People enjoy getting a chance to win something, so here are a some easy fundraiser raffle ideas to boost your fundraising efforts. Your raffle can be an inexpensive ticket for a prize drawing or a $100 ticket for a big prize such as a big screen television or a new car.

The basics of a raffle fundraiser are quite simple. Your costs are limited to the ticket expense and purchasing the prizes. Often times, local merchants will donate items or offer special discounts to nonprofits or school groups.

As with any fundraiser, the better the items offered, the more funds you raise. Your fundraising raffle can be of short duration or have tickets for sale for a month or more.

It all depends on how much you are trying to raise and what type of raffle you conduct.

Get Publicity

Publicity is the key element of a fundraiser raffle, particularly when offering an expensive grand prize. Issue a press release and make sure it reaches the appropriate persons at local media outlets such as newspapers, radio stations and local television.

Also get the word out through your newsletter and website as far in advance as possible. Aim to build excitement and anticipation with your supporters for the prizes to be offered.

Assign various aspects of ticket sales to as broad of a base as possible. By avoiding having one or two people try to handle everything, you’ll reach a much larger number of prospects.

Door Prizes

Everybody loves winning a door prize at an event, so keep that in mind when deciding how many prizes to give away.

Be sure to sell raffle tickets at the door as that is the prime time for an impulse buy.

Keep your prize expense to roughly one-third of your projected revenue.

Automobile Drawing

A new car raffle is always a huge draw because it appeals to almost every adult. Because of the prize expense, you’ll need to decide the best balance between ticket prices and total revenue.

I’ve seen car raffles priced anywhere from $20 to $100 with proportionately more tickets needing to be sold when prices are lower. In this example, five times as many $20 tickets need to be sold.

Multiple Prizes

Having multiple prizes increase the chances of winning, but more importantly, it also increases the chance that people will buy a ticket or even multiple tickets.

The psychology behind providing multiple prizes is proven to increase participation because people are more likely to consider the odds more in their favor. There is also a belief that having various prizes also increases the chance of having one that appeals strongly to almost anyone.

Among the most popular prizes are big screen TVs, CD players, iPods, gift certificates, spa visits, and weekend getaways.

50/50 Raffle

Here you are doing a door prize raffle, but the prize is half the ticket sales. It certainly simplifies things and most people like the idea of winning cash.

A 50/50 raffle works great at sporting events such as football or basketball games, but it can also be used at any type of event.

Cash Calendar Raffle

This raffle idea combines a calendar sale with a chance at winning a prize. Each calendar purchase includes a raffle ticket for a prize drawing for a certain amount of cash.

Some groups do just one prize drawing from the raffle tickets. Others offer a continuing series of cash drawings, usually on a weekly basis.

Prices for cash calendar fundraisers are often in the $20-$25 range, depending on the cash prize drawing. A weekly prize of $50 or $100 is common, with larger prizes of $500 or $1,000 being offered at some stages of these fundraisers.

Raffle Ideas Wrap-up

A fundraiser raffle is a great way to raise funds, either as a standalone fundraiser or in conjunction with an fundraising event. For instance, you can add a raffle to a school carnival, a black tie charity event, or even a car wash.

The most important thing is to offer attractive prizes with widespread appeal and price your tickets to maximize total revenue. It doesn’t do any good to overprice the tickets because total ticket sales will suffer. Choose the right price point to stimulate impulse buys.

Most people will make an emotion-based decision to participate and then justify it with logic, so make sure your raffle prizes seem really attractive in comparison to the ticket cost.

Author Bio:

Kimberly Reynolds writes for national publications about youth fundraisers, fundraiser raffle ideas and church fundraisers. Find more school fundraising ideas on her website, FundraiserHelp.com

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As you travel the world in your quest for the perfect cup of Joe, you may be so inclined to stop in Finland. In general, Finland has many different sites to see, with a land full of forests, lakes, and small farms. There are also more urban areas, depending upon where you travel, which may have you wondering where you will find a premium of cup of Joe when you do?

