A third-party fundraising event is any activity by a non-affiliated group or individual where the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter has no fiduciary responsibility and little or no staff involvement. If you have an idea or plan for an event that will benefit the Red Cross, follow these simple guidelines:
- Complete an application and submit a signed Third Party Contract. Click here for a contract application. All events must be approved by the Red Cross in advance. This is an important safeguard to preserving the integrity of the American Red Cross name and our commitment to raise the funds necessary to fulfill our mission in a cost-efficient and effective manner.
- We will review your plan and do our best to contact you within approximately 7 days. While we are able to provide guidance for your event, we do not have the personnel to handle the organizational and administrative tasks associated with third-party events. Therefore, you are responsible for all details of the event including: underwriting all of the related costs; recruiting volunteers to help out at the event; creating flyers to publicize the event; and working at the actual event.
- The event must be promoted in a manner to avoid statements or the appearance of the American Red Cross endorsing any product, firm, organization, individual or service.
- The American Red Cross must approve all promotional materials, including but not limited to advertising, letters, brochures, flyers and press releases prior to production or distribution. All promotional materials must clearly state the percentage of proceeds that will benefit the American Red Cross.
- American Red Cross should receive a list of targeted sponsors for the event before they are approached to minimize overlap with other Red Cross events and/or fundraising campaigns that may be underway.
- American Red Cross can provide collection canisters and informational materials promoting the organization, its goals and accomplishments. Advance notice is needed regarding the quantities needed for the event.
- Event organizers are responsible for obtaining all permits especially those for raffles and/or games of chance.
- Event organizers must obtain their own liability insurance to cover the event. American Red Cross is not financially liable for the promotion and/or staging of third-party events.
- Under no circumstances should third-party event revenue and expenses flow through American Red Cross books. Only the final net proceeds from the event are to be processed by the American Red Cross. American Red Cross should receive a complete accounting of all funds collected and expenses related to the event. We reserve the right to inspect all event financial records.
Reminder: Please do not move forward with your plans until you have been submitted your application and been notified of our decision. Thank you for your support of the American Red Cross.
These are some of the successful fundraising activities that have benefitted the American Red Cross:
- Jeans Day: Pay $5 to wear jeans to work
- Recycle Cans: Keep an extra trashcan in the break room for cans only
- Concession Stands at Little League games
- Loose Change: Put containers out at retail businesses for loose change
- Jail and Bail: Arrest locals who have to raise money before they get “paroled”
- CEO/Costume Pictures: Charge $5 to have a picture made with the CEO
- Monkey on Your Back: Pay fee to have someone wear a stuffed monkey around
- Softball Tournament: Charge an entry fee for each team
- Baskets (Theme) Auction: Put together theme baskets to be auctioned off
- Dunk Tank: Get local celebrities to be dunked
- Parents Night Out/Christmas Shopping for Parents: Charge parents for babysitting
- Pampered Chef Party, Tupperware, or Partylight: Donate a portion of the sales
- Curse Buckets/Swear Jars: Must pay a fine for each curse word spoken at work
- Office Easter Egg Hunt: Charge to hunt eggs at work…look for the prize egg
- Car Wash
- Letter Writing: Write letters to everyone on your Christmas card list
- Book Sale: Have a used book sale at work
- Silent Auction: Have a silent bake auction for a sweet fundraiser
- Talent Show: Charge admission for a “No Talent Show”
- Crafts Auction: Make and sell all kinds of crafts
- Yard Sales: Have a community wide sale
- Window Washing: Wash car windows at the bank drive through
- Pamper Yourself Night: Slumber party for women only! Charge $10 to attend
- House Cleaning: Clean houses for donations
- Taking Care of Pets: Charge to take care of someone’s pet while they are away
- Hang People’s Christmas Lights: Charge for hanging them and taking down
- Gift Wrapping: Set up a Christmas package wrapping station at a mall for donations
- Personal Shopper: Charge to do shopping/errands for someone
- Take Pictures with Santa: Take donations for pictures with Santa
- Skate-A-Thon: Host a special night at a skating rink
- Face Painting: Charge for face painting at a community event
- Chili Cook off: Charge entry fee and for samples
- Hula Hoop Contest: Great for kids AND adults! See who can go the longest
- Ice Cream Social: Charge admission to sample this sweet treat
- Lemonade Stand: Set one up on a hot summer day!
- Candy Gumball Machine: Put this in your office for everyone to purchase
- Most beautiful baby contest: Vote with money donations for the cutest baby
- Dance Contest: Charge an entry fee to participate