CLUB FORMS AND FUNDRAISING

RESOURCE PACKET

Dear Students,

Thank you for taking on the challenge of changing a child’s life! Your efforts will have far reaching effects that will

transcend international borders, touching the lives of those in need.

In this packet you will find tips on fundraising as well as detailed descriptions of various fundraisers written by Operation

Smile student volunteers. These have been successful with student groups in the past, and we hope that by sharing

them with you, the continued success of Operation Smile student events will help impact even more lives, both in the

local community as well as in our partner countries abroad.

Please know that the Operation Smile staff is always available to support your efforts. We can mail you materials for

advertising your event and distributing to your attendees. Please see the promotional merchandise form included in this

packet. We can also list your event on our website, which will help you market to a larger audience. Please see the

event calendar template included, and remember to leave sufficient time to mail in the form.

We hope that you will share your stories and successes with Operation Smile. By filling out the “Share Your Events”

form, we can advertise your event on Operation Smile’s homepage. Additionally, after your event, if you submit a

description of our event and a report of your achievement (along with a photo of course!) we can include your story in

the next Student Programs E-Newsletter!

Thank you for being an inspiration to others. It is through wonderful, caring individuals like you that we are able to

make a difference in so many children and adults around the world – one smile at a time!

Sincerely,

Operation Smile Student Programs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bake Sale

Brief Description:

This is an easy fundraiser to do! Sell your baked goods or handmade items at your school or at a school event. There

are a number of ways to get creative with it! Use a special homemade recipe that everyone is sure to love or involve the

fashion class and create trendy jewelry to sell!

What you need:

Location and time in school to hold the sale Table Posters, signs, and flyers for the sale Before-and-after images Money bin or box Food or craft items to sell Plates/napkins (depending on what type of food)

Helpful Hints:

Get approval from school administration to hold the sale at your school or a special event. Form a committee. Select members to the committee that have special cooking talents or that are very crafty. Create a Sale calendar. Preplan the days of the bake sale/craft sale month to month and determine which items

will be sold. Try out different recipes and see which ones are the best to use. Switch it up for each Bake Sale. During

holidays, have the items coincide with what you are selling with that holiday. It never hurts to ask! Try to get items/ingredients donated! If you are baking goods, try and get a local food

supplier to donate items and if you are creating crafts, try and get a local craft store to donate materials. Advertise for the sale! Use the announcements and place posters up. Hand out flyers before hand and hand

out before-and-after images to each student who purchases from the sale. Hold the sales regularly. Students will start to look forward to these sales and it may help to hold them on the

same day of the week each time (2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month). Thank students and faculty! Let everyone know how many smiles were raised each month!

Insert Text Here

TIPS FOR SARTING YOUR FUNDRAISER

Bowl-A-Thon

Brief Description:

This is a great event for areas with many schools involved with Operation Smile. For a bit of friendly local competition,

have schools compete to see who can fund the most smiles. Find a central location relative to the participating schools,

and work with a bowling alley in that area to agree upon a mutually convenient day. The main fundraising aspect of the

bowl-a-thon actually begins before the event when each participant solicits flat donations from multiple persons

whether it is within their family or their community. Set a specific amount for each participant to fundraise. Another

option is to set a goal for each team to fundraise.

What you need:

Pledge forms and envelopes to keep track of who raised the most money Posters and signs to raise awareness

Helpful Hints:

Coordinate with other schools. Two months before the event, send out a list of possible dates to the other schools in the area. Ask them which dates are the best for the clubs and then choose the date that works for the most people.

Contact the bowling alley weeks ahead of time to see if they are willing to offer a discount to charity events. Perhaps they will donate food, shoes, or a few of the lanes.

Plan it out. A month before the event, begin advertising the project through fliers at schools in order to get the most participants. Print out pledge forms that can be used by each individual to track who donated how much money. Two weeks before the event, end the registration period and have all the participants bring in the bowling fees. On the day of the event, make sure each person hands in their pledge sheet and donations.

Make sure about the money. Make sure that you have each participant cover the actual bowling fees that results from the rental of lanes, shoes, etc. It is easier to do flat pledges instead of per-pin donations. All money should be handed in at the time of the event.

Add incentives. Participation can be increased through the inclusion of a free meal at a local fast food restaurant, or a prize give away. The event becomes more exciting if you are able to turn it into a competition between schools to see who has the most participants and raised the most.

Follow up. If you go to a restaurant afterwards, most of the follow up can be done there. Tell each school how much they collected, and then you can give awards to the top school and the top three individual fundraisers. Relate the total amount collected to smiles made possible ($240 per smile).

Get feedback. After the event itself, you can ask for feedback from the participating schools, while looking for new schools to participate the following year.

Send ‘Thank You’ notes to the bowling alley and any other businesses or persons who helped out the event.

CD Drive

CD DRIVE

BENEFIT CONCERT

Brief Description:

In order to plan a fantastic CD Drive, collect a number of old and used CD’s from local stores as well as students at your

school. In the age of the iPod, most people do not have much need to hang onto CD’s! This fact can make donors more

generous! After collecting your donated CDs, sell them for low prices over a period of three days, selling whatever is left

over back to the used CD stores. Many students have found this to be a great way to support Operation Smile!

What you need:

Lots and lots of shoe boxes to put the CD’s in Money box with change A team of people to help sort the CD’s alphabetically and to man the sale! A large table and chairs Operation Smile signs

Helpful Hints:

- Start early. Begin advertising and collecting a month or more before the sale. Do a drive at your school for old CD’s in addition to asking for donations from music stores. Be on the lookout for stores that are closing down and are looking to get rid of their merchandise! It takes a while to sort the CD’s, so don’t wait until the last minute!

- Make the CD’s easy to find. Sort them alphabetically, and separate them with sheets of paper with the letter on it, as well as the names of some popular bands. (Ex. A: Avril Lavigne, Aerosmith, Arctic Monkeys, AND MORE!) The CD’s fit best into shoeboxes.

- Sell the CD’s at low prices. The recommended selling price is between $3-$5.

- DO NOT SELL BURNED CD’s. It’s illegal.

- Thank you’s. Make a point of thanking all major donors; especially locally run used CD stores. They will

appreciate it and be more likely to donate again. Also, use the morning announcements to thank your school and let them know how many new smiles will be created as a result of their support!

Celebrate for Smiles

CELEBRATE FOR SMILES

Brief Description:

Host a party to support Operation Smile. Collecting donations at the party to change the life of a child is a great way to

celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or holiday. The possibilities are endless for themes.

What you need:

Theme Location to hold the party Invitations Goody bags Operation Smile DVD Food and drinks Decorations Operation Smile before-and-after images

Helpful Hints:

Choose your celebration theme.

Allow for plenty of planning time.

Form a committee or team depending on event size to help you plan. Delegate tasks to each person

Send creative invitations or use a service like e-vite to help get you organized. Create In ‘Lieu of Gifts’ Cards or contact Student Programs for the template.

Create goody bags based on your theme that include Operation Smile before-and-after pictures.

Share Smile Stories from the DVD during your party to show everyone where their donation is going.

Have plenty of Operation Smile materials available to share with guests.

It’s your party! Make it as simple or as elaborate as you want! Make it a costumed affair, learn a new recipe

with a cooking class style dinner party, or take a trip around the world with a menu based on our mission countries! For a youth birthday party continue the smile theme with a “pin the smile on the clown” instead of “pin the tail on the donkey.

Stick with the theme! Select food, decorations and activities based on your theme.

Don’t forget to send hand written thank you notes.

Chick-Fil-A (Fast Food Fundraiser)

CHICK-FIL-A NIGHT/ RESTAURANT NIGHT

Brief Description:

Restaurants are great venues for raising awareness for Operation Smile in your school and community. Contact a local

restaurant (such as Chick-Fil-A or California Pizza Kitchen) to see if/when your school might be able to hold an event.

Many restaurants have designated nights when they donate a certain percentage of proceeds to a charitable

organization. With other restaurants, the funds can be generated by selling tickets to the “restaurant night” at school.

