Awareness & Fundraising Ideas

MitoAction's agenda of education, advocacy and support depends on the support of its members. There are many ways you can get involved, including MitoAction's annual fundraising and awareness walk. You can also try one of the various awareness and fundraising ideas below, or create a personalized fundraiser of your own.

The ideas that follow are just a start. We will update this page periodically with new fundraising ideas. Please feel free to email us at events@mitoaction.org if you have questions or suggestions.

• Baby-Sitting - Many teenagers baby-sit for neighbors and family friends. Your teen might want to donate a portion of all of an evening's earnings to MitoAction. They can ask that the child's parents make a donation on active giving, showing a printout of their donation receipt in lieu of paying them directly.
• Bake Sales - Consider hosting a bake sale at your child's school or sporting event. Along with the goodies for sale, consider displaying more information about mitochondrial diseases and MitoAction's programs. For example, you could have a few copies of "When Jeremy Jones' Stomach Stopped Working" available for reference.
• Car Wash - High school age supporters may want to host a car wash on a Saturday afternoon, donating the proceeds to support MitoAction’s mission.  You will want to arrange to use a parking lot (with access to plenty of hoses) for an afternoon. You'll also want to publicize the event in advance, both by word of mouth and by posting fliers. On the day of, set up one or more large signs to direct drivers to your event. (A local real estate agent may be willing to let you borrow  folding signs so you can prop up your posters on the sidewalk.)
• Classrooms for a Cause - Many schools (or even individual teachers) are receptive to hosting a special assembly discussing the science behind mitochondrial diseases. Your school might be willing to host a "pennies for energy" campaign or a bake sale in connection with such an assembly, too.
• Community Service Projects - Many schools have community service requirements, and older Boy and Girl Scouts may be looking for Eagle or Silver awards projects. We would be happy to work with interested youth to develop a service project targeted at helping those afflicted by mitochondrial diseases.
• Corporate Gifts - Instead of sending a basket of fruit to each of your clients, why not let them know that you have made a donation in their honor instead? We also can work with you to develop a holiday card for your company that references your donation to MitoAction. Going even a step further, you may consider sending a holiday email this year, donating your savings to MitoAction.
• Donations for a Day - Local merchants may be amenable to helping MitoAction by donating a portion of their revenues for a day (or even a few hours) to MitoAction. Let us know if you have arranged a "donations for a day" program with a merchant near you and we can help publicize your event.
• eBay; Craigslist - When next selling an item on eBay, consider asking the purchaser to make a donation to MitoAction rather than pay you directly. Similarly, you might sell your old sofa on Craigslist for a donation to MitoAction rather than take a check or cash payment.
• Flowers for Energy - Ask your local florist if they'd consider a Mito Awareness Special whereby they will sell a special Mito Awareness arrangement, donating a portion of the purchase price to MitoAction. We can work with you to develop a short informational card that can be included with the bouquets, too.
• Garage Sale - Periodically a spring cleaning is in order. This year, why not host a garage sale to sell those "household extras," donating your proceeds to MitoAction? Your neighbors can participate by donating their used children's clothing, furniture, etc., to your sale. Your children may want to help by running a bake sale or lemonade stand at the same time.
• Get Energized - Ask your local YMCA or gym if they'd host a cycle-a-thon to support MitoAction. Supporters can sign up to ride a stationary bike or swim for 30 minutes or an hour, making a donation to MitoAction. The gym may let you hang fliers in advance to recruit riders. On the day of your event, you can hang a poster and have brochures available to educate your community about mitochondrial diseases. We can help with both.
• Goals for MitoAction - Local sports teams (of all levels) may consider making a pledge to donate $100 (or some other amount) each time they score a goal or hit a home run. Your child could ask his or her teammates if each would like to donate a dollar when their team scores a goal or ten dollars if their team wins a game.
• Good Search - GoodSearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo that directs some of its advertising revenues toward good causes, including MitoAction. By using www.goodsearch.com for your internet searches, you can help raise money to support MitoAction’s programs; MitoAction will receive approximately $0.01 per search. This is an easy way for friends, relatives and colleagues to get involved, too.
