Help! I need come up with ideas for fund raising event...

[Mylittlebubble]

... I have offered to help DSM with a fund raising party. We are raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis. My Nephews both have CF.

Anyway we are looking at doing a silent auction on the day. But I do not know where to start in getting the gifts/ prizes! Thought about writting to sports clubs, fan clubs and local events. I just don't know where to start.

Have any of you guys done anything like this and have any ideas? Or guide me on addresses or how to write the letter? I need a kick up the bum really to get on with it!

Might be some useful info if you have a nosey here

OOh could give you a hand with this. Im currently organising a charity in night in memory of my brother who was killed in October 2009.
I've went round the shops in the town centre with the a newspaper article which was printed shortly after his death and a letter from the charity we are raising money for and just asked them for donations. I have found that the smaller companies or independant shops are generally more helpful and generous. I would say aim high i've wrote to all sorts of places who poeple have told me wouldnt donate anything and i've got something from them. Try places you think wont donate anything will help. Do be prepared for people to say no or closer to the time and make sure you go back and give them a nudge. If you can get a letter from Cystic Fibrosis to say you are raising money on their behalf some companies will insist upon an official letter but plenty will accept one that you have written yourself.
Put it in the paper if you can too. Some prizes might be more suited for a raffle but you could add things together to make a hamper and so on.

In the letter i'd put that your nephews suffer with CF and explain how x amount will help the charity and a few small facts if you can find them and personalise it a little.

I'll have a think see if i can think of any more sugguestions

thats brilliant thank you x We have contacts at the charity and the boys have been on the paper so that will all help.

It does make a difference if you can say im doing for x reason. We've had places offer to put posters and flyers in their stores as well as giving us a donation. We've gained such a variety of prizes from bottles of wine and chocolates, vouchers for meals, hairdressers etc and even for tattoos. We recently put in the paper that we were doing it and the article is really nice very much the human interest side of the story. Think the first paragraph is along the lines of. The family of a young road crash victim will mark the anniversary of his death by raising money for a charity which gave them a lifeline. So theres the instant recognition of why we are doing and we say this when asking for donations aswell as show them a picture.

So far its worked out quite well as we're doing advance tickets cheaper and I've had request for quite a few.

Don't confirm a venue until you have a vague idea of what kind of thing it will be. Some will have restrictions on noise, some will have different licensing conditions etc

If you do want to sell raffle tickets in advance you must make sure that CF have a small lotteries license if they dont you'll have to apply for one under you own 'company' and issue a terms and conditions explaining what you hope to raise etc.
Re: venue see if they will donate the room if they will get the sales from the bar etc. We've got a dj and our room for free, we've paid out very little for the event main thing was the collection tins and the printing of letters etc