Team OHEL is the grassroots community fundraising program at OHEL Children’s Home & Family Services. Each year, everyday heroes like you turn their passions and interests into unique fundraising events and athletic feats. You too can make a difference.
We want to make sure you have a strong fundraising foundation and that means understanding where to start and how to CREATE YOUR OWN EVENT. We will provide you with your own personalized online fundraising page for your event. Check out some of our best fundraising references below and you’ll reach your fundraising goal before you know it.

If you would like more information on how to join one of TEAM OHEL’s athletic events (NYC Marathon, NYC ½ Marathon, TD Five Boro Bike Tour, OXC Tough Mudder, 5K) and/or if you are creating your own event, please register your event and contact Meital Cafri at 718-686-3217 email: [email protected]

Fundraising Event Ideas:

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Chesed Project – Mazel Tov! Becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a significant time in a Jewish child’s life. You are having a bar/bat mitzvah and are looking to add a meaningful project to your event. The following ideas will help you create a unique Mitzvah project.  OHEL’s Simcha fund provides meaningful and memorable simchas for OHEL’s foster children, children & families living in our Domestic Abuse Shelter or children with disabilities.  We have an online fundraising tool that can be customized to your family’s specification.  This online fundraising tool can be sent out to friends and family to raise money on behalf of these children.  Click link below for the customizable online fundraising tool.

Amazing Race – The Amazing Race is a 5-time winner of the Outstanding Reality-Competition Emmy award. The television show features teams of two people who travel the world together searching for clues while completing Detours and Roadblocks along the way.  It is the ultimate treasure hunt.  One of the tasks could be you ask each team to raise money, set a goal for each team.  This is a great kick off to the race.

We recommend this website to give you some age appropriate race ideas - http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/amazing_race_party.html

 

And this website is great for purchasing theme party items -

http://www.queen-of-theme-party-games.com/amazing-race-party-supplies.html#axzz23YO0gsme

 

My Generation - Take a trip down memory lane and head back to your generation or live someone else’s! 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s the theme opportunities are endless.  Charge an entrance fee and boogie all night long!

You Got Game? - There are many great games.  You could do the traditional board games Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary or do a Wii Challenge.  Each person is charged an entrance fee and let the games begin!

Guys Night Out - Invite your buddies and their  friends over for poker/casino night.  This event is the real DEAL!
Movie Night- Invite your friends and Family to a movie night! It can be on an outdoor screen or in the comfort of your home!  All you need is some popcorn, licorice, soda and your Academy Winning Event will be a success!

Decade Party! - Who doesn’t want to relive the 60s, 70s, 80s and now… 90s!! Hold a theme party for a bunch of your friends and their friends. Donations: $30 per person. Spend no more than $10 per person on the food and you’ll have $20 per person or more to take away that night.

Karaoke Night- Do you fancy yourself a Rockstar? Approach a local Karaoke bar and organize a Karaoke night for friends and Family.  Charge an entrance fee and shine like a star! Karaoke Duet is a great place with many locations in NYC.
Car Wash - You will clean up on this event!   Ask a local store/gas station or find a popular crossroad that you could set up your car wash. This is a great idea to do right the weekend before Passover.

Garage Sale - this can be done individually or in a group. Ask your family and neighbors if they want to join in.  Be sure to put an ad in the paper, pass out flyers and hang a lot of directional signs. Many local papers will publish free ads for garage sales in that town. Ask friends and neighbors to help put up flyers in local Shuls, supermarkets, schools, etc.  It is important to put on your flyers OHEL CHARITY Garage Sale.  When people know the proceeds are going to charity they will be less likely to bargain on the price.
Used Book Sale - New or Used a great book never gets old!  Ask you friends, family, and neighbors to donate their old books, and set up a weekend book sale in your front yard. Put up signs around the neighborhood Distribute OHEL information so people will know where the money is going. Once they learn you’re raising money for OHEL, the may even give you more money!

 

Who Do I Ask to Donate to my OHEL Event?

For your event to be a success, you need people to come out and support you.  The first step is whom can you ask for donations? First start by making a list, ask your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors and we have added below some suggestions of potential donors that you may want to reach out to.

Check off the list of potential donors at you may ask to help your fundraising event.

 

Whom I know by Profession?

Optometrist______________________             Physical Therapist__________________
Physician (Family) ________________              Physician (OB‐GYN) _______________
Veterinarian______________________             Accountant_______________________
Spin/Gym Instructor_______________              Architect_________________________
Attorney_________________________             Chiropractor______________________
Dentist___________________________           Electrician________________________
Financial Planner__________________              Nurse____________________________
Nutritionist_______________________

 

Who do I know at…?

