If you know someone with a knack for growing a mustache, you may just have the makings for a playground fundraiser!

You start this fundraiser by making everyone shave (if necessary) and then bringing them in once a week to measure their mustache length. Set up a website with photos for people to comment and make donations under individual participants. When all is said and done, host an event where awards are given for the longest mustache, celebrity lookalike mustaches, and pair that with a silent auction or other fundraiser. Learn more.

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Zen meditation activities have become very popular, especially with seniors. Bring a Zen Master in to teach relaxation techniques to planning team members. Once the playground is built, transform your playspace into an inter-generational community space by asking a local Zen Master to hold free T'ai Chi or meditation classes at the site. [Learn more]

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Barter for bucks! This fundraiser works to provide folks with services they need in order to give children the playspace they need. Community members inform you of a service that can provide or need. Donors buy a service they need which is provided by a volunteer. Payment for the service is made to your playspace fund. For example, a community member donates their time to babysit on a Friday night. Another community member who needs a babysitter signs up for the service and pays for it by making a donation to the playspace. The amount of the donation depends on the service. [Learn more]

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Non-events have become very popular fundraisers. With so many choices and event ideas available, you’ll be surprised at the number of people who will donate just for the opportunity to stay home! 

What is a non-event? It’s a made-up event that doesn’t really exist. What is great is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to your playspace! [Learn more]

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Ask a local musician to provide entertainment at Build Day or for fundraisers. Entertainers can be the children's choir, church groups, mariachi bands, blue grass bands, jazz musicians, blues, etc. Recruit popular local bands to participate in a friendly competition, a "Battle of the Bands." This has proved to be a great fundraiser for many skatepark groups. [Learn more]

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A recent KaBOOM! build at the Marsha Barbour Community Center in Pass Christian, Miss. featured a unique side project - a brightly-colored, kid-sized maze!

The kids and adults came up with the idea during their Design Day, and Justin Fitzgerald, KaBOOM! Project Manager, took on the task of creating the plans and figuring out the logistics to create it.

The maze, which measures 25 feet by 30 feet, was made of 4x4 pieces of lumber and 4-foot tall sheets of plywood. On the outside of the maze, kids painted beach-themed murals, and on the inside of the maze, they painted bright, solid colors.

On Prep Day, volunteers dug holes for the 4x4 posts, primed the plywood sheets and sketched the kid-designed murals onto them. On Build Day, they assembled the maze and as soon as each plywood sheet was attached, the kids began to paint it.

"People loved it," said Justin. "It turned out well."

Check out more photos of the maze, and other side project ideas - we hope to post the maze plans soon!

A high school or university coach can encourage team members to volunteer on Build Day as part of a team-building or publicity events. A coach also has access to a number of things that might come in handy on Build Day: whistles, first-aid kit, orange cones, megaphones, etc. [Learn more]

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By Rachel Warner Blosser

Our best fundraiser to date has been a murder mystery dinner called “Montana Marie Gets Gunned Down at 3!”

Many participants wore their best western apparel for the event. The performers greeted the guests in character at the “chili bar.” Following their western buffet dinner of pulled pork, barbecue ribs and chicken, the show began. With props, sound effects and tremendous ad-libbing, the performers presented the show while interacting with the dinner guests. The guests kept track of various clues throughout the show, and prior to intermission, the audience was given the opportunity to question the cast and determine the murderer and motive. After intermission, the murderer was revealed, and prizes were given to the super sleuth who figured out “whodunit” as well as the best-dressed cowboy and cowgirl.

With Scrabulous currently disabled on Facebook, people are looking for ways to show off their vocabularies and word-game skills...and this fundraising event will let them do just that! 

Register individuals and assign them to a team, or register whole teams of four, six or eight. Seated at different tables (each with a Scrabble board and all the letters available), each team starts with the same opening word, and has 20 minutes to fill the board with high-scoring words. [Learn more]

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This hilarious, interactive game can result in huge donations for your playspace project. Community members such as students, parents, etc., pay to have a big pink flamingo in their neighbor’s or schoolmate’s front yard. In order to have the flamingo removed, the person that received the flamingo has to pay $5 to have it removed and placed in another yard. You’ll need more than one flamingo to start this game, or you can use your school’s mascot or anything else that has meaning to your community. Folks will love going out in the morning to see who got “flamingoed” the night before. [Learn more]

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Real estate agents are connected to LOTS of people. Get them involved in volunteer recruitment: maybe they can distribute information and sign volunteers up at their next open house. [Learn more]

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Get local celebrities to dance for your playground! One playground committee had a disco theme and paired their event with a silent auction, raising $15,000! Encourage collaborative dances from various city officials. Choreography isn’t necessary – a lot of people know (but may not admit they know) how to do the Electric Slide, the Hustle, and the Macarena! [Learn more]

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Children LOVE trucks—their flashing lights, big wheels, loud noises! Bring the excitement of real trucks to children in your community. Families will appreciate the opportunity to let kids see and touch for themselves! [Learn more]

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An artist can supervise/design artistic play environment projects, like murals and mosaics, or help design publicity materials. Artists might have studio space available that can be used for meetings and creative fundraisers. [Learn more]

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Every one loves balloons and prizes. Put the two together and you have a “popping” good time! Insert a slip of paper into each balloon. Some slips of paper will be blank while others list a prize the lucky popper has won. Prizes can range from the very simple, like candy or small toys, to money. It’s up to you! [Learn more]

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Ask your local grocery store to support your project by allowing you and other volunteers to bag groceries for an afternoon and collect tips for your playspace. Give each bagger a tip jar and display signs to tell customers what you are doing by the check-out aisles and the front of the store. This is a great way to heighten your community’s awareness about your project. [Learn more]

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