Need ideas

[smudgley]

Hi all, Has anyone got any ideas of what I can do to try & raise some money or even get people donating toys or food for the cat rescue charity I'm involved with.
I know I help them by fostering the cats and kittens, but at Christmas time I would like to feel I was being pro active in helping out the charity. But am a bit stuck what to do.
Got any ideas? Kazz - your good at thinking of ideas? It could be something I could do at work. Or on here or ??? We have fundraising people working hard to raise funds, but I'd like to do my bit.
I have given a donation already for the beautiful picture that Emma did for me of Mitten.
I have a young girl saving all her pennies for a donation when her mom will be adopting a cat in the spring & have said I will match whatever she saves, but thought as it's Christmas I'd like to get other people donating too. I know Christmas is an expensive time, but if I could get lots of people involved it would be good.

HELP.

[Jac]

How about asking a supermarket to put up a poster for you. When people are buying food for there pets get them to drop a tin in for the CP. Put a couple of boxes at the check outs.

[dinahsmum]

If you're willing to risk a bit of capital to begin with and do a little bit of in-your-face near begging, this worked well for me.
Buy cheapish champage, put some wraping ribbon round the neck, maybe a bow to make it look 'exciting', go to your local hostelries and (after getting permission from the manager) raffle the bottles at £1 a ticket. You only need get 15 - 20 people buying to turn a healthy profit - don't be mean and try to get £50 on one bottle - if you have willing purchasers do two raffles in the one pub.
You'll need to get organised beforehand with tickets etc - make the whole thing 'quick and dirty', so it's like a fun addition to peoples' night out, not a boring charity thing.
If you can crash a big and happening party people often just throw a fiver at you for five goes - easy-peasy!
You can make up to £10 a bottle - do it half a dozen times (and get your 5% discount on the champers to start with) and you'll get 50 - 60 quid. Just polish your brass neck before you go out!

Good luck! :cat21

[CathyW]

put up a wanted on the freecycle site,your have ppl donating toys ect to your worthy cause,its in yahoo groups,

[yola]

Get the local radio/newspaper involved. Some already do children's appeals etc at Christmas, but if they don't it might be worth seeing if you can generate some interest/backing that way . . . the message will be spread far and wide too!

[Emm]

I've pm'd you :D