May 15, 2007

WFMW: Flamingos on the Brain

My husband is a youth a pastor and this summer we're taking our high schoolers to Florida for a nationwide youth conference with our denomination. We have needed to raise about $1100 per person for the trip since we're traveling across the United States. We've done a few fundraisers and honestly, none of them have done great. The kids hate hitting people up for money, which I understand.

This past week we started a fundraiser within our church and it's been a huge hit! People pay $20 to "flamingo" someone else. Basically, our high schoolers drive over in the evening and stake 6 flamingos in the yard of a person that someone paid us to "flamingo". We're asking the people "flamingoed" to pay a $15 "flamingo removal fee", which is of course, optional, but who wouldn't want to support a good cause. If the people would like, they have the option of passing on the love and "flamingoing" someone else instead for just $20. I didn't think that the people in our church would get behind this like they have. All 7 days this week have been filled and we've made over $300 with VERY little effort! We have 2 full week left of the fundraiser and we may extend it if the demand continues!

We bought 12 flamingos from Oriental Trading Company, so each night we flamingo 2 people, putting 6 flamingos in each yard, along with a card taped to the door so the people are clueless as to why there are 6 flamingos mysteriously placed in their yard! Since we have 12 kids going on the trip, each of them only needs to deliver flamingos to one house a week, not much time for a whole lot of profit.

That Works for Me!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! My husband and I help out with our church's youth group-we will have to recommend this fundraiser. It's so unique and sounds like much more fun than finding something to sell or doing a car wash.

Justice Fergie said...

this is a really cute idea!!! good luck with your fundarising :)

Aylmer Full Gospel Youth Ministry said...

My Youth Group is starting that next month! However, we are also selling 'insurance' for the folks who would rather not have tacky lawn ornaments appear on their precious lawns ;) Its gonna be fun!