Attracting Donations Creatively
October 5, 2000 | Read Time: 1 minute
As the number of charities raising money continues to grow, and competition for funds intensifies, charities around the country are looking for creative ways to bring attention to their causes — and attract donations.
Some organizations are putting new spins on long-standing approaches like the charity auction. In Houston, an AIDS group decided to auction the sponsorship of services it provided to clients instead of selling items that donors would want to acquire for themselves. And in numerous cities, sculptures of cows, buffaloes, fish, pigs, and other animals are being auctioned off to benefit charitable causes — after the playful art pieces have delighted downtown residents and tourists in Chicago, New Orleans, and elsewhere.
Other charities are relying on ideas and events produced by their supporters. A Washington group that helps young people is benefiting from a donor´s desire to celebrate a significant birthday by encouraging her friends to make a gift to the organization, while a San Francisco homeless shelter reaps the rewards from a treasure hunt produced by a private investigator who wanted to find a novel way to help causes he cares about.
A closer look at these fund-raising ideas:
