if they could help you by selling paper lemons to customers for $1/lemon. Businesses can hang the lemons on their walls to create a visual impact, make it easy for customers to learn about ALSF and contribute, and help a great cause. After the paper lemon selling is over, collect the donations from the business and send them a thank you letter for assisting you in fundraising.

Be a Guest Bartender

A bar or pub may allow you to guest bartend (usually serving beer or wine) for an evening and allow you to keep tips made during your volunteer shift. Encourage your contacts to come out for a night of fun, to see you bartend, and to tip you well! Bars or restaurants may also donate a portion of the proceeds from each meal ordered from a customer you brought in that day.

Post flyers

Create flyers describing what you are doing with your event page link so people can donate directly to your page. Hang these flyers in community centers, public notice boards, gyms, etc. Be sure to ask for the building manager’s permission of course!

Have a Contest

People love to compete to win something. Consider giving a prize to the highest donor or the person who helps to gather the most donations for you. Prizes could include items such as donated gift cards, tickets to a sporting event, trips, or even the chance to win one of the incentive items you receive when you hit a certain level of fundraising. Click here to check out what incentive items you can receive. Create contest rules and announce your fundraising contest!

Provide a Service

Tell others you will cut their lawn, walk their dog, clean their gutters - you name it - for a donation.

Sell Items on eBay
eBay offers sellers an opportunity to raise funds for charity online. You can list items and select that the proceeds go to ALSF with eBay Giving Works -- the dedicated program for charity listings – or without eBay Giving Works (as long as your listings meet eBay’s guidelines for charitable solicitations).

You can find even more fun ideas in our Get Involved section.