Not every idea scales to every size fundraiser, but reading about fun, unique events that other groups have organized are sure to get you thinking.

Here are some awesome ideas we saw in a Syracuse, NY newspaper article.

For several weeks, the Flamingo Fellowship at Erwin First United Methodist Church in Syracuse offered “flamingo insurance” for just $5. It’s a rather reasonable sum considering, as the fellowship warned, flamingo infestation is the “number one plastic lawn ornament hazard in the U.S.” Call it charitable extortion, because the fellowship also offered to decorate an unsuspecting target’s space Thursday and Friday with pink flamingos at $5 apiece and was accepting donations for removal of the birds.

[T]he InterReligious Council of Central New York raced thousands of toy ducks out of Onondaga Creek into the Inner Harbor to raise money for its Community-Wide Dialogue to End Racism. Professional engineers working for the event’s corporate sponsors modified their entries with such things as specialized rudders and windmill and solar power.

On Thursday, P.E.A.C.E. Inc. dropped about 1,200 numbered golf balls out of a helicopter over Drumlins Country Club in DeWitt. The ball closest to a golf hole won $10,000 for Judy LaVelle, of Elbridge, who, like the other participants, paid $20 to play the game.

Perhaps the most efficient special event is the nonevent. The Catholic Charities Brady Faith Center is staging one - or not - right now. The Nothing Affair has no committees, dress codes, orchestra or tickets, no exact admission price or date, according to its flier. Late reservations are just fine. Just send a check to the Brady Faith Center and do anything you want whenever you please.

Read the entire article here.

The only way the Kurtz family of Waukee can help children like their daughter, McKayla, who has cystic fibrosis, is by raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The Kurtz family are currently the organization’s leading fundraisers in Iowa. Last month, they came close to raising $20,000 for the annual Great Strides Walk in Des Moines.

“Other than taking care of McKayla, there isn’t much else we can do to further the progress of research other than raise money,” said Chaney Kurtz, McKayla’s mom.

“It takes a long time for the money we raise to actually affect our kids - it might not affect McKayla, but maybe the next generation. But we didn’t feel like we could stand by and do nothing.”

Three years ago, the Kurtz family decided to try and raise $5,000 for the organization. They were bowled over when they generated about $8,000. The second year, they raised an estimated $14,000. This year’s total was $18,537.

Read the entire article here.