1. Ask Your Friends: Make a list of friends that are likely to support your fundraising and just ask. Some people will need 10 friends to give $50, and some people need 50 friends to give $10. Most people will need a combination such as: 2-3 @ $50; 4-5 @ $25; 15 @ $10.

2. Spark A Match: Give a portion of the $500. Then ask your friends to join you in giving $25, $50, or whatever your gift is. Check with your employer to see if they will match your gift (be sure to ask friends if their gifts can be matched too).

3. Spring Cleaning: Clear the clutter and have a Yard Sale Donate the proceeds from your yard sale.

4. Cook them Dinner: Invite 20 friends over for an all you can eat spaghetti dinner. Charge $ 25.00 per person—you have met your goal.

5. Have Dinner on the Run: Gather a few families and have a progressive dinner. Start at one person’s home for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, progress to the next person’s house for soup or salad, the next person’s for the main course, and the last person for dessert. Either charge by course, or for the whole package.

6. Wine and Cheese: Host a wine and cheese party. Do not charge admission and invite as many people as you can. During the party, give a short talk about your cause, and ask everyone to consider a gift of $25, $50, $100 or more (depending on the crowd).

7. Raffle: Create baskets of items or get donations from local vendors to create a raffle. Sell 100 tickets at $ 5.00 each.

8. Make Small Change: Small change can make big changes in the lives of those in need. Ask a group of friends or co-workers to donate their stash of small change to your cause. Take all collected change to a bank or coin counting receptacle to create one donation.

9. Make Digital Dollars: List unwanted books, electronics etc for sale on Amazon, EBAY or Craigslist. Encourage your friends and family to do the same.

10. Tag a friend: On Facebook, Myspace or your other favorite social networking website and ask them to support your fundraising efforts.