Fundraisers? ugh

Ok so I just started volunteering at a horse rescue in my hometown. The place is in serious need of some help. I've kinda taken it upon myself to get them some help but need fundraiser ideas. Like most fundraisers the cost needs to be relatively low. Please post your ideas!

Organize a local trail ride fundraiser. Have different stores in town donate some food, find a couple friends with BBQs or make a big pot luck dinner and have people register for a trail ride. The money from the registration goes out to your rescue place. That and make a list of things of items or feeds etc etc the facility needs or could use. You would be surprised how many people will come up with spare tack and feed they no longer use or want to donate.
I would also try posting something in the classified section of the forum

What facilities do you have? You could arrange a show or xc event
Dress up rides around town with a donation bucket, pony rides, carol singing (bit late for that!)
Are there any local riding schools? You could photograph the lesson people and charge for the photo's
Or non-horse ideas I have no ideas other than car boot sales or cake sales

Thanks! Unfortunately they are running out of their back yard. The place is a mess due to the fact that the owners both have to work 40 hr a week jobs to fund the place and they have 2 volunteers. The stable I board at is just a few miles down the road but that's the only place close that we might be able to work something out for a show..... I'll just have to keep thinking. They say that they've done several fundraisers and that nobody ever gives to them. We'll just have to see about that!

A poker run works well too. Riders buy however many hands they want. After the ride, the highest point hand wins the "best" prize. Then you keep going down the point scale until all the prizes are gone. The prizes are usually donated from anyone willing to give -- could be feed, brushes, hardware, car stuff, ANYTHING -- doesn't have to be horse related.

A "fun day" is great, but takes quite a few people to organize and volunteer. Kind of like a mini-fair.

Opportunities to "name the horse" for a small donation -- best name wins. Judges must be determined ahead of time though. But this is nice because you can set up jars at local businesses that are willing to help.

Gotta go... someone else needs online... I'll try to post tomorrow if I remember.

Ok -- so I'm back but I only have a few minutes before work...

To pick up... I have found that the vital elements of fundraisers are: volunteers, legitimacy of fund, people must feel like they are getting something for their money -- a prize, their name posted, updates on animals/project/fund, photos, etc. That's where the donations become so important.

Making the community aware of what the rescue is doing before starting up the fundraiser is important maybe through flyers, radio interviews, community newsletters. Having a particular project or goal that you can keep the locals updated on helps. They like to see what's being accomplished. Maybe the local paper will run a small credit weekly or monthly for you.

Go over the past fundraisers and see if you can dig up some comments from people that helped, that didn't help -- why? If they aren't a legal not-for-profit, it makes it harder. Perhaps a local bank will donate a fee-free account that is solely for the horses. People don't want their money to be used for the owner's grocery bill, they want assurance it's going to the animals.

Hope something here helps. Good luck.

Thanks! That is very helpful. They are a legal non profit organization and I know the paper has done articles on them before, as well as a tv station but apparently everytime they do something like that they just end up with more horses. I'm really trying to make some changes with them as I've been around to other rescues and organizations and know some of how they run. It's really frustrating that they complain about getting so many new horses but they won't adopt hardly any out. They're very picky about who gets one of their horses, which I understand to a certain point but I think they are excessively picky. Although you want to make sure they're not going into a home like they just left you have to think about all the other horses too. They currently have 52 horses with 4 stalls and 13 acres (part of which their house and another house are on) and all of the horses paddocks are pure mud!!!!.... Sorry for rambling but they frustrate me. If I can't get them to make some changes I'm going to have to do something!

Wow! 52 horses and they are picky about who adopts? Maybe they need to review their adoption policy... some rescues do up a contract that they can come out and visit anytime and if the horse is not properly cared for, they can take it back. Might be an idea. Not much purpose if they take in more horses than they can handle.

Chili cookoffs, with a silent auction is often an easy and inexpensive way to raise money for rescues and you can add an adoption drive, if you can organize with a horse club in the area a lot of times they will be willing to help. I don't know what state you are in but in Ohio we have the Ohio Horsemans Council and they have clubs in most counties.

I have one question to ask, please don't be mad, but from some of your statements it comes to mind that they are trying to be a rescue but maybe have some hoarding issues? 52 horses with 4 stalls and 13 acres is a recipe for disaster. Rescues know how many horses they can handle and even though they do not want to can and will turn horses away if they are full. They also attempt to find adoptive homes for the horses, or foster homes. I think you may not so much have a true rescue organization but perhaps a hoarder under the cover of being a rescue. I am not trying to be rude, but I have seen this happen many times, and some of the facts that you are presenting sounds like that is what is going on.