Also, don’t forget to promote the event to families and friends.

What you need:

Tickets Posters and announcements for advertising the event Brochures from Operation Smile for the restaurant night

Helpful Hints:

Get started early. First, you must talk to your local restaurant and inquire about their fundraising offers for your club.

Pick a Date. It is important to pick a date far enough in advance that you can talk it up and rally plenty of

supporters. Consider planning the fundraiser the night of a big school sporting event so that all of the players and fans can attend your club fundraiser after the game.

Make announcements at your school. Have posters and announcements over the PA system to promote the

event and encourage people to bring family and friends. If there is a sporting event on the night of the event have reminders on the exit doors to ensure more customers.

If you are selling tickets for the event, make sure to only give out tickets to those who will come, because you

do not want to waste them. Some restaurants (like Chick-Fil-A) require people to present the tickets when they purchase their meals, otherwise the proceeds will not go to your club. You can even have people handing them outside the door to make sure everyone has a ticket.

If possible set-up booths or table tents inside the restaurant. This is a great way to get the word out about

Operation Smile and raise awareness. Have before and after pictures available for the customers to see the difference their donation can make in the life of a child.

Don’t forget to thank the restaurant and its staff! Send a letter or ‘Thank You’ note stating how many smiles

were helped. Add a personal touch by having it signed by all of your club members!

Chuck It – Spare Change Drive

CHUCK IT IN THE BUCKET

Brief Description:

Spare change can make a huge impact. For this fundraiser, put “before and after” pictures of Operation Smile patients

on buckets and go around your school, local workplaces, and community meeting spaces (such as church or temple),

educate those you speak with about Operation Smile, and ask if they have any spare change to help your club with

fundraising efforts. Have your club set a goal of how many smiles you would like to create, and keep asking students

and adults to “chuck it in the bucket” until you raise your goal amount.

What you need:

Some sort of bucket or bin that can hold money. On that bucket, make sure to affix a photo of a child before and then after surgery. A goal that you would like to reach. Friends willing to help.

Helpful Hints:

- Get your buckets and get ready. Stand at all the exits/entrances at your school, work, or community building with these buckets. People will always have change, and of course when they see a beautiful picture of a child with a deformity, they may be more willing to donate because, from the after picture, they can visibly see the impact they can make.

- Lunch time at school is the best time, stand at the entrances when people get back from lunch and they will almost always have quarters, dimes, or even pennies that they can spare or “chuck” in the bucket.

- Get people motivated. To bring in an element of friendly competition, you may want to make this fundraiser a

contest between grades! During this competition keep people updated on who is winning, how close you are to your goal, and how much more you need. The competitive spirit can really inspire more students to be involved.

- Make it personal. When you reach your goal, count up the money that you have received and tell everyone

how many surgeries that they may have helped with ($240 per surgery). Make it personal by showing your donors what they have helped you accomplish, and thank them for their generosity. Be sure to emphasize that their kindness has made a child somewhere in the world smile for the first time.

Fashion Show

FASHION SHOW

Brief Description:

A fashion show is a fun way to get students and the community involved and spread awareness. Get local stores and

boutiques to donate clothing or let you ‘borrow’ the clothing. If you have a fashion class in your school, try to partner

with them to plan the fashion show. They can help coordinate the fashion show, and you can coordinate how to

advertise the event and raise the funds for Operation Smile!

What you need:

Venue (school auditorium works well!) Theme Fashionable clothing and accessories Props Music Program Admission tickets Raffle tickets Money bin or box Posters, signs, flyers Operation Smile DVD or a student mission story

Helpful Hints:

Get approval from administration to hold a fashion show, even if you are planning to hold the show off of school grounds.

Form a committee! Select students for the committee who are interested in helping change a life! Start planning in the fall and hold the show in the winter or spring.

Delegate specific tasks to each committee member and set individual and group goals.

Make sure the theme coincides with the time of the year the fashion show is being held! You don’t want to have

a Winter Wonderland-theme if it is already spring time!

Team up! Approach the fashion class and see if they are interested in working together for this event. Make sure to share Operation Smile’s story with the fashion teachers and the fashion classes to make sure that everyone knows why they are raising funds! Involve art students and theatre students to help with creating props and managing the lighting at the show.

Meet regularly with the all those involved in the planning, including the fashion class, and make sure to keep

clear communication. Set specific roles for everyone to help prevent conflicts!

Fashion Show

Ask local stores and boutiques if they would be willing to donate or lend their clothing for a night. If stores lend

items, the students are responsible for the care of the items and must return them in the same condition that they were given. If any items are damaged, the students cannot return the item and they must pay for the entire retail cost of the item.

Try to get donated raffle items from local businesses and restaurants.

Share Operation Smile’s story! Make sure that each business and store knows why your club’s fashion show is raising funds!

Advertise each donor’s business at the fashion show and in the program. Thank them in the program for their

support to help make the show a success!

Practice, Practice, Practice! Have all participants in the show, practice a lot and rehearse the show many times in the week prior to the show to make sure lighting, music, etc. is all working and timed right!

Advertise for the show early! Try to hold an Operation Smile presentation for the entire school before the

tickets go on sale for the fashion show. Students who may not be too interested in the fashion show, may still come if they want to support the cause! Put up posters a month before the show and make weekly announcements. Hand out flyers in school and sell tickets in the mornings and during lunch for at least two weeks before the show.

Sell raffle tickets at the show admission and during the beginning of the show. If ticket sales are slow, let

everyone know the businesses that have contributed and maybe announce one of the bigger raffle prizes that are up for grabs!

During stage breaks share Operation Smile’s story. Halfway through the event, show a patient story from the

Operation Smile DVD!

Bring energy and excitement to the show! The MC needs to be a good speaker who is fun, energetic, and knowledgeable about Operation Smile’s cause!

Follow up. Make sure if you borrowed any items, they are in good condition when they are returned. Send

‘Thank You’ notes to all of the stores and businesses that participated or donated items! Also, thank the fashion class for helping make the show such a success!

Make it an annual event! If the fashion class is interested, hold the fashion show every school year and make it

a yearly event that everyone can expect!

Frisbee

Brief Description:

This is a versatile fundraiser that can be done with any type of sport. The basic idea behind event is a tournament in

which teams compete against one another. The participants can form their own teams of five or choose to be assigned

to teams by the event coordinator. As an additional incentive, you may want to consider offering each participant an

Operation Smile wristband or t-shirt. You can also approach local stores/businesses to see if they would be willing to

donate an item. One way you can organize the tournament is by having each team member raise a minimum of ten

dollars in order to participate.

What you need:

Frisbees Registration Forms Large sheet of paper to illustrate team standings Refreshments Whistles Team t-shirts (optional, but nice)

Helpful Hints:

Advertise! Hand out flyers to students during homeroom periods. Make announcements on the school’s PA system, in the school newspaper or through the school website.

Invite everyone. Encourage the participants to invite their friends and family members to be spectators. This presents a great opportunity for sharing Operation Smile.

Bring Food. Consider having a food-oriented event such as a barbecue that the spectators and participants can

enjoy during and after the tournament; this can be a fund raising event too.

Spread Awareness. In addition to having organizers and volunteers who are knowledgeable about Operation Smile, by having literature, signs, and give-aways you will also help increase interest and understanding about the organization.

Awareness Booth

ULTIMATE FRISBEE TOURNAMENT

FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS BOOTH

Brief Description:

A great, easy way to raise money and awareness about Operation Smile is to get a booth at a festival, carnival, fair or

local community event. You usually will need to write a proposal or fill out information to get a booth so make sure that

you plan well in advance. Some great ideas for attracting a crowd are organizing raffles, face-painting, sticker

giveaways, etc. Be sure to have pictures and brochures promptly displayed to help raise awareness too.

What you need:

Sign-up sheets to keep track of when people are manning the booths Table, chairs, and a tent if the event is outdoors Op Smile T-shirts for everyone to wear at the booth Raffle items (Ipod, gift baskets, gift cards, etc.) Raffle tickets Posters and signs Brochures

Before and after booklets Op Smile buttons Face-paint

Helpful Hints:

- Start Early. You usually will need to write a proposal or fill out information to get a booth so make sure that you plan well in advance by researching opportunities in your area. Events can start taking proposals six months in advance!

- Work out time slots. Have a sign up sheet and make sure you have shifts so that your peers can sign up. Make sure they are aware of their time slot and write down their numbers so you can call them to remind them of their volunteer commitment.

- Create an eye-catching booth. Make lots of posters and signs in advance to decorate your booth. Make sure

that you set out information about Operation Smile on the tables. You can order brochures, before-and-after booklets, as well as buttons on Operation Smile’s website. Also put some fun things on the table! Put toothbrushes, candy or something that also catches the eye of the people. The main purpose of a booth is to try to attract a large crowd so that you can talk about Operation Smile and raise awareness.

- Raffle items. Ask businesses to donate products, or use club funds to purchase one big item, such as an Ipod.

Charge $1-$2/ticket , and designate someone (preferably your treasurer) to keep track of all of the money.

- Free face painting. Buy face paints and just go at it! Parents are more than willing to give a donation after their child’s face is painted for free!

- Always be cheery and make sure that everybody working the booth knows about Operation Smile. It’s also nice to coordinate so maybe everyone working can wear an Operation Smile shirt! Good luck and remember that it is not just about raising money, it’s also about raising awareness!

Guess the Smile

GUESS THE SMILE

Brief Description:

This is a great event for schools. It is a threefold event. First, take pictures of student and faculty smiles. Then crop the

pictures to include just the smile, and post it on a bulletin board in the hallway or lunch room. Participants then donate

for a chance to guess who’s who. Have a specific time when the answers are revealed and have the “smilers” stand next

to their smile. Have prizes for the top three people who guessed the most correct smiles.

What you need:

Lots of faculty and well-known students to participate (only their smiles and names will be shown on the board) Large board in hallway or specific place to post the contest with the names and smiles Camera (Polaroid or have the pictures printed before hand) Prizes for the best guessers Posters and signs Guessing Ballots Box to drop votes and box for donations Donation box or jar with Operation Smile images Table set up for people to vote and give donation

Helpful Hints:

Form your planning committee. Make sure you have someone on your committee who is camera and computer savvy. It will be his/her responsibility to properly enlarge and crop the images. Also, be sure to identify who in your committee is most organized. He/she will need to keep good records in order to track who votes, track the donations with each vote, and determine the winner.

Choose the dates when voting will begin and end. Also, choose a date when the answers will be revealed and the winners announced.

Secure prizes. See if local businesses will donate items. List some of the prizes up around the contest to entice

more students to vote.

Promote your event in advance! Put up flyers and posters about the event and hype it up during the morning announcements.

Post before and after pictures of Operation Smile patients with your smile pictures. Let everyone know how the

money raised will help children around the world.

Set a fundraising goal! Set it by number of smiles you want to raise ($240 per new smile).

Create a “smile-o-meter” to track number of votes and total amount of donations. Post it up for everyone to see.

Guess the Smile

Set out a donation jar or box for extra donations.

Start taking pictures (charge $1 for all students and faculty who want to be a “smiler”). Also, charge each voter $1-$2 to try to identify the smiles.

Include a couple of surprise participants to keep everyone guessing.

Format all the pictures in the same size, etc. Make sure when you crop them for posting they are all the same

size and there are no revealing characteristics in the final images.

The Smile reveals. It may be more exciting if you reveal the smiles and the winners during another school event, such as a pep rally. Or you can reveal them over the announcements and post all the correct answers with the smiles on the board. Leave it up for at least a week for everyone to see!

Don’t forget to thank all of your smile participants and prize donors!

Have Fun!

Gum Day

Brief Description:

This fundraiser can be done at any school that typically restricts gum chewing. The first step it to talk to the school

administration to receive formal approval for the event. Share information about Operation Smile, and make sure the

administrators understand the purpose behind “Gum Day.” Ask for approval both to temporarily allow gum chewing as

well as gum sales. Once you have permission, organize the event such that students first buy the right to chew gum. In

exchange for their donation, they would receive a stamp to prove that they paid to chew.

What you need:

An ink stamp Lots and lots of gum A money box with lots of change A large poster, explaining where the money for the gum is going, and what Operation Smile does worldwide.

Helpful Hints:

- Ask the administration before you do anything, ESPECIALLY if you’re not allowed to chew gum. Explain what Operation Smile is before you start asking them for permission to bend the rules.

- Make sure you’re making a profit. Don’t sell the gum for the same amount that it cost you to buy it! Schools who have instituted this fundraiser have charged $2 for the “right to chew.”

- Don’t forget to advertise in advance! Place posters around the school, and make an announcement at your

school assembly, if possible. Do a presentation about Operation Smile prior to Gum Day to raise awareness.

- Organize this in a way that is most efficient for your school. One way to efficiently run the event is to have homeroom teachers collect the money and have those teachers stamp the students’ hand. Otherwise, assign your club members a different homeroom. They are then responsible for being present at the start of the day, in those classrooms, to take donations and stamp hands.

- Team up. Involve your student council in the event. The members can help with planning and running the day.

Maybe “Gum Day” becomes part of a larger event such as a Spirit Week.

- Don’t forget to thank the school, administration, and teachers!

Kiss the Pig

GUM DAY

KISS THE PIG

Brief Description:

If your club and your school want to plan a fundraiser that involves a bit of fun and humor, consider a “kiss the pig” contest. First, you will need to find teachers and/or members of the administration who would be willing to kiss a pig. Once approved by your school administration, announce the volunteer teacher/administrators who may be required to “kiss the pig” at the end of the contest. Plan a week long campaign to collect donations. Each donation will be made for a specific teacher/administrator. The teacher/administrator with the most donations at the end of the week will be the lucky volunteer to kiss the pig in front of the student body. Then arrange for an assembly to announce the “winner” and have him/her kiss the pig! What you need:

Posters to keep track of who has raised the most money Collection canisters for each teacher/administrator Pig or other animal

Helpful Hints:

Pick a good time. Instead of kissing the pig during school hours you can have the person do it during half time of a football/basketball game or even during a pep rally.

Be Creative. If you don’t have access to a pig, any type of animal would work (the stranger the better).

If none of the teachers agree to kiss any type of animal try substituting it with throwing a whip cream

pie in their face.

Use clear jars to collect money in because it allows the students to see who is making the most money and it can easily become a competition that way.

Start advertising the Friday before you want to start collecting money so students know to bring money on Monday.

Document the experience. Take pictures of the kiss and put the pictures up in school for great memories! Also, don’t forget to send those to Operation Smile Student Programs along with a description of your event!

Thank all the teachers involved and your student body for their participation. Make sure to also announce a public “Thank You” for the teacher who kissed the pig. This will let him/her know that your club appreciates his/her involvement and willingness to participate.

Lemonade Stand

Brief Description:

LEMONADE STAND FOR SMILES

Fun and easy, a lemonade stand is a tried and true way of raising money for a great cause! In the winter you can switch

to hot apple cider or cocoa. You could even have a neighborhood competition for who has the best lemonade.

What you need:

Lemonade recipe. Plenty of containers, cups and ice. Table or stand to hold your sale. Place to store money and change (pencil case or shoe box works well). Signs and posters about the sale and Operation Smile.

Helpful Hints:

Select your date and spread the word to your friends, family and neighbors.

Pick your favorite lemonade recipe and have a taste test with your family and friends beforehand.

Use bright table cloths or colored paper, balloons and streamers to decorate your stand. Make it stand out!

Make lots of signs letting everyone know you are raising money on behalf of Operation Smile.

Email friends and family so they can come by the day of your event.

Have plenty of friends present to help bring in the crowds!

Hand out before-and-after patient photo cards to customers thanking them for their purchase. Be sure to thank everyone for their donation no matter how much they contribute.

Increase sales with baked goods like brownies, cookies or cakes.

Don’t forget to wear sunscreen, bright colored clothes and a hat if it’s a super sunny day!

Most importantly - have fun!

Letter Campaign

Brief Description:

The letter project is a simple and effective fundraiser, which can involve every member of your association. The purpose

of the campaign is to raise awareness and funds to support Operation Smile medical missions. The more personalized

the letter, the better. Included at the end of this packet is a sample letter. However, by adding details specific to your

involvement with the organization and your desire to make a difference, the recipients of your letters will be more

willing to donate to your cause! In order to execute the fundraiser, every club member takes 20 letters and 40

envelopes. Address the letter to 20 friends, neighbors, businesses and family members. Enclose a self-addressed,

stamped envelope. Give all replies to your chairperson for tally. Of course you can send more than twenty letters. The

cost of this fundraiser is envelopes, copied letters and 40, 43¢ stamps per person.

What You Need:

Chairperson 20 letters per person 40 envelopes per person Stamps

Helpful Hints:

Delegate. Select a chairperson who will distribute letters, chart outgoing letters and incoming funds, and set the send-out and due-back dates.

Personalize It. It is advisable to add a short personal note to the letter.

Thank-You’s. Write a thank-you note to every donor.

Car Wash

Brief Description:

LOCAL CAR WASH

Hold a car wash on the weekend at a local area or business. Get as many students involved as possible and bring lots of

excitement to the event! Contact other local school’s Operation Smile clubs and see if they want to hold a car wash at

another location in the community on the same day. Having lots of Operation Smile car washes in one day will spread

awareness all over the community. If other Operation Smile clubs are interested, a competition for the most student

participation or the most funds raised may be a fun way to increase involvement.

What you need:

Approved location to hold the car wash. Make sure water is easily accessible. More than one hose allows for more cars to be washed at once. Also,

check for access to an outlet if vacuuming the interior of the car is an option. Materials to wash the cars: Plenty of rags & sponges, a hose, car wash soap, drying towels, tire cleaner and

interior car cleaner wipes. Posters, Signs, Flyers, Operation Smile Banner Donation Jars for people to put their donations after they get their car washed

Helpful Hints:

- Contact the car wash/gas station location and see if more than one date would work, in case weather issues arise.

- Coordinate with other schools. Two months before the event, send out a list of possible dates for the car wash to other Operation Smile clubs in the area. If other schools are interested, choose the date that works for the most schools.

- Try to get materials donated from local car stores and hardware stores.

- Have beverages and snacks available for car wash customers and for students participating in the event. You

can even have a bake sale!

- Set up an Operation Smile informational booth with flyers and brochures with Operation Smile information. This will help to spread awareness and better inform people about the cause.

- Make small ‘Thank You’ notes to hand out, or leave in each car. Don’t forget to thank the businesses that

offered their location for the car wash and any other businesses that donated materials or food and drink.

Local Food Vendors

Brief Description:

A great, easy way to raise money for Operation Smile is to get local food vendors involved. Some places to consider: Ben

and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, etc. Join forces with the vendor and sell the food

at lunch in the school cafeteria.

What you need:

Tables and chairs for stands to use for selling the food T-shirts for members to wear during the sale Op Smile posters and brochures

Helpful Hints:

- Get approval from your school administration.

- Make contact. Call up a local food vendor and introduce them to Operation Smile.

- Ask if they are interested in coming to your school once a month to sell their products, with a percentage of the profit going to your school’s Operation Smile Student Club.

- Make it monthly. Set up times and dates for them to come to your school, preferably during the lunch period.

- Use your connections. If one of you or a member of your Operation Smile Student Club works somewhere that

is a good fit for this fundraiser, try to get that restaurant involved. - Thank the restaurant and your administration for helping to make this fundraiser a success! Use a creative way

to say thanks, especially if your club is able to continue this for the entire school year on a monthly basis!

Makeover for Smiles

Brief Description:

This is a fun event for all the girls! There are two different ways to carry out the Makeover for Smiles. One way is to

have the girls over for a night of primping and pampering! Host a make-over themed night with your best gal pals. Make

it a sleep over! Another way to carry out the fundraiser is to have a special time at school for makeovers. Maybe during

lunch people can donate a certain amount to get their nails painted, hair curled or straightened, or made into a cool up

do.

What you need:

For a make-over invite party

Invitations Professional stylist or make-up consultant (optional) Assortment of make-up, nail polish, face masks, hair accessories, etc. Make-up remover Towels and wash cloths Style magazines to get ideas from Camera Food and drinks Music Before-and-after patient cards Operation Smile DVD or mission story

Helpful Hints:

For a make-over invite party

Create your guest list and send invitations. To make it quick and easy use a site like e-vite. Set a small dollar amount ($5.00) to be donated from each person that is attending.

Talk to your local make-up sales person (like Avon or Mary Kay) and have them conduct the make-overs. Or ask a specialist at your favorite department store make-up counter if she would donate her time to come do a group consultation.

Have all of your girlfriends bring their make-up bag and throw out what doesn’t work and figure out what does! Have each guest bring one of the latest make-up or nail color trends and have everyone try it! Use different

applicators to stay sanitary (q-tips work well to apply eye shadow). Do some style research! Buy some women’s magazines or surf the web for make-up do’s and don’ts. Take it one

step further by figuring out your guests colorings and face shapes and researching what looks great on them!

Makeover for Smiles

Go wild! Mix it up or go back in time with wild styles, how about an 80’s hair and make-up party…that has the blue eye shadow and crimping? Or go really retro with a flip and pin curls from the fifties!

Stock up on inexpensive hair clips, barrettes and head bands to hold hair back for make overs and to play with new styles.

Share how Operation Smile’s story. Take time to inform everyone about Operation Smile and how it helps “Transform” children’s lives. Hand out before-and-after patient cards to everyone.

Have great music to entertain everyone. Don’t forget the cold drinks and finger foods, all this primping could be exhausting! Prepare a special ‘Thank You’ gift and note card for your speaker/make-up artist. Also thank all of your girls

who came to the party and donated.

What you need:

For make-overs in school

Approval from school administration Professional stylist or make-up consultant Assortment of make-up, nail polish, and hair accessories Make-up remover and cleaning pads Style magazines to get ideas from Camera Posters and flyers Before-and-after patient cards Operation Smile DVD or mission story

Helpful Hints:

For make-overs in school

Get approval from school administration. See if you can hold an Operation Smile make-over month and have two days a week where the make-over table is set up before school and during lunch

Create a committee to plan and carry out this event. Committee members need to be excited and knowledgeable about fashion and style. Their excitement will spread to the students and hopefully get more make-over participants.

Set a schedule and make sure that you have enough help at all times during the make-over sessions.

Makeover for Smiles

Talk to your local make-up sales person (like Avon or Mary Kay) and have them conduct the make-overs. Or ask

a specialist at your favorite department store make-up counter if she would donate her time to your school and help out a few of the days.

Do some style research! Buy some women’s magazines or surf the web for make-up do’s and don’ts. Have these accessible during the make-overs so students can peruse the magazines for ideas.

Get everyone involved! Invite teachers to get make-overs as well! Maybe even select a day to set up in the teacher’s lounge.

Set a donation amount that is required for a make-over ($2 for nails, $3 for an up-do, and $4 for make-up). Stock up on inexpensive hair clips, barrettes and head bands to hold hair back for make-overs and to play with

new styles.

Share how Operation Smile’s story. Take time to inform everyone about Operation Smile and how it helps “Transform” children’s lives. Set up a lap top and have the Operation Smile DVD playing. Hand out before-and-after patient cards to everyone.

Prepare a special ‘Thank You’ gift and note card for your speaker/make-up artist. Also thank students, administration, and teacher staff for helping to make the event happen! Let your everyone know how many smiles were raised (it costs $240 for one smile).

Movie Theatre

Brief Description:

Have a local movie theater donate one or two minutes for an Operation Smile advertisement, be creative with it.

Afterwards, have donation jars available in the lobby. You could also ask the theater if they would donate a portion of

the proceeds of a special movie screening (or for the entire night of movie sales), and ask them to show the Operation

Smile advertisement before each movie. If you can get the manager/owner to donate a little more time (about five

minutes) you could show a short patient story. Contact Student Programs for the DVD.

