Successful Fundraising Ideas for Groups and Clubs

Community Yard Sale Fundraiser Idea

How to put on a successful community yard sale fundraiser

Yes, this tried and true fundraising idea that has been around since the dawn of the caveman days is still a thing. Why you ask? Because yard sales or rummage sales still work. We get it. Hosting a community yard sale sounds like the ultimate bore. But that doesn’t mean that your particular yard sale has to be boring. Spice things up a bit! Adding a theme to your event will help generate more publicity and make it a lot more fun. Yard sales are still a fabulous fundraising idea. They’re easy to put on and since all items for sale are donated and operational costs will be low, the majority of the funds you raise will go directly towards your fundraising goal.

Select any theme you want. It can be tied to your organization, or it can be something completely random, such as a rock and roll themed sale. Find a local rock band that needs some publicity, and have all of your volunteers dress up like rock stars. If you’re going to be attracting families with smaller children, you can make it a Disney themed event and have your some of your volunteers dress up like Disney princesses and do face painting. You might also have success with a zombie-themed show! The ideas are endless, and you can incorporate a new theme each time you hold the event.

Ask members of your local community as well as your own club or group members to donate items that you can offer up for sale (you can send volunteers to go door to door, or ask businesses to post flyers and act as collection points for the donated items). You’ll need access to a venue where you can sell the items and plenty of volunteers to help organize everything.

The great thing about hosting a community yard sale, is that you don’t need a fancy venue (most can be set up outside), and your set up costs are low. Items you’ll need include, tables (to hold the items), chairs, price stickers, and some bags that buyers can carry away their items in. If it’s going to be a sunny day, you’ll want to have some umbrellas set up for shade. You can also generate some extra revenue by selling snacks, lemonade or iced tea (if it’s hot) or hot chocolate and coffee (if it’s cold). You’ll also need cash boxes or a way to accept credit card payments.

Be sure to print up your event flyers and posters at least 2-months in advance of your event and distribute them throughout your community. You’ll want to start making announcements on social media at this time as well. Good luck!