1. As an individual raising funds to support Operation Smile, we encourage you to ask friends, family members and colleagues to make a donation to your fundraising page. If your friends, family members, and/or colleagues would like to join your efforts to raise funds, they can share your fundraising page link, or if your page allows it, create their own page as part of your fundraising team.
2. A gift made through fundraising represents a gift to the entire Operation Smile mission. To help the most children, we use your gift where it can do the most good by pooling it with the gifts of others.
3. To protect our donors’ confidentiality, Operation Smile does not share its donor list. If you would like to see a list of who has supported your fundraiser, check out your Participant Center.
4. If you are hosting an event to benefit Operation Smile, there are a few additional guidelines to consider. Please read the section below “Event Organizer’s Responsibilities.”
5. If you are planning an event or large gathering and want to provide an opportunity for people to give to your Fundraising Page during the event, please follow these steps:
   • Go to your participant center and copy your fundraising page URL
   • Visit https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/ and paste your URL into the box that, “Your URL”.
   • Click “Create QR Code” then “Download PNG” and save your QR Code on your computer.
   • Open our QR Code Flyer Template and add your QR Code to the flyer. Update the flyer with your event information and you’re ready to print and share.
   • We recommend either printing multiple flyers out for people to pick up during the event or having a few dedicated areas for the flyer to be setup in a frame letting people know they can make a donation on their personal smart devices!
     
     Event Organizer Responsibilities

     Thank you for hosting an event to benefit Operation Smile. As an Event Organizer, there are some additional responsibilities to ensure you are representing yourself and Operation Smile in the best possible light.

     1. All expenses associated with the event are the responsibility of the event fundraiser. As an event host, you are permitted to deduct up to 25% of expenses from the final donation amount to reimburse yourself, but this must be done before funds are distributed to Operation Smile. Once Operation Smile receives the funds, or if funds are given to Operation Smile directly via check or online donation, we cannot provide reimbursement of any expenses.
     2. Within 14 days of your completed fundraising event or activity, please send a final accounting of income and expenses along with your proceeds to Operation Smile. Please include the contact information for individuals and organizations that need receipts for tax purposes. Details can be found in the Fundraising Donation FAQ.
     3. All fundraising events and activities must fit the mission and support the image of Operation Smile.
     4. Operation Smile does not endorse any events that include telemarketing, door knocking, violent or dangerous activities, or the sale or promotion of tobacco products or illegal drugs.
     5. If another organization, in addition to Operation Smile, will benefit from the fundraising event, we require notification in advance.
     6. Operation Smile cannot guarantee a speaker, representative, or celebrity for your event because of the number of requests we receive.
     7. Operation Smile cannot sponsor, solicit sponsorship or reimburse expenses for your fundraising event. Please let us know if you recruit underwriters/sponsors for your event to avoid any conflicts with our own solicitation efforts.
     8. Operation Smile will not provide a tax receipt for the donation of goods or services to your event.
     9. Operation Smile reserves the right to approve the use of our name and logo on all promotional materials, including items such as flyers, posters, websites, etc.
     10. Fundraisers must have promotional materials reviewed and approved by Operation Smile before they can be used. All promotional materials must indicate:
         • Operation Smile is not the event sponsor.
         • Funds are being raised by you/your organization to benefit Operation Smile.

• Log into your mySMILE participant centre
• Click on the Progress Tab
• Under your goal amount click on Change
• Enter the new goal amount
• Click Submit

Below are some ideas to help you get started, but please feel free to be creative and find a solution that works well for you

