The economy is in a poor state: inflation and prices are up, incomes and investments are down, and the businesses that are suffering the most are non-profit organisations with bare-minimum reserves – many of which savings were thoroughly depleted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moreover, in this challenging economic climate, non-profits leverage innovative solutions, like using AI for fundraising, to adapt, maximize outreach, and secure crucial funds for sustaining operations and supporting communities.
Here are some fantastic ideas to raise funds for your local care home which can be used to fund treats and fun excursions for the residents, ensure the continuation of various necessary services, or even simply make sure the home can continue to keep running on a day-to-day basis.
Auctions
Invite the residents (unless they are mentally vulnerable) and all their family members to donate an item or two for auction. Some older people have fantastic items that are highly in demand by collectors but not really valued by the younger generation who has no space for them.
Let the item go to a good cause by having it auctioned off, all proceeds to the care home. The auction can be a simple community affair, or, if the quality of the items is good enough, perhaps one of the big auction houses will take it on – perhaps even for a reduced fee, if they have a charity auction policy.
Social Media Birthday Donations
Many social media apps allow for people to post requests for donations to various charities on their birthday, in lieu of presents or cards. Get your Somerset care homes added to the list of charitable enterprises and the care home could benefit from a slow, but steady income from this.
Quiz Night
Hold events like quiz nights, with, if the home allows for it, a bar licence for the event. Having members of the community in the home can make them feel proprietorial towards the home (which will encourage them to support your other endeavours), and this, in turn, can ensure that they donate generously.
The way the funding will work is to sell entry into the contest for a modest fee and then offer a ten percent or so prize to the person who comes first – this is sure to boost enthusiasm for the event and draw a bigger crowd than if there was no prize at all.
Various Sponsorship Challenges
Schoolchildren can do sponsored litter picks. Runners can ask for marathon sponsorship. Even dieters can ask to be sponsored as inspiration to finally drop that last five pounds!
There is almost nothing that cannot be sponsored by others, so be as creative as you can when allowing weird and wonderful sponsorships – they are all for the same, very good, cause.
Community Art Expo
Get the budding artists in your community on side by holding an Art Expo. Locals pay a small fee to submit their work; others pay a small sum to view and perhaps vote on the works (or you can get the care home manager or a similar official to judge the pieces) with a modest prize going to the winner.
Funding Match
Funding matches can be an excellent way to double your raised funds. The big supermarkets, especially, like to support local endeavour and will sometimes match funds raised (usually up to a certain amount) which can make a modest return into a considerable sum for simply the effort of asking the question.
Community Barbecue
If there is a small sum in the kitty, host a lavish summer barbecue! Invite stall holders to buy a spot to sell their wares, hire carnival rides (the owners of these will usually have the appropriate licences) and make sure there is enough food and drink to go around – for a fee, of course!
Holding a fun fair barbecue is a great way to boost interest in the care home, bring in some much-needed revenue – and it can be repeated annually if desired, quickly establishing itself as a summer tradition in the area!
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