Free and Low Cost Summer Activities for your Family For many parents, summer poses the inevitable question: Now that the kids are home all day, what am I going to do with them? Summer camps get expensive, as do visits to water parks, theme parks and other attractions. Grandparents love to see the kids arrive, but after long they wonder just what to do with them. The good news is the answer doesn’t have to be too complicated. Low and No Cost Ideas Here are some free or cheap things to do with the kids this summer. Play traditional card games or board games. This is not old-fashioned, but retro. Board game nights and trivia nights are popular in bars around the country. Your kids may love Yahtzee, gin rummy or poker played for pennies. See free or cheap kids’ movies. Many movie theater chains, including Regal, Cinemark, AMC, show free or cheap kids’ films on weekday mornings during the summer. Get there early if you want a seat. Many cities and towns have free outdoor film festivals, and your local library may also show kids’ movies. Go to a free concert in the park. Cities and towns nationwide put on free concerts in parks in the summer. That’s a great way to introduce kids to music and live performance without having to worry about whether they’ll squirm in their seats. Let the kids help you cook. Not only does this sharpen math skills with school out, but also kids are more likely to eat healthy meals they help prepare. Plus, they’ll thank you later. How many young adults do you know who can’t cook and complain that their parents never taught them? Share a hobby or craft. Do you sew, scrapbook, collect coins or do genealogy? Share that skill with your child or grandchild. If the child has expressed interest in a topic you haven’t mastered, do the research and create projects together. Take up a sport or pastime as a family. Yoga, karate, bicycling and hiking are good sports for families to engage in together. The best part is you can stay fit and spend quality time with your family all at once. Go bowling. Bowling lanes nationwide offer free bowling for kids in summer, though required shoe rental is usually extra. Most participating lanes permit two free games daily for registered families, but bowling times and other rules can vary. Hundreds of lanes across the country participate in the Kids Bowl Free program, and AMF also has a free summer kids bowling program. Check with your local lanes to see if they’re part of either program.  Visit your town’s free attractions. Smaller, less popular museums or attractions may seem cheesy to you, but they’re magic to kids who have never seen them. An added plus is they often have much smaller admission fees than the most popular museums and zoos. Take a field trip to a nearby town. Check with convention and visitors bureaus for information about special summer events and deals, as well as free attractions. "They know of only festivals the locals will know about," says Jody Halsted, an Iowa mother of two daughters who writes the FamilyRambling.com blog. Chicago, for example, has more than 400 neighborhood festivals each summer, which are listed on the city’s website. If your kids or grandkids are older, give them the task of doing the research and planning a day trip. Give the kids a photography project. Everybody takes pictures these days. Let the youngsters choose a theme or subject and take photos all summer. They can then use those photos in a scrapbook, storybook, collage online slideshow or gift for relatives or friends. Explore your local library. Not only can you borrow books for free, you can also check out movies and download music. Plus, many libraries have story times, movies and other activities for kids and teens during the summer. Most libraries have a summer reading program in which kids can earn free books or other prizes. Barnes & Noble also has a summer reading program that awards a free book to youngsters who read eight books and fill out a journal.  More Ideas Fundraising Corner Summer is a season full of fun, staying up late, taking vacations, and spending time with friends. It can also be the perfect time to volunteer and give back with some simple fundraising ideas. Whether it's your kids or yourself, everyone has a cause that means something to them. Arranging a summer party with a purpose is a wonderful way to keep everyone busy and help those in need. Summer fundraisers can be easy to organize, especially during a time of year when people have more flexible schedules Here are some summer fundraiser ideas for you and your family to try this summer: Have a charitable yard sale: Organize a neighborhood yard sale and donate all the proceeds to your favorite charity or community cause. Send digital invitations from The SignUp Hub with all the details.Plan a barbeque after the sale and get everyone together for some hot dogs, hamburgers, and s'mores. You can also ask a few charities to come to the sale and talk to people about their organizations. Ask people to make a personal contribution as well. Volunteer outside: In every community, there are public areas that always need volunteers to help with the upkeep. Talk to your town or city officials and determine where and when you and other party-goers can help the community. It may be picking up trash, building a rock wall, or planting trees. Send digital invitations from The SignUp Hub with all the details. Whatever it is, spend a few hours helping out and then regroup for an outdoor party in someone's backyard. Set up an outdoor movie theater, serve popcorn, and enjoy the warm weather. Once you've picked a summer fundraiser theme, all the pieces will fall into place and guests will be clamouring to attend. When you plan your event on The SignUp Hub http://www.thesignuphub.com, you can add a Donations request to your digital invitation and ask guests to contribute to the cause. This is also a great option for someone who can't attend to still participate in making a difference!                                                                      More Ideas News The SignUp Hub Solutions Now Available The SignUp Hub will change the way you do registrations and solicit volunteers and donations. Whether you organize events, fundraisers, and/or volunteer opportunites on a large, medium, or small scale, The SignUp Hub will streamline & simplify your communications and registrations to take your event's success to the next level. From Our Partners "The SignUp Hub is 100% committed to creating online tools and solutions that improve the way any volunteer or instructor runs their events and fundraisers" ...Lonnie Allgood, Dreams For Kids CEO. We want to hear from loyal customers like you. Follow us on Facebook and on Pinterest @ TheSignUpHub and let us know what you think about our system and our online support. Your feedback makes us better.  Thanks, Connie and Nora Click Here to Start Your Hub Today Is Your Town is Having a Town Carnival this summer?  If so, pre-sell tickets at a discount.  Send a flyer with online ticket sales to your neighboring communities and watch your profits SOAR! https://www.thesignuphub.com/ticket-sales-made-simple/ Do You Know Anyone That Could Benefit from The SignUp Hub? Help Spread the News! Share with a Friend Pin Forward to a Friend