What you need:

Local Movie Theater willing to participate Creative and Informational Operation Smile Advertisement Posters, Flyers, and Operation Smile Banner

ADVERTISING SLOT WITH A LOCAL THEATER

Donation Jars to set out in the movie theater Operation Smile Informational Booth to set up in the lobby of the theater

Helpful Hints:

Check with the local theater and see what is required for an advertisement before you start creating it (length of ad and what type of medium to record it on).

Plan it out. Solidify the theater and date at least two months before the event. One month before the event, begin advertising through flyers, announcements, and word-of-mouth at schools and in the community.

Remember that Student Programs is another resource that is available. There are many poster templates,

banner templates, and images for donation jars that are readily available. Just contact Student Programs and they will be happy to help!

Make sure that the advertisement works and that the theater can air it as soon as it is complete. Also, make

sure there are enough copies if it is going to be shown before more than one movie.

The Informational Booth is a great way to spread awareness and answer any questions that movie patrons may have. Have students that are excited and knowledgeable about Operation Smile at the booth.

‘Thank You’ notes are very important. Send them to the local theater. Also, have little patient before-and-after

cards with Operation Smile’s information to hand out to everyone that donates.

Parlor Meetings

Brief Description:

Parlor meetings are informal gatherings held at a host’s home to raise awareness and money for Operation Smile. Invite

family members, close friends, and neighbors for an afternoon via email or hand-written invitations. Take this

opportunity to gather contact information from the guests so that you can later send emails thanking them and asking if

they could host their own parlor meeting. Present Operation Smile’s mission, share a short video, and give a testimonial

on how you got involved with Operation Smile. Lastly, ask for monetary donations and hand out envelopes that they

can turn back into the host. Set a specific date with the host for picking up the donation envelopes.

What you need:

Donation envelopes Refreshments

PARLOR MEETINGS

Video presentation Kleenexes Donation forms from the Operation Smile website.

Helpful Hints:

Time it. First ½ hour is always good to just socialize. When everyone is ready, and seated, you introduce yourself, and tell them about Operation Smile and its mission. Include important facts for your guests about Operation Smile, and speak from your heart. The emotional connection you make can leave a lasting effect on your attendees. Keep in mind that you want to get your audience to help you spread awareness about Operation Smile, on top of getting a donation from them. It is important that they feel connected.

Use a story from the Operation Smile issued DVD. Contact Student Programs for a copy. Choose a story between four and seven minutes long. The stories make a powerful impact in a short period of time.

Spread awareness. Ask for each of your guests to host a similar parlor meeting at their home for just a few of

their friends to help you spread the awareness of Operation Smile.

Donations. Hand out the envelopes, and ask the guests to give the envelopes back to the host at their convenience, and make sure to tell the host you will be picking up the envelopes by a certain date.

Thank-You’s! As soon as possible, send out thank you notes via email thanking them for their time and their

generous donation, and also ask them to contact you via email so they can set-up a parlor meeting with you.

Keep Records. Have a record of all your parlor meetings consisting of who attended and how much money you have raised at each parlor meeting.

Send in the donations all together. Once you have collected most of the envelopes send in the donations to

Student Programs along with the Fundraising Revenue form available at the end of this packet.

Penny War

Brief Description:

This is a great way to get the entire school involved! Hold a Penny War with different classes or grade levels competing

with one another to raise the most pennies. Pennies count as ‘positive’ numbers while other coins count as ‘negative’

numbers. Students are encouraged to “sabotage” other class’ jars by depositing ‘negative’ coins in them. You can also

substitute pennies with all coins. All the coins can count as ‘positive’ points and have a dollar can count as ‘negative’

points. Arrange it however you wish. Just remember to keep the competition element in mind.

What you need:

Coin Jars for each class/grade participating Labels for the jars to distinguish each class/grade. Also, include informative facts about Operation Smile. Cooperation from school administration and staff

PENNY WARS

Helpful Hints:

Plan it out. A few weeks before the event, start talking up the competition at school.

Place posters around the school to remind everyone about the Penny War and also to spread awareness about Operation Smile.

Use the morning announcements to remind students, and let classes/grades know who is in the lead.

Share information about Operation Smile with faculty and staff so that they will be onboard and happy to have

their classes participate. They will play a key part in getting the students in their class excited!

Include prizes or awards for the top three classes or the top grade that raises the most money. Post the names of the winning classes or grade up for everyone in the school to see.

Make sure you thank everyone for their participation in the event! Use the morning announcements to thank

students and staff and make ‘Thank You’ notes for each class. Let everyone know the total amount raised and the number of surgeries that were a result of everyone’s efforts in the competition ($240 = 1 surgery)!

Rake for Smiles

Brief Description:

One great idea for the beginning of the year is an event that involves service with your local community. Offer to rake

yards in your neighborhood, town, or city in exchange for donations to support Operation Smile.

What You Need:

Yard work materials (rakes, gloves, and trash bags.) Warm jackets!

Helpful Hints:

RAKE FOR SMILES

- Let people choose their teams. This is more fun if you’re with a group of your friends, and more volunteers are likely to sign up for the project! However, also leave open the option of assigning students to teams. If a student wants to participate and none of his/her friends are available, don’t exclude the willing participant! Once your club designates the teams (of 3 or 4 people), be sure to have a member volunteer as team leader. As team leader, this person will be responsible for finalizing the neighborhood/location, organizing supplies, and making sure his/her team members are present on the day of the rake.

- Not all teams need to rake on the same day. Also, keep in mind that this does not need to be a onetime event. Each team can keep its own calendar.

- Collect phone numbers of team leaders. If you do designate 1 day for the event, make sure to call the team

leaders the night before to make sure that there are no last minute questions. Thank them, in advance, for their team’s participation.

- Open this project up to people outside of your club. The more the merrier!

- Offer your services to your teachers! Involve your whole school by offering to rake your teachers’ yards. Let

them know about Operation Smile as well as what your club is doing to help. Ask to have access to a faculty email list to easily contact the teachers, or have them sign up on a calendar you post in school. Make sure to collect the phone number and address of each teacher who would like to participate. Also, don’t forget to ask if he/she has yard materials that are available for use.

- Be organized! Have a designated member of the team keep track of a calendar as well as names of individuals,

their phone numbers, addresses, and what they’re willing to provide as far as yard materials.

- Make sure that there aren’t any no-shows!

Smile Sale

Brief Description:

Have a “Smile Sale” at your school, in which a portion of the proceeds goes to support Operation Smile. Ask a trendy

store or boutique nearby to have a sale for a day to benefit Operation Smile. Or, ask stores and brand labels to donate

items, such as designer jeans, for you to sell at an on-campus sale. Not only is this a great way to fundraise, but it is a

great way to raise awareness!

What you need:

Donated clothing Tables

SMILE SALE

Posters and brochures from Operation Smile Volunteers A cash box Tents for dressing rooms

Helpful Hints:

Get help from other schools or on-campus organizations. Ask friends from your town, your sports league, your student council, and other organizations to spread the word. If you are a university student, use sororities and fraternities! Recruit as many people as possible to help you.

Advertise. Plan the date and promote it with successful advertising, such as posters, flyers and announcements in the student newspaper.

Certain designer brands love good causes. In the past, student volunteers have received donations from the

following: Seven for All Man Kind, Paige Denim, Grail Clothing and others. You can also ask retailers from your hometown to join in the cause and donate items!

Make the event big! Get refreshments donated and try to get a cappella groups or choirs to come and sing.

Stuck for Smiles

Brief Description:

This one is fun! This activity is great for a school with adventurous targets. Donations are raised when participants

purchase strips of duct tape to attach a “target” person to a wall. Students will be able to purchase tickets in return for

strips of duct tape at the event. At the event willing targets will stand on a bench or buckets against a pole and students

will place their strips of duct tape around them. When all the strips have been placed the bench or buckets will be

removed and the targets will be left hanging in the air. We told you this would be fun!

