DUC’s Top 10 Fundraising Ideas

We’d like to thank you for sticking by us through these challenging times. With in-person events cancelled since March 15, 2020 and likely for the foreseeable future, DUC’s volunteers have been asking us: “What can we do?” With input from our volunteers and the DUC staff fundraising team, we’ve developed this Top 10 Idea List to help you and your committee continue to help support wetland conservation. If any of these ideas spark an interest, or you have a new idea to share, please speak with a DUC team member, so we can help you succeed!

1. Peer-to-Peer Activity-Based Socially Distanced Events

• If you can walk it, drive it, ride it, pedal it, or do a scavenger hunt for it, you can host a Peer-to-Peer activity in your community.
• Individuals/teams register for the activity and are encouraged to seek sponsorship/donations from their friends/families/co-workers.
• As an incentive, offer prizes for reaching milestone donation levels and/or prizes for the top five fundraisers.

2. Community Raffle – Large Items & Packages

• Please check with your local municipality/town/province regarding licence requirements – your DUC team can help you with this.
• Seek sponsor(s) who would be willing to donate (or at least offer at cost) a large item, (e.g. ATV, boat, his’n’hers kayak package, etc.); to drive traffic to a donor/sponsor, promote tickets available for sale at their place of business.
• Print and sell tickets equal to at least 50% profit if a sell-out occurs (i.e., if the item is worth or costs $10,000 set your available tickets/ticket price to where a sell-out would gross $20,000 minimum; most provinces have a 20-25% rule, where the prize must equal at least 20-25% of the gross sales, so on a $10,000 prize, you could aim for $40,000-$50,000 gross sales).

3. Community Raffle – Smaller Packaged Items

• Same as above, but utilize locally donated items/packages and/or DUC merchandise sourced through your local DUC fundraising staff member.
• Generally a smaller ticket price. Again, companies that have donated items can be promoted as a place to buy tickets.

4. Progressive Raffle

• Please check with your local municipality/town/province regarding licence requirements.
• Generally, these raffles take the form of Chase The Ace or 50/50 raffles, where the cash prize grows as more people buy tickets.
• 50/50 raffles have a set draw date for one prize (half of the cash).
• Chase the Ace raffles require a weekly commitment until the prize is won; they offer a weekly prize as well as a grand prize, and if the Ace isn’t found for the first several weeks, this raffle can generate a lot of excitement in the community!
• Both 50/50 and Chase the Ace raffles also offer the opportunity for sponsorship.

5. Online Silent Auctions

• A new twist on an old favourite, offered via Facebook or DUC’s online auction platform.
• DUC merchandise is available to “fill out” your list of items, but you will be more successful if you feature locally donated items (you can ask your donors to display the items in-store with a sign promoting the Silent Auction).
• Offer the auction for a predetermined length of time (a week to two weeks is suggested) and frequently promote it via your committee’s social media contacts.

6. Sponsor Solicitation

• Many DUC events have generous sponsors who will find themselves two years behind their regular sponsorship budget.
• Setup a Facebook Page for your “Committee Sponsorship Drive”; we can help you with messaging, graphics, and solicitation letters.
• Approach your usual sponsors to support your online sponsorship drive and promote their sponsorship amount and logo, link to their website, etc. Sponsor prints are available.

7. Golf Tournament

• 18 holes equals 18 sponsors! Boxed meals or gift cards can be given in lieu of a sit-down dinner.
• Charge a minimum fee per team, or add a Peer-to-Peer component and also have prizes for the Top 3 Fundraising Teams.
• Get creative. Use glow-in-the-dark balls and “Shoot for Par Under the Stars”!

8. DUC Outdoor Series (Outdoor Instruction & Mentorship)

• Teach a group to fish, shoot, paddle, ATV, dog training, etc.; if you or your committee have people or know people considered “experts” or at the least very experienced in an outdoor-oriented activity – that knowledge is gold to others who want to learn!
• Get it sponsored to allow you to offer participation at a lesser cost.

9. Facebook Personal Fundraiser

• Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, celebrations of life – any occasion that you would post on Facebook or any “challenge” you would post, can help generate funds for DUC.
• Simply create an “event” or a “page” and add the “Donate Button” – choosing Ducks Unlimited Canada as the beneficiary.
• Be sure to “Set a Goal” – it gives you something to promote as you get closer to reaching it.
• For click here for more info on how to setup a personal Facebook fundraiser.

10. Virtual Entertainment Series

• Many DUC volunteers know local musicians, comedians, celebrities – invite them to participate in a “Facebook Live” event.
• A “Donate Button” can be added to the presentation and the presenter can request donations throughout their performance.
• For larger scale entertainers, DUC does have the ability to setup a Zoom Concert requiring admission for registration.