Frequently there are problems with large organizations holding fund-raising events. The larger the organization, the more paid out expenses there are, which inevitably will affect the bottom line of available money actually donated to the cause.

Having been involved in raising funds for local charitable organizations most of my life, one of the most important lessons I learned was, whatever needs to be done, obtained, or otherwise needed to hold a fund-raising function is best done by oneself and a small group of co-supporters. Let me elaborate:

The first step in organizing a successful fund-raiser is to form a chapter of "friends" of whatever charity you want to sponsor. Make a commitment and devote your time and energy solely to this one charity do not try to diversify. A group of six to eight people is sufficient to accomplish almost any venture you care to tackle. A group this size is easy to manage, is capable of spreading the word through work, school, family and friends, and will easily become recognized in your community. Once a small group gets their feet wet and learns the ropes, it is then advisable to increase the number of "friends".

Having set up your group, you will need to elect officers. You will need to set a specific day or evening to hold a meeting once a month. And, you will have to decide how many functions you wish to hold in one year and prepare a calendar of events. This is important because once you are successful, you will want to increase that number in the future.

Following is the outline of events adhered to by one of the groups I was active in for sixteen years. I believe the simplicity of it is what made it so very successful.

We originally began with six women. We paid $3.00 dues each for the year. Our very first function was to hold a yard sale in September. The items were gathered by our group and we encouraged friends, neighbors and relatives to donate items to us. This money was to open an account in which to place all income which would be given to the charity we chose. The yard sale continued to kick off our fund-raising season every year and we built a following from it.

In October we held a fall crafts show. In order to do this we came up with a unique plan that was time saving and also avoided being uncomfortable for any in our group who might have a problem going out "begging" for items. Each person selected a day that was convenient for her to do so and spent much of her day calling

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