What you need:

Approval from school administration Students, athletes, teachers and other faculty willing to participate and be duct taped

Area to conduct event – you will need large light poles/posts or a clean cement wall Benches or buckets that are about 3 feet high Posters and fliers Megaphone or microphone to announce at the event Tickets to redeem for Duct Tape at the event Lots and Lots of Duct Tape Money bins or boxes

Helpful Hints:

Build your planning committee and secure support from the administration.

Select a date. Give enough time to select participants, get materials, and sell tickets.

Start selling your tickets 2 weeks in advance at school in the morning and during lunch. The tickets will be redeemed at the event for 3 feet of duct tape. A good cost is $1 per 1 foot of tape. (If they want 6 feet of tape it is $6 and they get 2 strips of 3 feet of duct tape).

Select your targets (choose 3 or 4 people); a principle, popular teacher, or coach. Also, select some students:

athletes or homecoming queen and king.

Create fun posters and fliers to hand out and hang up. Distribute these throughout the week before the event. Post them up at the event, as well! Make sure everyone is aware of the cause for the event!

Get plenty of friends, club members and staff to help bring in the crowds!

Don’t forget to notify the press! They are usually more than happy to give free coverage of the event.

Liven it up the event! Enlist the pep band and the cheerleaders to liven up the crowd. Have someone with lots

of personality and volume to act as MC and get the crowd excited.

Stuck for Smiles

Combine this event with a pep rally or homecoming.

Play it Safe! The “victims” will need to wear long pants, long sleeves, a stocking cap and socks that they do not mind getting covered by duct tape. Sweatpants and Sweatshirts work well! Make sure participants avoid putting tape on the hair, nose or mouth!

Have the each target stand on a bench or bucket while participants redeem their tickets for tape and place

them on the target. When all the tape is on, pull out the bench or bucket.

Remember to buy a good supply of duct tape and have the several tape cutters. You can also make this a competition between grades and have different colored duct tape for each grade! Students can choose which target that they want to put their tape on.

Announce how many new smiles will happen as a result of the new wall décor! ($240 = one new smile)

Take plenty of photos! Email them into Operation Smile Student Programs along with a description of the event

so that we can publish both in the Student E-Newsletter.

Don’t forget to help the tape victim down!

Send special ‘Thank You’ notes to the target and any other special sponsors or participants.

Have lots of fun!

Student/Faculty Basketball Game

Brief Description:

A great winter event is a student/faculty basketball game! Anyone who is not currently a member of the men’s or

women’s basketball teams can sign up to compete against the teachers. Members of the current basketball teams can

sign up to coach the student team. Organizing a student/faculty sporting event is fairly straightforward, and is usually

very popular amongst the student body. Student/faculty volleyball and dodge ball games are also great events to

organize! The best way to incorporate fundraising into your event is by charging an admission fee at the door. Also,

consider having a bake sale instead of your typical concessions, or look into the possibility of having a portion of the

proceeds from of the concessions go to Operation Smile.

What You Need:

Sign-up sheets Team attire (have teams make t-shirts) Volunteers at the door Posters and flyers

Helpful Hints:

- Get Approval. First, you need to get the approval of the administration and/or authority figures responsible for scheduling student activities. You will need to make sure that you can create a slot of at least 45 minutes in which everyone will be able to attend.

- Advertise to teachers. These fundraisers are always popular amongst the students, and to convince teachers to participate, make sure to advertise to them!

- Put up posters around the school, advertising that it costs $1 to attend, or however much you feel is

appropriate. You can also make announcements or advertise in the school newspaper.

- Have fun with the game. Students and teachers usually go all out with their athletic attire, and the ¨coaches¨ dress up for fun in suits like professional basketball coaches. There are so many options to make it fit to your school and your environment. For example, we usually do four minute quarters with a running clock, and a 25-point bonus for baskets made past half court.

- On the day of event, simply have members of your club or other volunteers collect money at the door. Set up a

concession stand or a bake sale. Also, consider a fun half time show that you could use as an additional fundraiser! Have the student council president or the principal volunteer for a crazy antic to raise additional funds.

- Be enthusiastic about the event because a fundraiser is never successful without enthusiasm.

Style for Smiles

Brief Description:

Contact local salons in your community to see if they will participate in a ‘Styles for Smiles’ day. The purpose would be

to raise funds for Operation Smile by asking the salons to donate a portion of their proceeds from that day. You can also

have them offer a specific item that is free for that day. In that case, in exchange for the free service, donations can be

made to Operation Smile. In order to make this even huge, ask other Operation Smile clubs to be involved and

coordinate this event together.

What you need:

Posters, fliers, brochures

Donation jars or boxes Awareness tables set up at the salons Snacks and beverages Before-and-after patient cards

Helpful Hints:

Make lots of time for planning! Have or attend a regional meeting with other Operation Smile clubs and try and get them to participate in the event. Each club can set a goal to get at least 2 salons to participate.

Check for contacts. See if any club members, friends, family or teachers have personal contacts to salons.

Set a date. Send each salon that wants to participate a list of possible dates for the event and see what dates work for them. Choose the date that works for the most salons.

Advertise for the event early! Place posters up. Make morning announcements and try to generate lots of buzz!

Contact the local media about the event! Free PR coverage is always great and helps spread awareness!

Set up awareness booths at each salon. Have a signup sheet and schedule with times that each member is

supposed to be at the event. You will need someone to inform customers about Operation Smile.

Set out donation jars or boxes at each salon to collect donations. Have a member tally up the number of new styles, the amount donated. Also, contact the other clubs to add on the collective amount donated from all of the salons. Let the community know the success of the event!

Provide food and drinks for salon customers and staff. Try and get a local food business to donate the items.

Be sure to thank everyone who helped out with this event! Send special ‘Thank You’ gift and note to each

salon that participated. Also, thank any businesses that donated food items or gifts.

Talent Show

Brief Description:

Host an amateur talent show at your school. You can model the show after ‘American Idol’ or ‘America’s Got Talent’ or

‘So you think you can dance.’ There are many ways to earn donations for a talent show:

1) Have each ‘talent’ raise sponsorship money to participate in the event

2) Charge admission to the show

3) Sell raffle tickets for donated items to be raffled off during show

4) Have audience members put money into bins as brave students do crazy stunts on stage

5) Set up a concession stand with cookies, chips, sodas, and water

TALENT SHOW

This is a great event to get other students involved, like the school drama club or band. They can help out with putting

on the event and add to its success!

What you need:

Location to hold the Talent Show. Try and use the school auditorium or get a local venue to donate the space for a night.

Admission tickets Raffle tickets Items to raffle off during the show Posters, Flyers, and Operation Smile brochures and banner Program for the show with agenda for the show and listing ‘talents’ Food and drinks Money bins or boxes Voting Ballots (for judges or for entire audience if they are going to be included in the vote)

Helpful Hints:

Form a planning committee. This is important because it is such a big event! Stay organized with lists and calendars. Hold regular planning meetings.

Choose a date and title for the event. Make sure you leave your club with enough time for planning. You will need it in order to secure acts and organize the night. Estimate at least 2-3 months of planning).

Choose the location. If you do not use the school, find a local venue with a stage and sound system for a professional setting. The venue may want to help with advertising and promotions, as the event will bring in customers for them.

Talent Show

Sell tickets in advance so you know if the event will be sold out or if there will still be open seats for last minute attendees.

Decide on the number of acts you want for the final show and put out an open call for auditions. Have the “talent” raise funds by seeking sponsorship pledges. If you’d like you can set a minimum that they

must earn to be part of the show.

Do lots of PR, both within the organization and the community as well as in the media. Find out who your local FOX affiliate is (the network that airs American Idol) and try and piggy back media attention with the show. Feel free to contact Operation Smile for assistance with local PR.

For press releases, make sure you have proper contacts and preferred formats to send.

Make sure the host(s) of the show is energetic and entertaining! If it is not a student or students, try and find a local radio or television personality to host the show and promote Operation Smile on their station.

Ask local businesses for donations for the raffle and be sure to recognize each business during the show! Offer

ad space in the program to local businesses.

