Fundraising Ideas

Looking to teach your child or student about missions?  Want to raise awareness and some funds for those in need?  Consider one of these tested outreach ideas geared toward children and classrooms.  Thanks to the wonderful teachers and religious education instructors that help us, we now have a list of ideas that you can use to raise funds and awareness for the Working Boys' Center. 

Coin Collection
Idea submitted by Sabrina Spence at St. Matthias Church

We give the religious education kids a coin collection box template each year for our annual "Money for Maestras" collection for the WBC. I explain to the kids and their families how to assemble it - by opening up an empty cereal box, then gluing this onto the inside, then cutting it out following the pattern. I remind them how this is recycling, using something we have on hand (which is what we witnessed the families in Ecuador do!) to save our coins in. We have collection dates three times a year. On those days, I bring out a great big jar that the kids come and dump their coins into. They take their boxes home so that they can continue collecting.  Download a copy of the box template.

Art Show
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

This event is held in April during the Week of the Young Child. The teachers save 3 pieces of each child's artwork during the year and we host an art show in the cafeteria. We display the art by classes then invite the parents to come and purchase their child's masterpieces for a donation to the Working Boys' Center. I set up a display of some the things I brought back from my visit and play native music to set the mood. We were able to raise over $900 with this one event! We also have a mother who is an artist and so she has donated one of her paintings to silent auction as well.

Night Out with the Teachers
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

The 4- and 5-year-olds would pay $15 to come back up to school in the evening in their pajamas for a night of fun with the teachers. This was a volunteer event for the staff and lasted about 2 hours. We would feed the kids pizza and ice cream, play games, watch a movie if time permitted and then end the evening with a bedtime story.  Of course some of the kids wanted to bring sleeping bags and spend the night!

Classroom Circus
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

One of our 4-year-old teachers came up with this idea. Our theme is circus so she has the children dress up as different parts of the circus. For example:

-       Ring Master: announces the acts before they perform
-       Lions: jump through hula hoops
-       Clowns: juggle bean bags/ scarves
-       Acrobats: walk the high wire (tape on the floor) balancing different objects
-       Strongman: lifts pretend bar bells with "heavy" things (black balloons or empty milk jugs)
-       Tumblers: do different "stunts" on a mat (summersaults, rolls, etc.)

The parents buy a $3 ticket to attend and they serve popcorn. The kids march into the room to circus music banging instruments. They also have art work on the walls to match.

Pizza & Ice Cream Social
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

We ask the parents to donate $6 to help cover the cost of ordering pizzas and the school provides the little ice cream cups for the students. You can usually find a pizza store that has a $5 special so we order just cheese or pepperoni. Everything is donation after we pay for the pizzas.

McDonald's Lunch Day
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

Again the parents pay $6 and we order Happy Meals for the students. Everyone gets chicken nuggets and milk to drink – keep it simple! Parents volunteer to pick it up for us. This year we have a new connection with one of our families and they were able to get all the Happy Meals donated!! So awesome!

Fast Fundraising and Teaching Tips
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

Pumpkin Patch at Halloween – we have the parents pay $3 for a pumpkin and if we can get them on sale for less we donate any extra funds.

Christmas Musical DVD – we have a family that has offered to video tape our musical and sell the DVD's for a fair price of $10 each. They keep $8 and the other $2 per DVD goes to WBC.

Newsletter outreach
Idea submitted by Debbie Santowski at Little Angels Preschool

We are constantly mentioning the WBC in our monthly newsletter so they are aware of the events. Attached to the newsletter we put an envelope with the sticker that says: "Sharing our blessings around the World. Your $3 donation will help us help them!" We have a plastic jar with a lid in each classroom and the children are able to place the envelope with their money in the jars. At our monthly worship service we have an offertory of the jars where the children from each class bring up the jars and we say a special blessing for our friends at the WBC.

Ecuador wares sale
Idea provided by Pat Parks and Patricia Jessup

Each year we sell Ecuadorian goods we purchased during our visits to the Working Boys' Center and the Otavalo markets.  We have several schools and churches that allow us to sell the goods during the school day or after church.  The sales are typically held before Christmas so people can purchase the items for presents.  With each purchase we hand out a flyer about the Working Boys' Center to raise awareness about those benefitting from their purchase. 

Dance-a-thon
Idea provided by Carol Braham at St. Mary's Church

Students in grades 9-12 raised funds for the Working Boys' Center by collecting a sponsorships for dancing for an evening at the church.  Students collected flat rate donation and had to raise a minimum of $30 to participate.  Students received a t-shirt and food for their participation.  Prizes were given to the top money raisers.  If they raised $100, they received a $10 gift card.  If they raised $250, they received a $30 gift card and if they raised $500, they received a i-pod shuffle.

Soup Supers
Idea provided by Carol Braham at St. Mary's Church

Gather the student body or church members for a traditional Ecuadorian dinner of soup.  For several years, St. Mary's Church has invited church members and students to participate in a simple Ecuadorian meal of soup, bread, plantain chips, cookies and drinks.  They play traditional Ecuadorian music, have a short presentation by those who have visited the Working Boys' Center and sell Ecuadorian craft.  The event accepts free will offerings and raises important funds for the Working Boys' Center.  The dinner is served following the Sunday evening Mass and the event lasts an hour and a half.

Nativity Raffle
Idea provided by St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garrison, ND

Each year Dick and Sue Hendrickson organize a raffle at Christmas time at their churhc.  They raffle off different items including nativity scenes from Ecuador which are the most popular item.  Church members purchase tickets and all proceeds benefit the Working Boys' Center.