  · Go to www.goodsearch.com, and select "Mitochondrial Disease Action Committee" as the charity you would like to support. Email friends, relatives and colleagues to let them know how they can help.
• Holiday Wreaths - Perhaps you belong to a garden club, or have a green thumb. You may want to offer to sell holiday wreaths in exchange for donations to MitoAction. To simplify this project, we'd suggest taking orders in advance and asking that purchasers show you a copy of their MitoAction donation receipt rather than pay you directly.
• Holiday Gifts - Instead of buying yet another sweater or giving a gift certificate, why not make a donation to MitoAction instead? We can send a card acknowledging your gift to the recipient directly or send you a blank note card for you to send. Go to www.activegiving.com to donate.
• Host a Coffee Break - You can raise awareness of mitochondrial diseases and fundraise at the same time. Ask your local coffee shop if it would cohost
  an awareness afternoon, donating a percentage of beverage revenues to MitoAction. We can provide brochures and other publicity materials to share with patrons; you also may want to collect checks.
• Host a Wine Party - Why not invite your friends and neighbors for a wine and cheese party? If wine and cheese are not your thing, you could offer your choice of food and beverages. This is a great way to educate and fundraise at the same time. We've also found that discussions at these events often lead to new program ideas, too, helping expand MitoAction’s agenda further.  Guests can pledge and donate online when they RSVP. Go to www.activegiving.com and set up an event page. We would suggest indicating several contribution levels: $20, $50 or $100, as well as an "other amount" option. You can ask your guests to bring their donation receipt as their admission ticket for admission.
• Matching Gifts - Many employers will match their employees' charitable contributions, doubling the support to MitoAction. Ask your employer if they have a charitable match program. You also may want to ask your employer if they'd consider making a corporate gift to MitoAction. Please contact us at fundraising@mitoaction.org if you'd like more details.
• MitoMadness - Many of us participate in March Madness pools with colleagues and friends. This year, why not ask if your group would like to support MitoAction, by donating all or a portion of the pool to support our programs. Go to www.activegiving.com and set up an event page, offering both your pool's entry amount and the option of making an additional contribution to MitoAction.
• Penny Drive - Ask your child and his or her friends to collect their spare change for a good cause. Or, you can take this fundraising idea a step further, and ask a local merchant to place a donation box beside its cash register to encourage customers to donate their spare change.
• Pizza Power - Ask your local pizza parlor (or other local restaurant) if they'd consider hosting a MitoAction fundraising evening, donating a percentage of an evening's revenues (or, as in the case of a MitoAction fundraiser hosted by Flatbread Company in Boston, a set amount per pizza ordered) to MitoAction. The restaurant may be open to your hosting an informational table in the entrance area so patrons can learn more. You also may be able to display table toppers on the individual tables.
• Quartets for a Cause - Music students might consider donating their services in exchange for a donation to MitoAction rather than a fee. A string quartet could play at a 50th birthday party, or a vocalist could sing in a wedding.
• Radio Solicitations - If you have a college-age student in the family, consider asking their local access radio station to host an appeal for MitoAction (or even to host a 30- minute program on mitochondrial diseases). They also may be willing to publicize other MitoAction events, such as a "pizza power" event or MitoAction’s annual walkathon - please ask!
• Shopping Online - There are several options for supporting MitoAction while you shop online. A portion of your purchases at www.iGive.com and www.amazon.com goes to support MitoAction. This is another easy way for friends, relatives and colleagues to support MitoAction while going about their everyday activities.
• Special Events - Birthdays, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and First Communions are all occasions to celebrate. Why not suggest that your family and friends support your child on these special days by making a donation to MitoAction?

Again, these ideas are just a beginning. There are lots of ways to fundraise for MitoAction, and we encourage projects both big and small. Please contact us at events@mitoaction.org if you have any questions about any of the above or another fundraising idea you are considering.