3rd Party Fundraising Ideas
Donate a Dollar, Wear Red
Hold a dress down day, or a Wear Red Day, for your employees and ask each one to bring in a dollar donation to participate.
Recycling drive
Many recycling centers offer money in exchange for donating cardboard, paper, plastic, or metal. Check out Earth911.com to find the center nearest you and raise money for your favorite charity.
Bake sale
Hold a bake sale at your local church, school, community fundraiser or sporting event. Donate the proceeds to the Red Cross.
Yard sale
Ready to clean out your basement, closets or attic? Have a yard sale and donate the proceeds.
Potluck dinner/lunch
This works for a school or church function, a special holiday or just a night with friends. Have people bring their favorite dish and ask them to donate a few dollars to participate in the fun.
Count the Candy
Get a jar and fill it with your favorite candy (i.e. jelly beans, gumballs, Swedish fish, or M&Ms). Ask everyone to donate a dollar and make a guess. The person who wins wins the candy.
Penny Wars
Put together teams of people and use jars to collect pennies. At the end of the week/month, have each jar of pennies counted by a local bank and award the winning team a pizza lunch. Donate all proceeds.
Coffee House/Open Mike Night
Host an open mike night at a community center, local school or church. Sell tickets at the door, offer door prizes, and sell beverages and food. Donate the proceeds.
Happy Hours
Enjoying a happy hour with co-workers? Talk to the bar manager and ask that a percentage of the proceeds be donated back to the Red Cross. Ask that your friend be a celebratory bartender and donate their tips.
Retail/Restaurant shopping events
Donate a percentage of retail sales and food bills. You can also ask that the customer donate a dollar when they are making their final purchase.
Sports Tournaments
Ask that team members pay a fee to join the team. Donate tickets sales, raffle sales, and/or concession sales.
Video Game Tournaments
Host a video game tournament with your friends. Everyone puts in a few dollars to play. Whomever wins the most points donates half the money that has been collected to the Red Cross.
Craft Fairs
Looking to showcase your talents? Host a craft fair and donate the proceeds to the Red Cross.
Battle of the Bands
Host a battle of local bands and ask the proceeds be donated back to the Red Cross.
Art Shows
Having a gallery opening? Donate beverage sales and pick a favorite painting to auction off and donate the proceeds.
Birthday Parties
Ask your child to pick their favorite charity and then ask their guests to donate in lieu of giving gifts.
Wedding Favors
Looking for a unique and personal way to honor your guests? Consider donating in their name to the Red Cross. We can help you create special cards that can be placed on tables or in other presentations.
Have another idea?
Visit our website at www.redcross-philly.org to check out what we do and learn about what you want to get involved in. We're more than happy to help you create your own event. Call our fundraising department at 215-299-3081 with any questions.
Donate by Instant Messaging
Though we're most visible after hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes, we also respond to the needs of families affected by destructive home fires every day. You don't have to get the nation's attention to get ours.
The i'm Initiative is a program that connects you with the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross through Windows Live™ Messenger.
With the i’m Initiative, every instant message conversation you have can mean a donation to the American Red Cross. All you have to do is select the Red Cross as your charity of choice. These funds won't come from your pocket, but from Microsoft, who will share a portion of the program's advertising revenue with the Red Cross.
With no set limit on the amount donated, the more i'm conversations you have, the more you will help the Red Cross respond to disasters of every size and scope. The Red Cross is guaranteed a minimum donation of $100,000 by Microsoft during the first year of the program. There is no fee for joining or using Windows Live Messenger, and signing up is quick and easy.
Donate by Phone or by Mail
By Phone
You can contact us at 215-299-4000 to donate via credit card over the phone.
By Mail
You can mail your check or money order payable to the American Red Cross, Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter to:
American Red CrossSoutheastern Pennsylvania Chapter
23rd and Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19103
For acknowledgement and tax purposes, please include:
- Your name
- Address with zip code
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Donor Society
Or print out and complete the attached for.
If you would like to make a tribute or memorial gift, please include the following:
- Whether it is a memorial or tribute
- The name of the recipient
- The name and the address of the person to whom you would like us to acknowledge this gift
Questions?
If at any time you have questions about donation opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact us at KaitheR@redcross-philly.org.
Donate by Text Messaging
Text RC to 52000 to donate $5 to the American Red Cross! Every little bit counts! Raise your voice – and your phone – today!
Donate In-kind Products
Offers of sizeable, bulk donations are reviewed to determine if they meet a current need for disaster victims that can be addressed by the Red Cross. Bulk donations are typically new, shrink-wrapped and palletized items, and they are transported by the donor.
If you would like to donate a new item or service for our one of our Special Event silent auctions, please email events@redcross-philly.org or call 215-299-5491 for additional information.
At this time, the Red Cross is unable to accept small, individual donations or collections of items such as clothing, food or cleaning supplies.
- The cost to sort, package and distribute these types of donations to disaster victims often outweighs the cost of the actual item.
- The Red Cross works to purchases items in the area of a disaster, because such business will help to renew an economy that has bit hit by an emergency.
- It is logistically impossible to distribute a wide variety of individual items in a meaningful way.
- Unless the food or beverages can be consumed within a week, these products can often go bad.
- We do not have the storage to house items. We often turn to community groups to help us maintain these during large-scale disasters.
Because of these cost and logistical concerns, we recommend that you support your community by donating these items to an organization that is equipped to put them to the best possible local use.
If you would like to discuss this type of donation, please contact your local Red Cross Chapter:
Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
American Red Cross
Rebekah Kaithern, Major Gifts & Grants Coordinator
Phone: 215-299-5488
A financial contribution is always the most helpful and efficient support we can receive from our donors. Please consider making a monetary gift today.
Donate Your Vehicle
Red Cross SEPA is working with National Charity Services! All vehicles can be donated, including RVs, boats, motorcycles and trucks. Your tax deduction is based on the sale of the vehicle at auction with a $500 dollar minimum guarantee.
Call 1-800-737-0265 or visit us at www.cars4redcross.com.
Your support may help save a life.
Matching Gifts - Your gift could be matched dollar for dollar!
Many companies offer matching gift programs that will double, even triple a donation's value. Check with your company to find out if your company will match your contribution to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross. If you have questions about your company's matching gift program, please contact your personnel office.
Once you have determined that your company matches donations made to the Red Cross, obtain the appropriate form from your personnel/human resources office and send it with a copy of your gift receipt to the address below:
Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
American Red Cross
23rd and Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Attn: Emily Davis
Thank you for your support of the American Red Cross!
