This event is common in large-scale fundraising events, but it is a great way to educate your neighborhood about People to People and your travels while participating in a fun event. Go to the homes in your neighborhood and tell them about your upcoming trip and your fundraising efforts. Ask if they would like to buy luminarias to support you. Luminarias are white paper bags filled partially with sand with a candle in the bottom. When the candle is lit, it makes the bag glow and is very beautiful at night. Visit homes first to find out if they want to participate, then buy enough supplies for each order (be sure to price them high enough that you will make a profit). Finally, deliver the pre-made luminarias to your neighbors' homes and tell them what night to put them out, then watch as your neighborhood lights up in support of you!

Success Story: Taylor P. sold luminarias in his neighborhood by selling them in packages: 10 bags for $15, 20 bags for $25, and additional kits for $12.50. After the beautiful “Night of Lights” in Taylor’s neighborhood, he made $1,400 for his trip.

Christmas Tree Collection

Ask your local paper to run an advertisement for your Christmas tree pick-up service. List your name and number and be sure to get directions to each home you are visiting. Charge per Christmas tree, and be sure to figure in gas prices and transportation (you will need a truck). Ask a local nursery if you can use their wood chipper and then donate the wood chips to them in return for their services.

Success Story: Taylor B. earned $500 by going throughout the neighborhood one night a week with his dad, collecting, chipping, and recycling Christmas trees into wood chips. The local paper printed an article about Taylor’s trip and fundraiser to help advertise.

At-Home Pet Care

As an ongoing fundraiser, you can offer to take care of your friends' and neighbors' pets while they are away on vacation or at work. Charge each person a base rate per animal, and for extra you can even offer to walk them.

Success Story: Lexi A. from Missouri started a company called “Lexi’s At Home Pet Care Service.” She made flyers advertising her services across the neighborhood. Lexi offered to groom dogs, clean litter boxes, walk dogs, and pet-sit.

Recycling

Help improve the environment and raise funds for your program. Do some research in your community to see where you can make an impact! Decide what you want to collect, and spread the word that you are recycling to raise funds for your program. You can set a specific date to gather items or collect on a continuing basis. Check around your community for organizations or recycling facilities willing to pay for your items.

Success Story: Christopher C. from Connecticut raised $500 recycling cans and bottles from his community.

All-Night Babysitting Party

Determine a place to host an all-nighter. Look for a facility that will not charge you (a church, synagogue, or community center); a location with a gym or multi-purpose room is best. Plan your all-nighter for a night that parents want to go out, but babysitting is hard to find (like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve). Put the word out to the community through your clubs, organizations, and parents’ and friends’ workplaces that you will be baby-sitting on this night. Set a minimum age limit for children (this event 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 you know how many children of what age you will be baby-sitting, and so you can confirm 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 pizza 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 parent 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 age 6 and up. Have coloring, movies (G-rated), and toys for younger children. Request that parents bring a sleeping bag and pillow, and provide a quiet area for children when they are ready to sleep. 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 helpers.

Success Story: A group in Spokane, Washington, 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, and ate popcorn and watched movies. With 98 children at $25 each, the evening raised $2,450.

Variation: 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.

Rummage Sale

Start by gathering items from friends, family, and community members. This works best in the springtime when people are naturally inclined to sort and clean their homes, and it is close to rummage sale season (summer). Use your own backyard to have a traditional rummage sale. To make extra profits, sell lemonade and homemade goodies to the people who attend. Be sure to advertise well and let everyone know where the proceeds are going!

Success Story: Dawn C. from Texas had a rummage sale with items donated from friends and family. Dawn and her family began asking people to donate months in advance to be sure to have time to price and gather items. Dawn also sold lemonade and baked goods, and at the end of the day earned $1,059.

Variation: Hold an online rummage sale. The process for gathering items to sell is the same, but this sale could take place any time of year. Spend time browsing an auction site online and see what items are listed to get a good idea of which items to sell and what to charge. Take digital photos of your items and write a detailed description of each. Follow the rules of your online auction house when placing your items up for bid. Be sure to have an adult help you through the process. It’s a good idea to set up an automatic payment system with your auction house to be sure you get timely payment for your goods. Put a specific time limit on your auctioned items. You can either stagger the finish times, or have them all close on a Friday. Once your items have sold, ship them promptly to your customers. Send a thank-you note to any volunteers who helped you gather, sort, pack, or ship.

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