If you have children, you are probably very familiar with fundraisers. Schools and other organizations routinely hold them in an effort to raise money. Fundraisers can also help you grow your business.

If you are in direct sales, you can offer your product as a fundraiser. The company that you are with may have a fundraising program in place. If not, you can still offer your own “program.’  You can simply offer to give the organization holding the fundraiser a portion of your proceeds. You may opt to donate 10% of your profits. Don’t worry about having to give up a portion of your money, by being a part of the fundraiser, you will be receiving a lot of sales and the portion you give away will be well worth it. Plus, you can use that as a tax write-off.




Plus, you can follow-up with the people who placed orders from you. Some of these people may continue to be your customer long after the fundraiser is over. Who knows? They may also book parties with you or even become a consultant.

You can still participate in fundraisers if you do not sell a tangible product. Some organizations hold events such as silent auctions. You can offer your services as one of the items that will be auctioned off. If you design websites, offer to design a simple website for someone. Other organizations hold raffles as a way to raise funds. You can offer your services as a prize. If you are a professional organizer, offer to clean out the winner’s garage.

These fundraisers can offer you a lot of publicity. The organization should have some type of press release with the names of the people donating their time and services. Local media outlets such as the newspaper, radio, and television stations may publicize the event before, during, and after it has taken place. This provides a lot of opportunity for your name to be in the press.

Plus, the organization itself may be so impressed by you, that they hire you for paid work in the future. Ask the person in charge of the fundraiser for referrals of people he or she may know that are in need of your services.

If the fundraiser is an event that people will be attending, such as a silent auction, the guests may also be impressed and ask the person in charge of the event for your name. Let the organization know that it is okay to recommend your services.

If you would like to find a fundraiser to help with, call your local schools, religious organizations, and non-profit groups. They can help you find a cause that you are willing to donate your time and efforts for.