DINNER & DESSERT AT LOCAL RESTAURANT
Treat yourself by eating out for a good cause. Find a restaurant or dessert shop in your area that would be willing to donate a percentage of a night’s profits to your cause. Do this type of fundraiser once or at multiple restaurants different nights in your area.
GOLF TOURNAMENT
Raise money while bringing members of your community together. Try finding a corporate sponsor to cover the cost of the course rental fee; once you cover that cost, all the money from entry fees go to your fund! Some golf clubs may even give you a percentage from sales in their gift shop. Try other fundraisers during the event (ex. bake sales, raffles, etc.).
BOOK SALE
A book sale can generate money for your fund by using the resources you already have. Collect unwanted books, either from your stacks or by donation, and organize a sale. Take this opportunity to sell bookmarks or other fun reading gifts to raise even more money.
RAFFLES
Call, advertise, or collect donations to get a variety of items you can use as raffle prizes. The more items you collect, the better chance you have at raising more money. Raffles are a great way to get the community excited about their donations to your fundraiser!
CELEBRITY BOOK READING
Invite popular authors or famous reading advocates to read at your library. If you sell tickets to the reading, that money can go towards increasing your funds! Try different themes for different audiences among your community, or even try programming with appropriate themes of each month. This is a great way to raise money while bringing your community into the library.
MOVIE NIGHT
Take advantage of your movie license and show a flick the whole community will enjoy. Make it a fundraiser by asking for donations when people come in, before you play the movie, at intermission, before they leave, or all the above. Remember that movie nights can help others because your library’s license covers any group that shows movies in your library.
Wow your community by tracking your fundraiser progress. Make a “Stack-of-books thermometer!” Have a stack of books as “tall” as your goal and mark progress points along the way. Color in the books as you reach each dollar amount.
View the Stack-of-Books Thermometer
Directions:
1. Print on any 8.5 x 11 inch paper.
2. Write the dollar amount appropriate to your goal checkpoints in the box in the middle.
3. Print as many stacks as you need to create the number of checkpoints you want.
4. Color in the stack of books as you raise money and reach each checkpoint!
* The benefit to a thermometer like this is you can always add more books, even if you beat your fundraising goal!
MOVIE POSTER
Order a movie poster to advertise your next movie night. At the showing, sell raffle tickets for a small fee. Those who purchase a ticket can enter to win the movie poster to take home with them! By splurging on a poster frame, you can charge more per ticket and give the winner a fun art piece.
FACILITY RENTAL
Did you know that your annual site license covers any group that would like to show a film under your roof? You can use your library as a place where community book clubs, film organizations, school committees, and any other group can show movies. Charge them a rental fee and use the money to pay for your annual license renewal.
ADVERTISE
There’s an old saying that says, “Sometimes you have to spend money to save money.” By advertising your need for funds in community announcements, the donations may just start pouring in. Ask for a donated advertising space to save even more!
BOOK AND BAKE SALE
Have a bake sale to kick-off your fundraiser, but also ask people write down their favorite recipes. Collect recipes from card members, gather everyone’s favorites and create your own cookbook! You can sell the cookbook throughout the year at your library or multiple branches in your area.
TRIVIA NIGHT
Host a trivia night at your library. Make the theme all things libraries by asking questions about book to movie titles, famous authors, and movie clips. Charge each team an entry fee and let the competition begin!
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