We recommend you begin planning your event at least six months in advance. For larger events, we suggest starting the planning process 8-12 months before your event. 

If you are ready to begin planning your fundraiser, here are a few aspects you should start thinking about: 

• Type of event 
• Options for date/time 
• Location/Venue 
• Who will attend the event 
• Fundraising goal 

You should then set up a meeting with the CurePSP events team to further discuss your event. 

Tons of fundraiser ideas will make for a successful event. Some physical activity events we have seen become successful are walks/runs within the community, bowling, golf outings, and bike races. These events are a great way to gather with people, get outside and raise money. Another idea is to do a birthday or wedding fundraiser, where you would ask family and friends for donations instead of a gift. We recommend thinking about something you, your family, or your loved one are passionate about and going from there. 

Fundraisers can be hosted any time of the year, and you should decide based on your and your family’s calendars. However, May is CurePSP’s Month of Action. We also recommend April, May, September, and October to host events as people are typically eager to get outside then. We suggest avoiding the summer months, if possible, as the weather is much hotter, and people tend to be away on vacation. 

The CurePSP Events Team is here to walk you through the logistical details of your event. We can also help you figure out the best process for registration and collecting donations, help you set up a fundraising page, provide ideas on how to promote your fundraiser, send branded items and/or educational pamphlets, and more. Ultimately, the fundraiser will be your event to organize and host, but we will be available to help walk you through the process and answer any questions. 

Nope! We are here to help, no matter how big or small your goal is! 

We can meet with you as often as you would like, although we recommend setting up a call once per month throughout your planning process. As always, we are available via email for any questions. 

If you are interested in hosting an event involving physical activity, all participants must sign a waiver, which CurePSP will provide. If you want to host a road race fundraiser, additional safety protocols need to be taken. Please contact the CurePSP Events team well before your event to discuss these protocols. 

There are a variety of ways in which you can ask for donations and tell people about your fundraiser event. A more personal way to reach people is to connect with them in person or to call them. You can also post on social media or send emails to promote your event and provide a link directing people to a donation page. A great way to reach a larger audience is to create a sample email for your friends and family that they can send to their network. You can also have your donation page available during and after the fundraiser event to continue receiving donations. The CurePSP Team can help you brainstorm ways to promote your event and ask for donations. 

While fundraising materials are not necessary, they are a great way to spread the word about your event. Ensure all fundraising materials include all legally required information, like registered charity status or number, full company name, and registered office address. Some optional information you can include is what CurePSP means to you, date/time/location of the event, and options to donate to the event if they cannot attend.  

There are many positives to hosting a virtual or an in-person event. The positive to hosting a virtual event is that you will have a larger outreach and people who cannot travel can still attend your event. However, there will be less personal connection with attendees, and you may encounter technical difficulties. As for in-person events, people are eager to gather in person and connect. In-person events can be challenging if attendees do not live locally and would have to travel for the event. Ultimately, you know the attendees best and if they are likely to attend an in-person event or would be more comfortable attending virtually. 

There are various simple and easy ways to keep your event costs to a minimum. You can reach out to local businesses interested in sponsoring your event or donating resources in exchange for promoting and acknowledging their business at your event. The CurePSP Team can assist in brainstorming sponsorship ideas, and we can provide an example solicitation letter to send to local businesses.  

The key to hosting a successful fundraising event is to be passionate about your event and spread the word about why you are hosting the fundraiser. You should utilize all promotional resources, like hanging flyers, posting on social media, reaching out to friends and family, etc. Planning early is also extremely helpful as it gives you more time to reach your fundraising goal and plenty of time to figure out all the details. No matter how much money your fundraiser raises, your event will help spread awareness about PSP, CBD, or MSA, which is a success. 

Walkathons are great public awareness events that can help educate communities about PSP, CBD, and MSA as well as raise funds to support the services of CurePSP. Walking is an activity that is easy for almost anyone. The only equipment you need is you! Children and parents can participate together, which makes this an ideal activity for the entire family. Plus, with the emphasis on fitness, a walkathon is an excellent choice for recreational activity, while promoting public awareness.  

Click Here for the Walkathon Kit

Golf tournaments offer many opportunities for fundraising while participants enjoy spending the day playing the most popular corporate sport in the United States. Many volunteers incorporate a silent auction and other fundraising activities to make this event even more enjoyable.