Subscribe to Our Email List

Fundraising Idea:  Flamingo Flocking

We'd  like to start sharing great ideas and success stories of our current customers!  Mendham HS Competitive Cheer Club is currently raising $$$s and having fun by engaging their town with a Flamingo Flocking!  What is flocking?  Well late at night a flock of flamingoes appears on your front lawn.  The family then  'DONATES' by leaving money in an envelope to have them removed and perhaps "DONATE MORE" to flock another friend or foe of their choice.  

How?  It's Easy... simply purchases pink flamingos (approximately 250 but the # is up to you).  There are many different ways to organize your 'flockers' or fundraiser in general.  Best to visit the website to find out more. (HINT:  Leave a sign on the lawn with the flamingoes with a note describing "Flocking' to your victim.  With this note, leave the envelope and a cellphone number of the Person in Charge.  They can text to have the flock removed and to send the address of the next victim).  Then parents & children migrate the flocks from house to house. Best to run this fundraiser every night to every other night for 3 weeks.  Mendham Cheerleaders flocked their fall sports stars each week with notes of encouragement throughout the season! What a FUN-draiser way to CHEER on their school! 

Details of this fundraiser can be found on www.flamingofundraiser.com

Made easy by www.TheSignUpHub.com

Fundraising Idea: Hoopapalooza!

Fundraising Idea:  Hoopapalooza!

Free -Throw Fundraising is a great way to earn fast, fun cash for your organization!

At any designated HOME basketball game, invite spectators to take their "Best Shot" during half time for a small donation of $5, $10 or $20 dollars.  You can split the proceeds with the winner like in a 50/50 raffle OR you can solicit a prize or monetary donation from a local business.  Either way, the winner of the Free-Throw Contest and your organization both WIN!!

If there are too many participants for half time…no problem!  Most schools have a secondary gym to run preliminary rounds during the first and second quarters. Best to showcase only the top 10 Free Throw Finalists during half time.
 
You can continue to raise money week after week with various games…3 Point Shots, Ladies Only, Adult Only, and Under 12 Free Throws! And remember the secret formula…
Bigger the Prize= More Sign Ups= Most $$$s (hint: get a local sponsor to dedicate prizes or cash each week.  Small Community Businesses love to promote themselves as well)!

Made Easier by www.TheSignUpHub.com

Lonnie Allgood, NFL All-Star and CEO Dreams for Kids, Inc.

Best Fundraiser in New York/ New Jersey!  www.ladfk.org Dreams for Kids is a passionate 501-c3 non-profit organization committed to helping kids reach their dreams in life. Lonnie Allgood is the founder and he works tirelessly on his mission is to help build a child's character by giving them the tools they need to believe in them and respect others. Through interaction with current and former professional athletes as mentors we want children to understand the importance of education and inspire them to become great people in society. Dare to Dream is designed to reach adolescents form ages 7 to 18 years of age, when children are more vulnerable to peer pressure.  It is an educational support program that concentrates on providing the maturing adolescent with valuable information about life experiences. Our program utilizes the experience and insight of professional athletes, entertainers, business and community leaders as role models for the youth of today.  Lonnie coordinates NFL Celebrity appearances, speaking engagements, assemblies and camps.  But what I love most is his FUN-DRAISER! 

