Regional Director’s Message

It Takes A Village…

One of my favorite quotes “It Takes a Village to Raise A Child” ~ African Proverb

I would like to challenge each and every one of us reading this message to share opportunities about Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos. Do your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family know about NPH? It takes all of us to help raise our NPH children so they have the food, healthcare, education and resources and to do our part here in the United States we assist in raising the funds so the homes can raise the children.

Here are some great ‘Fun’draising Ideas for workplace, schools, and neighbors to have fun while raising funds. Giving Campaign. Fundraising event ideas are seemingly endless. Please contact the NPH Upper Midwest office if you would like flyers, posters, materials to share at your event.

Golf – Form teams, get creative, and create golf holes throughout your neighborhood/school/office floors. Incorporate mission, by posting signs and facts about the NPH homes. Participants pay to participate in the golf.
Wall of Wine – Receive donated bottles of wine, including a couple of high-value bottles. Bag the wines and display them on a table. Participants purchase tickets for $10 or $25 and get to select one of the bottles of wine.
Silent Auction – Secure items from vendors, co-workers, neighbors.
Mobile Food Sales – Host a coffee cart or ice cream truck. Sales of all items go to NPH.
Tricycle Race – Set up a relay course for participants to go through, either sitting in a chair or on tricycles. Have participants “bet” on their favorite contestants to win.
Makeover – Makeover cubicles, classrooms, lawn etc. Theme to NPH Homes.
Fun Embarrassment – Pay to give a pie in the face, dunk tank, or any number of other activities, embarrassing friends, family, neighbors, CEO, principal, is always a popular activity.
Statistics Game – Distribute stickers to represent statistics from Central America (i.e.: homeless population…). Ask people to stand-up who have a red sticker and share with them that this means you were one of the X people who slept on the street last night, or a blue sticker means you were one of X youth who did not graduate. These powerful messages reinforce the mission of NPH.
Amazing Race/Scavenger Hunt – Host a scavenger hunt competition.
Sports Tournaments – Host a basketball, dodge ball, four square, or any number of sporting event tournament. Participants pay to enter and proceeds to NPH. Donate the sporting equipment from the games to a NPH home.
College Basketball Bracket – During March Madness, turn your bracket into a fundraiser for NPH. 50% of the proceeds go to the bracket winners and 50% support NPH.
Coin Wars – Get rid of your change for NPH. Set-up large water jugs and do a coin war. The highest fundraising group wins a pizza party.
Garage Sale – Donate proceeds to NPH
Pancake & Waffle Breakfast – Host a pancake or waffle breakfast for employees. Participants make a donation for breakfast
Point System Competition – Create a week long campaign develop a point system to encourage participation and a friendly-competition. For example: 6-points for giving, 4-points for increasing gift from last year, 3-points for donating to the food drive, 2-point for volunteering during the campaign,1-point for attending a campaign event (i.e.: kick-off, meeting, etc.) The group that wins the most points will earn a prize.
Jeans Stickers – Sell stickers for jeans days or non-uniform days.
Raffle – sell raffle tickets for a Parking Spot, for homemade dinner, homemade dessert.
Competition – Create a friendly competition campaign between schools, neighborhood, companies, friends, Scout troops, book clubs. Most raised? Most participation? Most food donated? The winning group has to provide the other group with a prize (i.e.: hosted lunch)
Baskets for Auction – Create themed baskets for a raffle. Basket theme ideas include, Backyard BBQ, Wine Lover, Beer Lover, Activities for the Kids, Movie Night, etc.
Bike-a-thon – Charge and entry fee. Participants collect pledges for # miles they ride.
Bowling Tournament – Set up a bowling alley using bottled water and a ball. Charge participants to enter. Participants can get pledges for the number of pins knocked over.
Chair Race – Set up a relay course for participants. Let observers “bet” on their favorite contestants.
Obstacle Course – Set up an obstacle course. Contestants pay entry fee which go to NPH.
Bake Sales – Bake favorite cakes, cookies or breads. Sell per item or by the dozen.
Lunch Time Meals – Sponsor a lunch of spaghetti, chili, barbecue or another favorite food. Charge a flat fee for all you can eat, enough to cover expenses and a small contribution.
All you can eat Potato Bar – You will want to have baked potatoes with all the fixin’s. Chili, sour cream, shredded cheese, butter, steamed broccoli, melted cheese, chives, bacon bits, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, hot peppers, ham, and spices.
Balloon Pop – Place gift cards or small prizes inside balloons and sell raffle tickets to get a chance to pop the $5, $10, $20, $50 etc.
Flamingo Insurance –Purchase 20 inexpensive flamingos (stuffed, on a stand, etc.). Purchase Flamingo Insurance $ to insure that no flamingos can enter your office, classroom, lawn. Employees pay $ to send a flamingo to an office, classroom, lawn that does not have Flamingo Insurance. If you receive a flamingo, you can pay $ to send it away.
Dinner For a Week – Get 7 restaurants to donate a dinner for 2 and raffle off a week of eating out. Sell tickets for $30. The lucky winners are able to eat out every night for a week.
Barbecue Contest – Fire up the grill and breakout your best BBQ recipe. Ask members to be judges and have different categories for various meats or vegetables. Require guests to pay to attend.
Home Grown Auction – Donate a weekend at their summer cabin or a home cooked dinner. Services such as a car detailing, a month of lawn mowing or painting also may be auctioned.