Click Here for the Golf Tournament Kit

Wine tasting parties have become very popular and are an elegant way to spend an evening with friends and families. Many wineries offer special tours, paired with food and entertainment. Or, you can arrange to have a wine tasting party at a venue of your choice along with a silent auction. Local wineries usually donate the wines for each tasting and offer a discount rate to guests who choose to purchase their selections. Local restaurants will also donate appetizers and/or special desserts to make the evening even extra special. CurePSP can help you organize this fun-filled event.

Click Here for the Wine Tasting Kit

Invite as many people as you can fit around your table and simply ask that your guests donate, don’t ask for a specific amount of money, but have people donate “whatever they would normally spend” on a meal out or a night of drinking! Not only do you get to eat good food and hang out with cool people, but it has this nice, philanthropic byproduct, that doesn’t feel forced.

Have the direct link to your customized CurePSP donation page and have people donate directly from their smartphones!

Check in with your favorite restaurants or local hangouts. Many restaurants already have programs in place to help you fundraise at their establishment. Certain restaurant chains offer “Give Back” nights such as Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday, Burger King and more. The restaurants usually donate a minimum of 10% to the charity and some offer free food and actually come to a facility of your choice, cook and serve the food to your guests. You in return develop the cost per person and promote the fundraising dinner giving recognition to the restaurant while raising awareness and funds for CurePSP.

A more focused and versatile version of a garage sale. Ask everyone you know (co-workers, neighbors, family and friends) to donate any books they no longer wish to keep. Then, choose a time and place to have a used book sale — if not at your home then perhaps at your local farmer’s market, school carnival or community fair.

Host a fundraising party at your home for friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Share your personal story. Ask your guests to support this endeavor with a specific donation in honor of or in memory of your loved one. Dinner parties are a great way to educate others about these neurodegenerative diseases and also raise funds to support the programs and services of CurePSP. We will provide you with educational materials and merchandise to give away or sell.

Ask some local businesses to donate items or gift certificates and hold a silent auction at your fundraising event, or on a payday at work. Things like restaurant certificates, weekend get-aways, day of beauty, a book of car wash certificates, $10 off dry-cleaning, movie passes, play tickets, pet grooming, a week of free coffee, etc. —  the list is endless! Set minimum donation limits and allow people to bid. Some items can be packaged such as hair stylists and pedicures, manicures, massage, all of which can be combined into a “day of beauty” package. Some walkers even get their place of business to agree to set up a silent auction for one item every Friday at work. They get something donated and the office has fun bidding on something new each week.

Organize a dance theme: 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or costume ball. Include a costume contest, silent auction, DJ, food, and more. Set a price per person and promote the event in advance through flyers, email blasts, etc. Get your local church, school or civic group to donate the hall/facility. Find sponsors who will underwrite the cost of the DJ, food, insurance and amenities. CurePSP will help you develop all your materials as well as provide sponsorship packets.

Host a pancake breakfast at a school, park or place of worship. Charge a fee. Get the pancake mix and other food items donated by local stores. Make it an annual event.

Ask your local bowling alley to donate some lanes for a fundraising party. Invite your co-workers as a team-building experience, along with your family, friends and neighbors. Promote in advance for a reduced ticket price and charge an additional $5.00 at the door.

Have you ever wondered how much money the vending machine at work clears in a single week? Find out! Purchase some of the office favorites in bulk (or better yet have them donated!), mark up the price to retail and sell them from your desk; i.e. $1 or $2. If you have a way to keep them cold, do the same with bottled water and sodas.

Ziggedy is an online shopping portal that lets you browse through the offerings of thousands of online vendors such as Walmart, Priceline, Nordstrom, and Best Buy. By signing up and shopping via the Ziggedy service, you can raise funds for CurePSP without absolutely any cost to you – all it takes is one simple click. Sign up today!

GoodSearch is a site that raises money for a specific charity each time a person uses its search engine. Users just need to sign in and select “CurePSP” as the charity, then search as you normally would. GoodSearch also has a free toolbar that users can download. It is powered by Yahoo!, so you’ll get high quality results, just as you would with any other search engine. Each time you search with this toolbar, CurePSP receives funds! You can also shop at some of your favorite stores by selecting the GoodShop tab to raise even more money for CurePSP.

We are now participating in Prairie Farms – Our Caps Your Cause! It is a simple and easy way for us to raise money to continue our programs/mission. If you live in or around Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, or Wisconsin, just buy a gallon or half gallon of Prairie Farms white or flavored milk, and enter the code under the sticker on each cap. For every cap entered, Prairie Farms donates 5 cents to our program.