1. Contest Fundraising
   • Ugly sweater, kite flying, chili cook-off, office decorating, cupcake decorating, hot dog eating, best photo… find your favorite contest theme, and let your colleagues vote on the best (or worst) by placing a donation jar in front of each entry. The winner is the jar that collects the most money
2. Tournament Style Fundraising
   • This can be anything from basketball to board games. Charge an entry fee, set a grand prize, and collect donations from participating teams.
3. Charity Auctions
   • Get donated items for a charity auction. Many local businesses will be happy to donate gift cards to their establishment if you let them know you are using it to raise money for Operation Smile. You can also get items and gift baskets donated by local businesses, friends, and family. There are many ways to run an auction, so pick your favorite method and see what you can raise! *Please note: Operation Smile is not allowed to receive funds that were raised through a raffle.*
4. Event Based Fundraising
   • Fitness Events
     • Planning a fitness event can be a lot of but will require a little more work than other options. Hosting a Walkathon, Bike-a-thon, 5k, spinning event, or any other fitness event is a great way to raise funds, while getting involved in your local community.
   • Fitness Teams
     • Participate in an existing fitness event and let your friends and family know that you are running in support of Operation Smile! Ask for sponsorships based on the number of miles you plan to go, or request donations towards your team goal.
5. Social Fundraising
   • The options here are endless, so use your imagination and be creative! Tie your fundraising activity into a fun social fundraising event either one you are hosting, or an existing event that you add a charitable aspect onto (with permission from the hosts, of course!).
   • Some examples for this type of fundraising are:
     • Trivia Night at your local bar or restaurant
     • Talent Show
     • Scavenger Hunt
     • Pizza party
     • Themed party (70’s, 80’s, Holiday, etc.)
     • Karaoke Night
     • Carnival/Festival for employees and children
6. Game Show Style Fundraising
   • There are so many great game shows out there, so re-create your favorite one, and instead of winning a prize, collect money for Operation Smile! There are plenty of ideas for these style fundraisers out there, so a quick Google search of your favorite will give you plenty of guidance.
   • Game Shows that work well are: Deal or No Deal, Family Feud, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, Jeopardy, and The Price is Right
7. Classic Fundraising
   • These classic fundraising ideas have been used to raise money for decades, and they still work just as well!
   • Some examples for this type of fundraising are:
     • Car Wash
     • Bake Sale
     • Sell hand-crafted creations at a local event
     • Pie the Boss
     • Casual Day/Jeans Day/Pajama Day at the office
     • Guessing Games (how many beans in the jar, for example)
     • Popcorn/Snack/Candy sales
     • Community Yard Sales
     • Lemonade/Hot Chocolate Stand
8. Unique Fundraising Ideas
   • These unique and creative fundraising ideas can be a great way to fundraise if your group is tired of the same old fundraisers. These are designed to invite a little healthy competition into the fundraising campaign.
   • Some examples for this type of fundraising are:
     • Rubber Duck Race: buy rubber ducks in bulk and assign each one a number. Sell numbers to participants that correspond to each duck, and then drop them in your local lake or river (with permission from your local officials, of course!). The first duck to cross the finish line wins, and make sure you have fun prizes for 2nd, 3rd, and runner up spots too!
     • Rock the night away at a Rock-a-Thon by collecting sponsorships to see how long you can sit and rock in a rocking chair. Get together a group of rocking chairs and rockers, and challenge everyone to keep m behind in the chair until the last person cannot take it anymore (s/he is the winner!).
     • Fish Tank Fill-up: get a large, clean fish tank and ask permission to place it in a prominent location. Challenge everyone to throw in their spare change (or dollars) to fill the tank and see how long it takes!
     • Penny Wars: This is a great office-based fundraiser with multiple departments or teams. Put an empty jar in each department and see who can fill it with pennies the fastest. Sabotage the other teams by dropping a dollar bill into their jar every dollar bill cancels out 100 of their pennies! See who can collect the most pennies at the end of the week!
     • Envelope Wall: choose a prominent wall and get a box of 100 envelopes. Label them 1 100, and pin or tape the envelopes to the wall. Let participants know that they donate whatever amount is listed on the envelope they choose. This is a great and easy way to raise $5,050 and you don’t even have to ask for money!

Just in case you do not find a fundraising idea you love in this list, here are some other resources:
https://blog.fundly.com/fundraising-ideas/
https://www.causevox.com/fundraising-ideas/
https://www.classy.org/blog/25-quick-fundraising-ideas-for-nonprofits-and-charity/
https://doublethedonation.com/fundraising-ideas/


Thank you for choosing Operation and helping us heal smiles worldwide!