So you want to be rich without working hard? There’s only one way to do it and the word is “fund raising”. Nah, I’m kidding. Fund raising is not for people who want to make money out of it, and it’s not exactly easy, either. Fund raising is a very rewarding initiative if you have a noble cause. If you are supporting one, and you want to help out in the finances like if you want to start a book club for out-of-school youngsters, or if you want to donate money for research on the cure for AIDS, you’ll need all the support you can get.

Some fund raising drives come in envelopes. Did you ever receive an envelope for solicitation? How much did you give? Solicitation envelopes might get raised eyebrows from people because the truth is it’s hard to shell out money that easy. So you have to think of other ways.

The best thing you can do to solicit is to offer services. You can offer to wash cars, give pedicures, do some dogw alking, and even babysit. Know how much you need so you’ll also know how hard you have to work for it. If people have a vague idea about your fund raising details, they’ll have more hesitations to help. To double your funds, you can ask your friends to help out on their free time. Asking money from people won’t be as hard if you’re not alone.

Holding events is a tough but effective way to raise funds. It’s tough because it requires you to have some existing funds to cover some basic expenses. However, events are an attractive way to mention in solicitation letters that you can hand out. Businesses are also looking out for ways to get some publicity an donate some to charity (and lessen their tax burden too).

Donations are always welcome. You can always ask for donations, not necessarily monetary, but in kind. Ask for some old stuff from people’s attics and hold a garage sale of your own.

But before you decide on what kind of activity you’ll be using to raise funds, think of your cause. How much funds do you need to raise? And will your methods be in line with your cause? Having these two in-synch would help you choose the best activity to provide the best returns without making you look like a hypocrite.

Make sure to thank your contributors who support your cause. People who can’t give you money can support you by promoting your fund raising cause to their friends.