To help you raise the funds to defray the cost of travel and attendance, here are some ideas! And don't forget, airfare to San Francisco is often less expensive than to other parts of the country. Book your flights early!
- Offer to sponsor coffee hour with a group of people attending the conference. Cook a delicious meal that is a bit different from what your parish sees on any old Sunday. Egg casseroles are always a hit along with a nice green salad, bread and some sweets. Also, a good pot of soup served with bread, salad and sweets is another enticing, after church treat. Or on a hot day some good yogurt with home made granola, fruit and real maple syrup is an easy sell. Put out a sign with the MLIC poster (see the Material link) and a bit of information on why you are raising money and ask for a suggested minimum donation of $5 per person. Best to have this announced the Sunday before and an email reminder sent out midweek so everyone can come prepared with their checkbooks or cash.
- Do some babysitting! Parents with young children always need a break!
- Have a car wash on a Saturday morning.
- Organize a movie night at your church. Pick a good film that will appeal to a good number of people. Provide popcorn and drinks. Charge as much as you think people will pay, but make sure they know that this is a fundraiser to help send you to Boston!
- Simply ask your parish or parishoners to sponsor you at whatever amount they can offer that will also make your attendance at the conference possible.
- Have a bake sale.
- Request donation of airline miles to cover the flight. You could hold a raffle for some item or service you would offer, and have the entry price be 5000 airline miles from a particular site -- and make an alternative price be a cash amount.
- Get creative! Sell something like homemade jewelry, something you knitted, painted etc. Ask a few church bookstores to sell these items, or sell them at church festivals. It is always good to offer to share the proceeds with the bookstore. Just talk to whoever is the “manager” to work out the best arrangement.
- Hold a garage sale! Invite your friends and parish members to donate things that they would like to get rid of (offer to pick them up), and advertise in the newspaper, free gazettes, with notices in coffee shops, and notice boards, and with posters and balloons the day of the event. Our church raise $1000 in one day!
- Start saving now. Rather than going out for a mediocre dinner, invite friends over for a potluck meal and put what you saved towards your trip.
- How many times a week do you buy coffee at Starbucks or a similar place? How much does you “favorite” drink cost there? Say it’s $2.50 (more like $3.50, eh?) and you buy 5 a week. Do the math, and you’ll find that between now and the conference, you will save a good deal toward your expenses! Just take a thermos of coffee or tea to work or school.
- Do the math again, this time on the difference between bringing a lunch from home verses eating out on weekdays. Who knew you had so much money?
We look forward to seeing you all this summer!
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