Have an All Night Baby-Sitting Party

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	Fund-Raising Ideas

	Spotlights

	Coordinate Local Events

	Host a Dinner or Breakfast
	Organize a Benefit Concert
	Have a Baby-Sitting Party

	Sell Items

	Raffles and Auctions

	Other Great Ideas

Venue (find a facility that will donate the space and time)
$70 for food
Three adult and five teen volunteers (family and friends)
Time: Plan eight weeks in advance; four hours to plan, one night to execute
Borrow children’s games, toys, movies, and sports equipment

Determine a place to host all-nighter. Look for a facility that will not charge you; your church or synagogue, or a community center may donate the location free of charge. A location with a gym or multi-purpose room is best. Plan your all-nighter for Valentine’s weekend or New Year’s Eve (any night when parents want to go out but baby-sitting is hard to find). Your goal should be to have 30 kids and charge them $20. Your profits will then equal out to about $500.

Put the word out to the community through your clubs, organizations, parents’ and friends’ workplaces that you will be baby-sitting on this night. Set a minimum age limit for children that you will baby-sit. (This activity is not appropriate for babies and toddlers, who take more time and are less likely to enjoy an all-night party.) It’s important to have people sign up and pay in advance so that you know how many children of what age you will be baby-sitting, and so you can confirm that you will have enough adults on hand to assist. Give very specific details about the time to drop off and pick up children. Plan to have a pizza party for dinner (see if a local pizza shop will cut you a deal), light snacks through the night, and provide orange juice and muffins for breakfast. Be sure to ask parents about their child’s allergies before they leave.

Have activities and movies available to keep the children busy. Plan board games and sports activities for children six and up. Have coloring, movies (G-rated), and toys for younger children. Request that parents bring a sleeping bag and a pillow, and provide a quiet area for children when they are ready to sleep.


	Success Story: A group in Spokane, Wash., held an all-nighter the Saturday of Valentine’s Day. Eight young adults and 10 parents hosted the event at a dance studio. A local pizza house donated dinner, and the donuts served for breakfast came from a supermarket bakery. Attendees made up lip-sync and dance routines, played board games and Twister, ate popcorn and watched movies. With 98 children at $25 each, the evening raised $2,450.

Make sure to schedule nothing for the next day, as you will need to catch up on your sleep! Once you have, be sure to send a thank-you letter to the facility and to all your sleepy helpers.

Variations:
If baby-sitting is not your thing, host an all-night party with your peers. You could host it at a YMCA or similar venue where swimming and sports can be a part of the all-night party. You’ll probably have to pay for the use of the facility but you can charge more for the party. You will still need plenty of adult supervision so that parents will feel comfortable with their teens coming to spend the night.