Hand-Painted Umbrellas

When working with any charity or fundraising organization, it's important to keep the group's name in people's minds as much and as often as you can. While most fundraising events take place on warm and sunny days, the gray and rainy days don't have to be completely wasted.

One great idea for raising money for your group when the weather is less than perfect is to sell hand-painted umbrellas.

You might find there are some artistic people in your group willing to volunteer for this, and it's also worth checking if any local artists might want to donate some time and effort too.

As for the umbrella designs, these can be almost anything: from abstract patterns to fun objects such as birds or butterflies. Make sure every umbrella features your group's logo too (have a stencil made for this purpose). Lighter colored umbrellas work best, and you'll have to use fabric paint for it to adhere properly. Use waterproof spray after the paint dries to protect the designs you've created.

You can sell the umbrellas at your next group function, or at an event such as an art fair. You might even want to build a new event around the sale, letting people paint their own umbrellas in exchange for a small donation to your organization.