The Top 3 Fundraisers to Sell to Your Out-of-Town Friends and Family
By Robert Gregoire
Fundraising for your team or organization can be challenging, especially when trying to involve out-of-town friends and family. Many traditional fundraisers require physical presence or local engagement, making it difficult to reach those who live far away.
This can lead to missed opportunities for support and slower fundraising progress, leaving you frustrated and under pressure. Out-of-town supporters want to contribute but need convenient and accessible options to do so, which can feel like a hurdle.
The Top 3 Fundraisers You Can Sell To Your Out-Of-Town Friends and Family!
1. Home Delivery By UR Fundraising
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. How am I going to sell to your out-of-town friends and family back home to purchase and support a grocery delivery fundraiser when we don’t deliver out of town?
Simple, we now give you the ability to sell gift cards to your supporters and I’m guessing your immediate family (if they’re out of town) would not only support this fundraiser but they will buy a gift card and send it to you. Now you’ll get the benefit of getting free groceries delivered to your door and earn money for your team!
The gift cards are digital, so they can send it to whoever they want by email when they purchase. You’ll receive the email with a link back to the store and a unique gift card code. Simply enter the code at checkout and have the groceries shipped to you when you redeem it, making this a top 3 fundraiser!
Pros
- Affordable way for your friends and family to support
- Sell gift cards to use on the store and earn 25%
- It’s easy to setup and execute our online platform
- Over 300 products, there’s something for everyone
- Convenient, affordable and high quality products
- Over 100 products under $50 – not a “fill your freezer”
- Supporting local businesses
- Flexible home delivery
- Track sales by team member
- Gift certificate sales can be completed in 30 days
- Your supporters can re-order all season long and keep earning 18% on those sales.
Cons
- Not everyone wants to buy groceries for fundraising
- Bad experience from the “Fill Your Freezer” fundraisers from other companies
2. Online Raffles
Host a 50/50 raffle or offer a prize. Sell raffle tickets to friends, family, and the community. Promote the raffle through social media, school newsletters, and local events. Draw the winners at the end of the 30-day period and celebrate the success together. Even though we’re starting to see “Raffle Fatigue” and lower engagement, online raffles still is one of the best and makes our list of the top 5 fundraising ideas in Calgary.
Now technically, they aren’t allowed to purchase if they are out of province. However, if you really wanted to, you could put it in your name and then transfer them the money if they win. I hope your trustworthy or they won’t support this fundraiser!
Pros
- Affordable way for your friends and family to support
- It’s easy to setup and execute
- A chance to win a prize
- Track sales by team member
- Sales can be completed in 30 days or less
Cons
- Not everyone wants to support lotteries
- Raffle fatigue – too many requests to support
- Cancelling out – if you ask 10 friends to support and then they turn around and ask you back, it cancels out
- Might take a couple weeks to get your licence
- 50/50 are more like 50/40 – they take a percentage of your sales which really isn’t that bad for their service. Just wish they were more upfront about it.
3. Survivor Hockey Pool
Organize a fun and engaging Survivor Hockey Pool. Participants pay an entry fee to join and select hockey teams they believe will win throughout the season. As teams get eliminated, so do participants, until only one winner remains. This interactive fundraiser not only raises money but also keeps the excitement and competition alive among supporters. It’s new to our list of top 5 fundraising ideas in Calgary for 2024.
This fundraiser is perfect for your friends, family and extended family who love hockey. You know the ones that will sign up right away, it’s not even selling when it’s this fun!
Pros
- A fun way to participate in fundraising
- Easy sell to hockey lovers
- Low cost to join
- People get knocked out as the team they pick that week loses – it’ll be finalized usually within a couple months
- Online platform
- Easy to setup and manage
- Short selling period – two weeks is all you really need
- You can start this fundraiser anytime during the NHL season
- Winner gets half the pot
Cons
- Not everyone wants to join a hockey pool – I know right??
- Need a lottery licence
- Need to collect money for each entry
I'm Rob, and I've been where you are.
I understand the struggle of managing your child’s sports team.
That’s why I founded UR Fundraising. My partner Blair and I are a couple of dads who didn’t like to fundraise, so we combined our talent and expertise and decided we would revolutionize how fundraising is done. We provide all the social media posts, consultation, reporting and support you’ll need, and we’ll be here every step of the way. Learn more about us
Want to see how we can transform your fundraising efforts?
You'll Love How Easy Our Fundraiser Is
Executing our home grocery delivery fundraiser is super easy and effective.
Ease of Use
Executing a home grocery delivery fundraiser is effortless with our seamless online ordering, no payment collection, and customized online store, making it easy to raise funds and track progress.
Convenience
Executing a home grocery delivery fundraiser is highly convenient with fast home delivery, customizable delivery times, and effortless online ordering, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free fundraising experience.
Cost Effective
Executing a home grocery delivery fundraiser is cost-effective with over 100 affordable products under $50, no payment collection hassles, and high profitability, ensuring maximum returns with minimal expenses.
It's Quick & Easy!
“UR fundraising has been a welcomed avenue of fundraising for our family. Its quick. Its easy. The staff are great! And we would be buying the food anyway. Only when we purchase through UR fundraising you get some money back to go toward your kids activities.”
Amanda Madriaga
Super easy and convenient
“Our soccer association loved how we were able to launch this fundraiser and have it run all season long. What I really liked was the fact that our supporters received the product while the fundraiser was still on. Word-of-mouth helped us achieve our goals because the food was so good. This fundraiser is a no brainer for any organization looking to have continuous donations.”
Iain Sneddon
Awesome Support
“UR Fundraising made our fundraising efforts a breeze! The platform’s ease of use allowed us to quickly set up and manage our campaign, and their selection of fundraising options was impressive. What really stood out was their real-time support; whenever I encountered an issue, their team was there to help us immediately. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a seamless fundraising experience!”
Adam Hunt
How It Works
Step 1: Book a consultation
Schedule a 30 minute video call and I'll go through the process and answer all your questions.
Step 2: We handle the details
We build all the behind the scenes details including your custom store and marketing materials to get you started.
Step 3: We launch your campaign
We'll provide you with all the tools and a game plan so that you can execute this fundraiser and have success.
Here's What You'll Get ...
- Consult Meeting - A video call to develop a plan
- Manager Playbook - Step by step checklist
- Marketing Brochures - Helps to sell the program to your team
- Social Media Posts - Helps to sell to your supporters
- Earn Up To 25% - Selling gift cards earns your team 25% commission
- Home Grocery Delivery - We take care of all the logistics
- Fast Delivery - Receive your products in as little as 7 days
- Custom Online Store - Your own branded online store
- Affordable Delivery - Only $6.99 delivery over $49 within Calgary
- Seamless Ordering - Don't have to look after the money
- Track Sales By Team Member - Promotes a little competition
- Over 100 Products Under $50 - Low cost so everyone can support
- Over 18 Local Vendors - Supporting our local community
- Pet Treats - Over 150 dog, cat and small animal supplies