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Choose a cause or issue that is important to you if you want to raise money for a charitable cause. Write down the reasons you want to raise money if it’s a personal cause, such as raising money for your sports team.  For example, you could choose to raise money for the fight against cancer, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, or the battle against wildfires in Australia. Pick just one important issue at a time to fundraise for to avoid getting overwhelmed. If you aren’t sure what you want to raise money for, but you know you want to get involved with fundraising, try talking to organizations in your community. Homeless shelters, veterans organizations, schools, and libraries often need funding, and you'll make a real impact right there in your own community. Determine the amount of money you want to net, which is the amount of money you are left with after you subtract expenses, by calculating how much you need or want to raise for the cause. Having this number to work towards will help you plan the rest of the event.  For example, if you are raising money to combat wildfires in Australia, you could set a net goal of $10,000 to donate to charities that help that cause. This means that you want to raise $10,000 for the cause plus enough to cover the expenses of the fundraising event. If you are raising money for something like a sports team, you can calculate how much money you need for things like new equipment or travel expenses to help you set your goal. If you need $1,000 for new jerseys and $4,000 to travel to a tournament, you would set a net goal of $5,000. It’s best to be completely transparent with your donors and supporters about where the money you are raising will go. Think about the purpose of your fundraising event and decide if it will be geared towards a general audience or if it will target a more specific audience, such as friends and family of your sports team members, business people, or parents. This will help you choose the type of event and determine who and how many people to invite.  For example, a big charitable cause, like raising money for children in Sudan, can have a large, more general target audience because it is a world issue rather than a local one. If you are raising money for a more personal cause, like a pet’s veterinarian bills, it would make more sense to limit the audience to family, friends, and close members of the immediate community who the cause is more relevant to. Make a list of all the things you know you will need to spend money on for the event. Include things like staff, event space, food and drinks, invitations, guest speakers or entertainers, and any other items or services that will cost money.  If you don’t know the exact price of everything you will need to pay for just yet, that’s OK. You can make a spreadsheet with all the expenses listed, then fill it in with the estimated costs of each item as you continue planning. You may be able to get services, items, and even event space donated by local businesses or organizations. Explain to them that you are hosting a fundraising event for your charity and that they can help a worthy cause and get exposure for their business by donating to your event. Choose to hold something traditional like a car wash, a silent auction, or a dinner if you aren’t feeling too creative. Try something different like a race, a water fight, or a dodgeball tournament if you want to do something more unique and fun.  For example, if you're running a fundraiser to benefit your school's band, you could set up a school bake sale or carnival. Make sure the event is an experience that is fun to participate in. You could have guest speakers, a band, activities after dinner, or anything else you can come up with that will keep guests entertained and engaged. Get creative! When you’re brainstorming ideas for the event, you can choose between service-based events, like car washes, and competition-based events, like sports tournaments. Look for large indoor event spaces like schools, wineries, restaurants, or conference centers if your event will be held inside. Search for outdoor spaces like parks or sporting fields if you are hosting an outdoor event. You could try to find out where other similar events have been held and ask about the availability of those places.

Summary:
Define the cause of your fundraising event. Set your fundraising goal. Choose a target audience based on who you think cares about your cause. Create a budget. Select what type of event to hold based on your audience and budget. Find a place to hold the event.