By Joe Sperlunto, Donor Experience Manager
The spooky season of goblins, ghosts, and ghouls is upon us, and Halloween lovers everywhere are stocking up on candy, making costumes, and decorating their homes with cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and giant skeletons (ok – that last one is just my colleague Jen here at MSAA). Such a fun time of year brings family and friends together over all sorts of activities and events – all great opportunities to hold a Do-It-Yourself DIY fundraiser for MSAA!
MSAA’s DIY fundraising platform helps you turn any Halloween event into a (fun!)d drive for MSAA’s free programs and services. When you register your fundraising event on our platform, you can create a customizable and fully shareable fundraising page to promote your event and collect donations. Creating and sharing your page will be the easiest part of planning your DIY fundraiser – the real fun is deciding what kind of event you want to do! For inspiration, check out some of our ideas below:
Halloween House Party
Everyone loves a Halloween party at the end of October – and you are already planning one! If you are having a Halloween party, you can encourage guests to donate to MSAA. We would be more than happy to provide MSAA-branded swag and literature for your party, and you can even incorporate some of our other ideas below.
“Trunk-or-Treat” Fundraiser
Trunk-or-treating has become widely popular in communities looking for a safe alternative to trick or treating. Partner with a local community center, park, or business with an available parking lot, and get a group of friends together to decorate their cars and fill their trunks with candy. Parents who bring their children can donate to MSAA, while you provide a safe and fun activity for kids in your community.
Costume Contest
A costume contest can be a wonderful time on its own, or a fun added element to any Halloween-themed event. People spend hours creating costumes for Halloween – give them an opportunity to show off! You can set a minimum donation to enter the contest. Assemble a panel of judges and incentivize your contest with fun spooky (or sweet) prizes!
Halloween Baking Class
The return of chilly weather in the Fall sends many of us to our pantries and ovens. If you are an experienced baker who likes teaching their craft or hobby to others, why not host a Halloween baking class in your home?
Monsters and Goblins 5K
Walks and runs are a classic DIY fundraiser. Make it a costume run, and you have a Halloween 5K! Our DIY platform makes it easy to create fundraising teams and pages for your runners – it is one of the most popular DIY fundraising events – and we have lots of run/walk related swag we can share for your event.
Halloween Decorating Contest/Haunted House Tour
Organize a house decorating contest in your community. Like a costume contest, you will need to assemble a panel of judges and ask participants to donate to MSAA to enter the contest. As a bonus, participants could include a haunted house tour element with a suggested donation to MSAA!
While the month of October is Halloween season, the needs of the MS community persist all year. MSAA is there for people with MS, their families, and care partners with free programs and services, including cooling and medical equipment, MRI funding, a toll-free helpline, and award-winning online tools and resources. If you have ever thought of hosting a DIY fundraiser for MSAA, Halloween is a terrific opportunity to do. For resources or more ideas for your Halloween event, contact Joe Sperlunto, Manager of Donor Experience, at jsperlunto@mymsaa.org – I would love to help you plan a fun and spooky Halloween event to support MSAA’s free programs and services!
