Something food related (of course this is coming from someone who writes about food). Find some hot up-and-coming local chefs and have some sort of competition.

Avoid silent auctions. I for one hate these; if there's anything I can afford to bid on, someone else who wants it more than I do is lurking closeby waiting to top my bid as soon as I walk away to enjoy whatever is the real attraction of the evening.

Hello I'm interested in helping out with your public events for the better cause. I teach Ballroom dancesport, host parties, perform shows on all styles from singing, playing & dancing + have a DJ, karaoke, live bands biz. Let me know if I can help out with anything.

Hmm, have you tried grant writing? I'm currently in the process of writing some to try to increase the technology/teacher resources for the school I teach in ...

http://www.edweek.org/ew/section...

Planning on exploring this. I've never written a grant before, but I'm sure there's an Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing out there if all else fails ... :)

Raffles are also good plugs. A lot of local businesses will donate things, be it items or gift cards. Call a local radio station or something, and I'm sure, if the scale is large enough, they could give you some air time, especially 92.3. It's not as commercial as some of the other area stations. You'd need some legitimate backing, though, and a radio station and/or mall just might provide that? Maybe? Listen to me acting like I know what I'm talking about. And I'm spent. Sounds like your heart is in the write place, so it was worth the effort! Best of luck. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. :)

I am the publisher of a new magazine (Indianapolis ORG Magazine) serving central Indiana nonprofit organizations and can probably prove useful in your efforts and would be happy to help out for the benefit of local organizations and causes. Let me know if I can help. (Brad)

Try a gaming thing if you want 20-30 year old people. New games like guitar hero or rock band to that nature...people could be interested in helping a event by offering to use their own systems for the poeple attending. The Nintindo WII with Golf/Boxing/Tennis/Bowling games all get people interested. Perhaps getting Netheads (I think it is called that) in Boradripple. There are many people that would donate even a little to have fun with a group of people there to play games competitivly knowing it was for a good cause. Games can't always be about bad news, it can be helpful in ways that people don't think! Just my thoughts anyway.

The Garfield Park Arts Center has hosted the anual Bella charity fashion show, Ruperts Kids Tuxes and Tennies fundraiser, and the friends of Garfield Park Galas and fundraisers for the year. I may be biased :) ok am biased but if you have a good charitable event Garfield is a great place to host a fundraiser at low cost, high quality, and in an important historic area of Indy.

digital evolution is always up for some fundraising! charity = real karma!

Right on digitalevolution, it's all about getting that karma!

if you get something going and need a dj just let me know my man

I've been to both Rupert's event and the friends of Garfield Park Galas and I do have to say it's a very nice place for charity events and much more central to Indianapolis than having to drive to the North Side.

Go Garfield Park!

As for local charities that could use some love, I.R.C.I.L. and Jillians House are my favorites though an ecological charity might be nice as well. Statisticaly Indiana has the 49th worst per capita carbon emmisions in the country, and the most abuse cases involving children so any charities that work to adress those problems would be ideal as not enough effort is being put forth on a governmental scale to adress those issues within the state.

I know what you mean bigwheeler. That would be great to do something along those lines.

• Black tie events typically draw the 40's + crowd and work well if you have the cash upfront to market it properly and pay expenses (venue, food, entertainment, etc.)

• Silent auctions are excellent, regardless of what anyone tells you! I prefer these over raffles, from my experience of several years in charity fundraising they generate almost double the dollars that a raffle would on average.

• A well-promoted benefit concert is a very inexpensive way to get some cash in your coffers. Very little cash upfront needed to make happen, lots of bands and venues in the area willing to participate for a good cause.

• Unless your organization is A) a 501c3, and B) has an experienced grant writer in house, please do not invest too much time and hope in having success in this arena. There is a ton of competition for grants, and more often than not grants go to the mega-charities who get all the funding/grants every year (goodwill, united way, children's museum, riley, etc.) Make it part of your long-term fundraising plan, but I would discourage you from doing too much time in grant-writing and not ineough in events. Fundraising events are the bread and butter of small organizations.

Cheers!

My friends and I (mid-upper 30's) enjoy going to an occasional gala (if it's for a good cause) and we LOVE to go to wine tastings. For us, the main decision on what to attend is if the money is going to a good cause. If you want to get the young-mid 20's though, it'll probably have to be inexpensive event. People right out of college rarely have much excess cash to put towards charities.