 

Camp____________________________             Place of Worship___________________
Clinic____________________________              Golf Course_______________________
Health Club______________________                Hospital__________________________
Hotel____________________________              Restaurant________________________
School – High School_____________                   School – College__________________
Volunteer Group__________________                My parent’s friends_________________
People from past jobs_____________                  Play sports with___________________
Sorority/fraternity friends_________                   Children’s friends’ parents____________
Facebook “friends”________________                Chavrusa_________________________

 

How Do I Raise Money?

Your Office is a Great Place to Help  with Your Fundraising Efforts

Corporate Matching Gift - Many companies have programs through which they will "match" the charitable contributions made by their employees.  Employee matching gifts often are dollar-for-dollar, but some companies will give double or even triple the original donation. Some companies may also give matching gifts for employees’ volunteer efforts.

Check with your company's Human Resources office to see if they offer gift matching. (If they don't, you may want to ask your company to start one.) If your employer does offer this program, your Human Resources department should provide you with a matching gift form to send to OHEL along with your donation. Complete this form and mail it with your donation to:

OHEL Children’s Home & Family Services
Attention: Development Marisa Hanfling
4510 16th Avenue 5th floor
Brooklyn, NY 11204

Our Donor Services office will verify receipt of your gift and return the form to your company for matching funds.
OHEL is organized under the laws of the State of New York and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number:11-6078704).

Corporate Sponsorship - Focus your search on businesses that might want to reach the audience your organization serves or has demonstrated an interest in your cause or community.  Contact small/local  business in your community. Times are tough, some may not be able to donate cash, however; the may be more than happy to donate a gift-in-kind gift.

Donated Sport Tickets or  Concert Box Seats – Sporting events are always a great way to get people to come out and support a cause.   Many times your company or someone you know will be able to donate their box seats to asmajor sporting or entertainment event or sporting events.

Six Easy Steps to Raising $1,000

This may be the first time you’ve participated in a fundraising event. We’d like to show you just how simple it can be. Follow these six easy steps, and you’ll be well on your way.

Have you set a higher goal for yourself than $1,000? Great! Simply adjust the minimum donation amount you’re asking of each potential donor, and/or increase the number of people you’re going to ask.

1. Donate to yourself. It all begins with you! $50
2. Ask 4 family members to donate $50 each. $200
3. Ask 14 friends (and other family members) to donate $25 each. $350
4. Ask 10 co‐workers to donate $25 each. $250
5. Ask your boss for a company contribution of $60. $60
6. Ask 6 neighbors to donate $15 each. $90
TOTAL $1,000

Add just 4 more steps to reach $1,500!

Now that you’ve raised $1,000, you know just how easy it is. So, why not increase your goal? Here are four easy steps to raise an additional $500.

1. Ask 5 local businesses you frequent to donate $25 each. $125
2. Ask 5 members of an organization to which you belong to donate $10 each. $50
3. Host a community fundraising event (book sale, garage sale, car wash, etc.). $200
4. Ask your doctor, lawyer, etc. to donate $25 each. $125
TOTAL $1,500

Add ONE more step to raise another $500 to reach $2,000!

Use Social Media like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Send a blast and share what you are doing. Ask 25 friends for $20! It’s that easy…$500 more in fundraising. Try choosing a different group of 20 friends to target each week.
TOTAL $2,000

How do People Find out About My Event?

Email and Social Network Campaign
OHEL will provide you with a prepared email template and tweets that you may use or modify to send out to your email list to assist you in your fundraising efforts.

Fundraising emails will determine whether someone is interested in donating to your efforts. Each person in your address book that you consider a potential donor should get one of these emails. (also check our Who do I ask? list, you may have left someone key out)
Fundraising update emails will inform people on the progress you’re making in your training and monetary goal. These emails can be sent to people who have not yet donated or to those who have donated but might be interested in donating again. This is based on your discretion.

How often do I email people? Frequency and type of email: Please respect the fact that many people receive a lot of email. Be concise with why you’re writing yet direct in what you are doing and asking for.

Thank you! We suggest a personal mailed letter or possibly a postcard to thank them. This takes extra effort but can go a long way in keeping that person as a donor for future requests.

If someone asks you to remove them from your email list, it’s polite to honor this request.
Important to Remember!

Thank your donors! Kindness is contagious and you really can’t thank enough. You can also encourage them to forward your email to their contacts to help you’re fundraising campaign.

Please contact Meital Cafri at OHEL and she will be happy to help make your event a success!
Tel 718-686-3217 or click here to email ([email protected])