Practical Issues > Things To Do > Activism

Fundraising Event Ideas

1. Movie showings: Hold a movie showing every other week. Try alternating between educational films (animal rights, human rights, etc.) and fun movies.

2. Café nights: Café nights can be really fun. Find a community space and set it up like a little restaurant. Make yummy food and serve it to your friends. This can also serve a dual purpose as a vegan outreach night. Remember to try to keep your costs down as much as possible.

3. Auctions and Raffles: Ask local businesses to donate items. Use part of them for an auction and part of them for a raffle (don't underestimate how much money can be made off of raffle tickets!). The auction can allow people to be competitive, and the raffle can bring a little fun into the evening.

4. Dessert nights: Café nights can get very cost and time intensive, so the dessert night is an easier and quicker version. Have the best bakers in your circle make a few different types of desserts and invite people to come out and indulge. You can charge by dessert or create little package deals.

5. Ask a local veggie restaurant to donate a night's worth of business to the fund! Many owners of vegetarian restaurants value the business we give them and are eager to give back to their community. Help them out by offering to offset their labor costs for the evening by doing the dishes, waiting tables, helping with cleanup etc.

6. Speakers/Panel Discussions: Speaker nights and panel discussions can bring a lot of people together to share ideas and are also a great way to make money. Try not to stay in a box; ask someone to speak who has never spoken in your area before or ask him or her to speak on a subject that is unique.

7. Parties! - Everyone loves a good party. Why not have fun and make some money at the same time? You can charge a cover at the door or charge for drinks - or both! You can also make an announcement when the party is good and crowded and then pass a hat!

8. Bake Sales - The idea of a bake sale brings very specific images to mind, but don't underestimate the power of people's sweet tooths. Try baking some cookies and going down to an event you know will be crowded, or set up a table of goodies at your school/community library, etc. Try to make items that are yummy but don't cost a lot to make; this will increase your profit margin!

9. Tabling - Find an area where you live and set up an information table. You can do a general animal rights table or a table specifically about the SHAC 7. Remember, supporting animal rights prisoners is essential to helping animals!

10. Your own money - It can be difficult for many of us to find extra money to donate, but please do what you can. Try to weigh profit vs. time investment of putting on a small benefit; you may find that its makes much more sense to donate out of your own pocket (if you are able to). The best idea, of course, is to do both - hold benefits and donate what you can of your own money!

11. Yard Sales - Do you have a lot of stuff lying around the house that you don't need? Have a yard sale and donate the benefits. You can also ask your local animal rights community and your family and friends for donations of items to sell. You'd be surprised how many people will be eager to clear out their houses!

12. Shows - Are you in a band or do you have friends that are in a band? Put on a benefit show. The bigger the band the better, but anything helps!

13. Skill Shares - Do you have special talents that you could share with others? Try holding a skill share with a cover. Keep the suggested donation gap broad - a lot of times people will pay the higher suggestion!