The next time you need to brainstorm fundraising game ideas, go beyond bake sales. Get people involved in action you create. Games and contests are dynamic ways to gather funds and make people glad they contributed.
Chance
People love to be part of the action and Heads or Tails is the way to do it. Everyone donates and everyone participates. Someone wins a grand prize. Decide what the grand prize will be in advance. Secure a donation for dinner for two from a local restaurant or a night at a bed and breakfast. On the day of the event, leave envelopes marked "Heads" or "Tails" on every table. At game time, ask everybody to be seated for a game. When everybody is seated, tell each table to assign a banker. This person holds the envelope with the money she is about to collect. Decide before the event how much each person will contribute. The amount each person contributes should be based on the value of the grand prize. Collect the envelopes and deliver them to the announcer who will be holding an coin.
Tell everyone who contributed to stand. People who think the coin will be heads will place their hands on their head. Those who choose tails will place their hands on their bottoms. Toss the coin. Those who choose the right side of the coin remain standing. The last person standing wins the prize (see References 2). Check local laws before organizing a game of chance.
Sporting
Play Ball-a-thon. High school basketball teams can help raise money with this game. Have players sign up pledges for different basketball shots. Determine shots according to players' ages. For example, older students can shoot from halfcourt. Pledges sign for foul shots, 3-point shots and halfcourts, and shoot 10 foul shots, 10 3-point shots and five halfcourt (see References 1).
Marathon
Hold a dance marathon to raise funds for your church or school. Determine in advance how long the marathon will last. Do not make it too long for health and safety reasons. Set a reasonable time, such as six hours. Sign up pledges to donate for different amounts of hours. If individuals under 18 are involved, they must provide signed permission slips. Have a school nurse or volunteer doctor available. Select music with varying beats. Couples that dance for the entire time win a prize, which can be a donated concert tickets, passes to a play or a college sporting event.
Tags: grand prize, 3-point shots, each person, everybody seated, foul shots, foul shots 3-point