Scoring Points for Kids  is a fundraising program where they team up with schools, charities, churches, and other community non-profits to meet their fundraising needs and provide fun for everyone who gets involved. Your audience will shout, laugh, jump and applaud as our all-star team of NFL players takes on the teachers, police officers, government officials, and children of your community for a fast-paced FUN basketball game. Ticket sales, food concessions, sports memorabilia sales, autograph sessions, and half-time contest generate revenue. The BEST part is there is no money needed upfront!  Lonnie simply works tirelessly for your school and you split the profits 50/50 after the event!  I've seen it in action and it is AWESOME!

Connie Calabrese and Nora Noll, www.TheSignUphub.com

The Most Creative Fundraisers

5 Lessons To Learn From The Most Creative Non Profit Fundraising!
This past summer everybody was talking about the ASL Ice Bucket Challenge. I bet you saw a lot of videos and photos of your friends, athletes, celebrities and top managers of big corporations participating in this viral sensation across all social media channels. The challenge was dedicated to raising money and awareness to research a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as helping those who suffer from the disease. As of September 3rd, the ALS Foundation had raised $107.4 million. However, it’s not the only one viral challenge, nonprofits have enjoyed a long list of creative fundraisers that brought a lot of attention before. Many of these campaigns were successful raising millions of dollars in a short period of time

Here are some other recognizable and Creative Non-Profit Fundraisers:

1) Movember ($22.5 million raised) – an innovative social fundraiser, which motivates men to grow moustache in November while raising money for programs to improve the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.
2) St. Baldrick’s Foundation ($34 million raised) – head-shaving events that take place everywhere as a challenge to raise critical funds for childhood cancer research.
3) Polar Bear Plunge ($20 million raised) – jumping into freezing cold water in order to help raise funds for Special Olympics athletes.
4) Operation Sharecraft ($1 million raised) – a social experiment within the gaming community for Save the Children organization to raise money for starving children in East Africa.

After Reviewing These Challenges, Here Are The 5 Essential Lessons That Should Be Taken From These Creative Non-Profit Fundraisers:

1. Identify Your Cause And Message Simply.

People need to feel a little bit better about themselves, so many of us look for helping others in need. However, raising money for non-profit’s general expenses is not as important as supporting a specific cause with a goal.
The key to success of these campaigns is the clarity of the message, because simplicity matters. People usually don’t have time to read through a lenghtly article or newsletter to learn more about your causes, goals and challenges.
2. Create Fun And Emotional Connection
We always look for some entertainment!
Keep in mind that people love having fun, sharing emotions with their loved ones, being a part of something big and feeling a sense of unity. If you make fundraising for your non-profit fun and easy, you will get support and emotional connection.
3. Ensure The Right Timing
One of the essential factors helping build a momentum and keep supporters engaged is to set up a deadline or choose the right timing. Whether it is 24 hours to complete the Ice Bucket Challenge, or a month dedicated to grow a moustache, or a winter day to plunge into freezing water, or a video game tourney, people should be informed and prepared. The deadline creates a sense of urgency, motivating participants either to take an action or donate sooner. Starting a fundraising campaign for a cause requires time for proper planning, promotion and outreach.
If you want an idea to thrive, make sure to give your supporters a deadline to encourage engagement and initiative!
4. Use The Power Of The Crowd
Let your supporters have a chance to involve their network into your challenge, so that they can experience fun and joy, and be proud of helping spread the word of your cause. Get maximum visibility over Social Media, this will result in raising more money. You will be able to enjoy the benefits of increased awareness and exposure to your non-profit.
5. Empower Gift Matching
Non-profit organizations can reach out to well-known entities in their local communities to ask for sponsorship such as providing rewards for fundraising campaigns, matching donations to charitable projects and causes. Many companies already have corporate social responsibility programs in place to increase the awareness of the good work they are doing for their community. Many companies are very interested in making a matching donations for your nonprofit cause that could increase the impact on their community.
Now think about what you want to achieve and raise money for and then sometimes the simplest, most entertaining idea, combined with the right timing, can have a big impact!!
When I read about these lessons from a guest contributor to CrowdClan and an Onlin Marketing Expert for Fundrazr, I needed to pass it along. Sure anyone group can sell candles, or pies, or entertainment books. They are good and easy ways to fundraise, but are they FUN! Think about the above whenever you are planning your next FUN-draiser!

Connie Calabrese, www.theSIgnUpHub.com