Make (and Sell) T-shirts

A great fundraising idea is to simply wear a special T-shirt, to advertise your event and get people asking questions about it; thus leading to a donation. You may also consider selling your T-shirts, and putting those funds toward your fundraising efforts.

Neighborhood Garage and/or Bake Sale

Ask your friends and neighbors to participate by donating items for the sale. Make signs that indicate all proceeds are going to your fundraising initiative. Ask your local paper to run an ad as their contribution. Add a bake sale and/or lemonade stand, and have a donation jar visibly displayed for those who choose not to purchase. Don't forget to wear your special T-shirt and have plenty of donation slips handy!

Potluck Lunch or Dinner

Ask friends and neighbors to make a dish. Talk about why you’re participating in the fundraiser over dinner and hand out donation slips with dessert. Make it a Hamburger Helper potluck! Ask people to prepare and bring their favorite flavors.

Special Movie Screening

Ask your local movie theater to donate a special screening of a new release to benefit your event. Invite everyone you know and post flyers. Collect donations in the theater lobby. Ask if the theater will also donate a percentage of the concession sales.

Helping Hand Donation Slip

Print the Hamburger Helper helping hand to give out to donors as slips. You can then post the slips for everyone to see at your fundraising headquarters.

Meet the Press

Contact the editor of your local paper, company newsletter, or both! Ask them to interview you about what you’re doing and why, and include a request for support. Be sure to include instructions in the story for how readers can make a donation to your fundraiser.

Live/Silent Auction

Ask some local businesses to donate items or gift certificates and hold an auction at your fundraising event, or on payday at work. Good for a large crowd and some big-ticket items. Set minimum donation limits and allow people to bid them up.

Car Wash

Go to your local car wash and talk with the owner/manager about doing a fundraising event there. Post flyers a week in advance, and then spend a few hours talking with people about what you are doing at the cashier stand. Hand people a flyer and accept donations.

Local Event

Set up a booth or a table where people will be milling around anyway: at your local festival, county fair or sporting event. Have a banner or a poster clearly stating who you are, talk to people about your fundraising initiative and keep an ample supply of donation slips and pens at hand.