Hype up the raffle and sell raffle tickets at the door.

Show clips from the Operation Smile DVD between acts throughout the program. If possible, have a student who has been on a mission share his/her story or show a short slide show of his/her mission between acts.

You can include the audience in voting. Make sure you schedule an act to go on while the votes are being

tallied. You could even try and get a local band or performing group to donate their time and talents.

Remember to HAVE FUN!

Theme Day

Brief Description:

A great, easy fundraiser is to host a Theme Day at your school. First, sit down with your club and brainstorm some ideas

that would be fun and appropriate for a school day. After listing the options, choose the one that you feel you would get

the most participation from the student body. Secondly, and most importantly, contact your principal to have him or her

OK your fundraiser. On your theme day, you and a few other club members must arrive at school early in order to be set

up to greet the first students. Set up a table with your money box and a stamp. Charge a specific price (perhaps $1) and

after the student has paid, stamp them. This is an indicator of who has paid to participate in theme day.

What You Need:

Money box Tables outside doorways and entrances Stamps Flyers and posters for advertising

Helpful Hints:

Be smart about your theme. Decades, sports, and any fun relevant topic can encourage more students to participate.

ADVERTISE. Print tons of flyers and stick them everywhere- doors, bulletin boards, bathroom stalls. Put in an announcement, and if possible, make an announcement yourself over the intercom!

Include late-comers. Leave a stamp in the main office in case any late stragglers come into school and still want to help.

Thank your school for helping the cause after the event is over!

Gift Wrapping

Brief Description:

If your school has a holiday shop or boutique, your club can set up a gift wrapping station. After the customers buy their

holiday gifts, your club can wrap the gifts. It is very simple and will get you into the holiday spirit!

What you Need:

Wrapping paper

Tape

Scissors

A table

Posters, flyers, anything to get the word out!

A money box

Posters and before and after images shots for the table

Helpful Hints:

Get Approval from both your school administration and whoever is running the event. A lot of times these

holiday boutiques are run by a parent, so make sure you know who to contact.

Set the dates and times. Ask the people in charge what the dates and times are. Make sure you have ample

time to prepare your table; it could get crazy if you wait to set up while customers are arriving.

Have a committee. Ask the members of your club to bring in wrapping paper, scissors, and tape. Ask others to

make the flyers or posters, and ask others to wrap gifts.

Make sure to thank the parents, the faculty, the students, and anyone else who contributed to the fundraiser.

Let them how many smiles they raised.

Candy Grams

Brief Description:

On Halloween and Valentine’s Day, everyone enjoys eating lots of candy and knowing someone is thinking of them.

Candy grams are a great way to encourage both! Have students and faculty spend money to send their friends a bag of

candy. Have members of your club deliver them to people during lunch or free periods.

What you Need:

Candy

Festive bags/boxes to put the candy in

A table to sell the candy grams

A poster for the table

An organized notebook/excel spread sheet to record what candy gram is going to who

Before and after photos and a brief description about Operation Smile to put in the bag

Cards/construction paper for people to write notes to their candy gram recipient

Money box

Helpful Hints:

Get approval from your school’s administration. Ask them when it is appropriate to hand the candy grams out

and when is a good time and place to sell them.

Set dates and times for people to buy candy grams and to receive them.

Have a committee buy the bags and candy. Set time for club members to make the Candy Grams ahead of time.

Also, you need a sufficient amount of people to be working the table that is selling the candy grams. Give people

specific jobs.

Thank anyone else who contributed to the fundraiser. Let them know how many smiles they raised!

Smile Bag Christmas Tree

Brief Description:

You can do this at your school, church, or community center. Pick up a small Christmas tree and place

ornaments on them with the face of a child with a cleft lip or palette and put their names on it. You could even

include their story. Ask people to take an ornament and bring in Smile Bag items. Seeing the type of child they

are helping will make people for more connected to the cause. This also is a great way to start off the holiday

season right with a charitable.

What you Need:

A small Christmas tree (artificial or real)

Paper & string to make ornaments with

Before pictures

A poster to put next to the tree

A bin for people to drop off their Smile Bags

Helpful Hints:

Get approval from your school’s administration and/or authority figures. Make sure you are able to set

aside an area for the tree, the poster, and the bin.

Make an announcement(s). Ask that authority figure if you can make an announcement during a

school or church gathering. Send emails and make more announcements to remind them to bring their

Smile Bags.

Make the poster informative. Even if people don’t hear your announcement, you still want people

who are passing by to pick up an ornament and bring in Smile Bag items. Make sure your poster is

informative enough to get people interested and willing to help.

Get a group together to make the ornaments. Have fun decorating them! Use sparkles, different

colors…whatever you want to create a beautifully decorated tree.

Thank anyone else who contributed to the fundraiser. Tell them how important the Smile Bags are,

and let them know how many they have collected.

Dress Down Day

Brief Description:

This fundraiser can be done at any school that typically has a dress code or uniform. The first step it to talk to the school administration to receive formal approval for the event. Share information about Operation Smile, and make sure the administrators understand the purpose behind the dress down day. Ask for approval for students to wear sweatpants and jeans. This event can be done numerous times throughout the school year. Organize the event so that students first pay to dress down. In exchange for their donation, they would receive a stamp to prove that they had paid.

What you need:

An ink stamp/ or a marker A money box with change A large poster, about what Operation Smile does worldwide. Smaller posters to remind students

Helpful Hints:

Work with the administration Explain what Operation Smile is. Explain that $240 can change a life. This fundraiser has no cost to put on. Typically a $5 or $10 donation is asked for. Don’t forget to advertise in advance! Place posters around the school, and make an announcement at your

school assembly, if possible. Do a presentation about Operation Smile prior to the dress down day to raise awareness.

Organize this in a way that is most efficient for your school.

o One way to efficiently run the event is to have homeroom teachers collect the money and have those teachers stamp the students’ hand.

o Otherwise, assign your club members a different homeroom. They are then responsible for being present at the start of the day, in those classrooms, to take donations and stamp hands.

o Team up. Involve your student council in the event. The members can help with planning and running the day.

Try and establish this event. This can easily be done multiple times throughout the school year. Don’t forget to thank the school, administration, and teachers! Let them know how much money was raised.

How many lives changed.

Smile Bag Christmas Tree

Ginger Bread House

Brief Description:

This is a fun fundraiser that can be done during the holiday season. First get approval from where you are holding the

event. You can team together with an elementary school, a church ect. The first step is to contact the school

administration or church staff. Next, buy gingerbread houses from a store like Costco. They are cheaper and come in

bulk. Have your club build them the night prior to the event so that decorating goes smoothly the next day. Or you can

leave them and have families do the whole house. Sell one house per family.

What you need:

Gingerbread houses (they usually come with frosting and candy decorations)

Large posters explaining where the money is going and what Operation Smile does.

Table cloths, Tables, Chairs

Plastic knives

Money box with change

Holiday music

Helpful hints:

Work with the administration or staff

Advertise as much as possible

o Send flyers home with students

o Post messages in church bulletin or school newsletters

o Have teachers announce it or make an announcement to the church

Try and do a presentation about Operation Smile so people know what it is they are donating the money

towards.

Have the event after the last day of school before break or after church.

Try and have students or parishioners RSVP so you know how many gingerbread houses to buy

Gingerbread houses can be pricey. Typically charge around $20-$30 per family to decorate. Also allow people to

donate more say something like, “The minimum donation is $25”.

To draw more people have parishioners or the PTO bring baked goods.

Play some festive music to make it a fun time.

Paint-Balloon Battle

Brief Description:

The "Paint-balloon" battle is just like a water balloon fight but instead of balloons filled with water the balloons are filled

with paint. Each participant pay for a white t-shirt to wear during the war and then also pays a certain amount per 3

balloons. The participants play rounds of 5 minutes, and when they're done they come away with a really cool splattered

paint t-shirt. This is a really fun way to get everyone involved; it's a really messy, good time for everyone.

What you need:

Balloons

Buckets of paint

White t-shirts

Water

Towels

Helpful Hints:

When filling the balloons be sure that there is enough pressure in the balloon so that it will pop on impact.

Make sure you provide water and towels for the participants so they can clean themselves up when the battle is

over.

You can buy really cheap big buckets of non-toxic craft paint at any craft supplies store.

Make sure the paint is not washable because then it won't stay on the t-shirts.

Be sure you find a nice open area to have the battle, and that it is ok to get the area messy with paint.

STEP ONE – THE VENUE

Select the venue before the date

Make sure that the venue is favorable to the benefit concert’s theme (don’t pick a bar/club location that will attract a different crowd or discourage others from attending)

It should hold at least 250 people for reasonable success; whether or not you actually get that many people is not important, but you don’t want to have to turn people away

Listen to the acoustics and make sure that it has the best sound or else bands may be unenthused to play in a setting where they don’t sound their best

Once the venue is selected, have a 2nd and 3rd back up (see if the venue will donate the location free of charge) Give them a full-page ad thanking them in the concert program They will get free press releases for their charitable donation Try for a large discount if they won’t donate the spot

STEP TWO – THE DATE

Before confirming the date, do the following: Check the list and dates of local events in the community and make sure that they don’t conflict with

your event Check with other schools that are helping to coordinate the event and make sure that their school

doesn’t have any activities/events that weekend that would conflict with your event Check with Operation Smile and make sure that they don’t already have an event planned for the area

at that time

STEP THREE – ESTABLISH A THEME

Determine the positioning of the event; how will it be seen by past, current, and future patrons, supporters and donors (luckily Operation Smile is always setting higher goals for the future because there is still a very great need for surgeries, as well as, helping countries have their own sustainable health-care systems)

Set a theme that captures imaginations and sets the tone

Be big and bold and verbally assertive to stake your claim to their imaginations and aspirations ex. “Inspire Waves of Change”

Don’t sell the benefit short with a modest theme and title

STEP FOUR – DESIGN THE CONCERT

Keep in mind the audience you want to invite and find bands/singers that will 1)attract the most people 2)do the most memorable job within the theme 3)represent your efforts and organization positively

Start to line up bands/singers – don’t be shy about who you ask because the worst thing that could happen is they say no. You are offering them a way to be involved with a noble cause and giving them free publicity for it.

Get a variety of performers

Be creative and find a way to tie all of the bands/singers in to the theme of the event – focus on the audience and the intent of your concert

The selection of bands can have a major effect on the donations that come in from the event. That is the purpose of having them so be sure that the bands are well aware of this before they sign on to play. The event is for the benefit of the organization – not for their enjoyment or own benefit.

Prepare a “Letter of Understanding” for the bands that states the ‘who, what, when, where, why, and how’ of the event and their involvement

Try and get publicity out sooner than later with the bands that are participating in the event to help cement their involvement and to start generating publicity for the event

STEP FIVE – GETTING CORPORATE SPONSORS

Keep in mind that corporations’ main goal is to generate profits!

Provide the corporation with exposure that will benefit them. Make sure that you show them how it will benefit them and how their organization will be displayed/publicized for the event.

Make them a sponsor for the event Have their name and products proportionately presented to the public

The more exposure they have, the more likely they are to support you

Keep them informed of the goals of your event Make sure they know what Operation Smile is all about and why you are holding this event Let them know how much money you plan to raise in ticket sales and in other donations Give them credit for helping to raise money for Operation Smile

Have a professional presentation to the company for their involvement; the presentation should be a well put together executive summary of what you are doing, what it is for, and how the money will be used. Also, identify all of the other parties/corporations that are already on board as sponsors and donors.

Give the donors five different levels to choose from, ex. Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze (you can get creative with these levels and relate them to the cause).

Each level should show exactly how the money will be used for (venue expenses, printing costs, etc. or as a donation)

Let them know what you are going to do for them (how many mentions, how many signs, where they will be mentioned in the program, how much tv/radio PR the event will get and if they will be included in those)

Approach big and small companies – the smaller ones may still be able to sponsor, even if it is on a smaller level STEP SIX – MAKING THE BOOKING

Once you have found a date and venue that works and enough sponsors to help with expenses and costs to promote the event, it is time to book the venue. Booking the venue, and every other arrangement made from this point on, should be in writing!

Write every arrangement down and send by e-mail, fax or letter spelling out the arrangement to each party involved.

STEP SEVEN – SELLING THE TICKETS

Be direct in your selling efforts. Don’t try and sell your tickets to the masses because it can consume a lot of time and money with a return of very little response.

Get club members, family, friends, and corporate sponsors to buy blocks of tickets and then distribute them. You can sell tickets in blocks of five or ten and even much larger for the corporations. Each member can be responsible for selling 10 tickets. Just with the combined efforts of the local clubs and their members, a lot of tickets can be sold!

Ask your performers to sell blocks of tickets, as well.

Contact Operation Smile with assistance in getting local PR set up. They will help you contact local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations for free PR. Make sure that Operation Smile and its mission is always at the center of the event.

Talk to other service organizations (Rotary Club, Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts, Key Club) about sharing Operation Smile with their board members and asking them to help you sell tickets and raise money.

Ask these service organizations for a free, one-time use of their mailing lists or ask them to mail out a special letter or invitation (that you’ll create) at their expense to help get more tickets sold and raise more funds.

Don’t limit your school involvement to high school level students. Try and reach out to the lower schools (elementary and middle) and get the students, teachers, and parents involved and aware of the event. Also, reach out to the local colleges and universities. You can offer students a special donation rate.

Contact Operation Smile and see if they can post your event in the Upcoming Events section of their website. Have a contact listed online for those interested in purchasing tickets.

STEP EIGHT – BANK THE MONEY

As money comes in, make sure every expense is well documented and every donation carefully noted. It is important to keep a list of names, addresses, phone number, and email address of every sponsor, donor, and ticket holder.

STEP NINE – SELECT AN EMCEE

Select an emcee that has good public speaking skills and can keep the crowd entertained. It would be good to have a local student(s) emcee the night since they are responsible for the entire event.

However, you could try and get an emcee that is possibly a local celebrity, or radio or TV personality but they must have good speaking skills and have the best interest of the students and Operation Smile at the top of their agenda for speaking at the event.

STEP TEN - REHEARSE THE PROGRAM MANY TIMES

Run through the set up and the event over and over to make sure that everything runs smoothly and there is enough time for certain speakers and presentations in between the bands.

STEP ELEVEN – ARRIVE EARLY, HAVE LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS HELP AND HAVE A GREAT SHOW

Think through every detail of the night and be prepared for unsuspected mis-haps that may arise

Have someone introduce you and your schools club members who were involved in planning and coordinating the event – explain the purpose and how the money will money raised will be used

Be specific about Operation Smile and why you, as students, are involved and the effects it has had on you

Be unusual and creative in your efforts to display the need for funds to help Operation Smile continue to the great work that it does

Display before-and-after photos and show a Operation Smile story – visuals help give a clearer picture to the audience and increase the impact of the message. Have a local student that has been on a mission speak about their mission experience and possibly show a short slide-show of photos.

Ask for more donations from attendees at the event and make it easy for them to donate right there at the event (maybe mention how else they can donate in the program)

Let them know how much you would like to raise and how many smiles that could be changed

STEP TWELVE – FOLLOW UP

Send a thank you letter (via email or by mail) to every name you have. Let them know your goal, if you achieved it, surpassed it, etc. and how many lives the funds raised will be able to change! Let them know how else they can donate if they wish to donate more.

Thank all of the Sponsors! This needs to be a more elaborate thank you because they helped make the event possible.

Send in donations from the event. Be sure to include the names, addresses, and contact information of each donor as well as the amount that they donated so that Operation Smile can send them a tax deductible receipt.

Write up a story for the press telling how much was raised and review the event. Submit this to Operation Smile first for approval, and then submit to the local press.

Source: Adapted from Mark Stoddard, “How to Organize a Non-Profit Benefit Concert.” Available:

http://www.classicalsinger.com/charity/shs/Benefit_Concert.pdf.