As it turns out, Finland is one of the biggest coffee consuming countries in the world, which is actually good for your health. In a study on Finland coffee drinkers, they saw benefits from drinking up to 8 cups on a daily basis. Coffee is full of antioxidants and can balance insulin levels in the body to reduce the risk of type II diabetes. Even more so, smokers in Finland who drank up to 8 cups of coffee a day had a 23% less risk for the common stroke. The regular coffee consumption in Finland averages at 5.7 cups per day, which is a highly impressive number!

We may all be familiar with the fact that the United States has a popular coffee market, as does Canada. However, Finland truly takes the cake by consuming the most coffee per capita on a yearly basis, directly followed by Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This coffee consumption increased even more so when it surpassed the traditional custom of drinking tea passed on by the United Kingdom. Coffee is often used as a form of socializing and entertainment, especially since it can be served with pastries or cake as an afternoon snack or dessert accompaniment.

Traditional coffee enjoyed in Finland is lightly roasted, and it is normally drip brewed. A lighter roasted coffee has a benefit over a darker roasted coffee in that it is easier to taste many of the different flavors and characteristics from the coffee growing region. Coffee in Finland tastes much different than other coffee types in Europe, which are normally dark roasted. The French roast from France is one of the darkest roasts available, offering a smoky or charcoal taste. Coffee in the United States is normally enjoyed medium roasted, and many times, it is brewed very weakly in comparison.

Within the coffee shops of Finland, you can also find many choices in tea, as well as Yerba Mate from South America for variety. Overall, these coffee houses support the national drink of coffee that is celebrated by Finland for both urban and rural areas. Several centuries ago, coffee was an expensive import only enjoyed by aristocracy, but nowadays, it caters to all walks of life. This is often seen in the “Finnish coffee ceremony”, which is a ritual of coffee service enjoyed with delicate pastries.

If you are hoping to expand your coffee enjoyment and try something different, why not enjoy Java in Finland? Since Finland is the largest coffee drinking country in the world, they must be on to something when it comes to preparing a delicious cup of Joe!

Author Bio:

Another popular accessory for coffee is Bunn Filters! For a great selection, check out Mark Ramos’ website, The Coffee Bump.

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School fundraising in a recession has left some parents thinking that they may not want their kids to participate this year because they think “who would want to donate money, when everyone is scared about their own finances”.

This is a very legitimate feeling but it is also important to underscore 3 basic principles about fundraising in an economic recession.

1. Groups still need funds to go on trips, buy uniforms, pay for events, etc.

2. The fundraising items being sold should stay in the $5 to $12 range which is more affordable than expensive big ticket items.

3. Stick with a product that has been a proven winner in good times or bad.

ABC Fundraising, which is one of the largest fundraising companies in the United States specializing in school fundraising, has seen a huge increase in the number of groups turning to Frozen Cookie Dough for their Fall fundraiser. A frozen cookie dough fundraiser only requires groups to use free order taking forms and tends to be less risky than ordering boxes of candy which need to be paid for in advance. Another reason that cookie dough is a favorite in a recession is the “comfort food” aspect of cookies. People like to eat things that are sweet when they are feeling down and what better treat than some home baked cookies.

The cookie dough tubs sell for $12 and come in a variety of flavors. Groups can earn up to 80% profit when running a cookie dough fundraiser provided by ABC Fundraising. Cheerleading groups, soccer teams, football teams and baseball teams will usually have the most success with a cookie dough fundraiser but it has also been very popular with Church groups and sororities.

Remember, when choosing a fundraiser to keep it simple and stick with a product that you know people like and you will do just fine. Even in a recession.

Author Bio:

Jenny Ann is an expert fundraiser and writes exclusively for ABC Fundraising.

For other great fundraising ideas and to receive a Free sample go to http://www.AbcFundraising.com – Don’t forget to check out the World’s first re-usable fundraiser “Spinners” at http://www.SpinnersFundraising.com

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In recent years, coffee has become much more than just a drink, it’s a ritual. In fact, it is possibly the most consumed beverage in the world after water. Because it’s is enjoyed by millions of people daily, it is no surprise that it also makes for a perfect gift.

If you use your imagination, you can assemble a wide variety and prepare it as a unique gift for a coffee lover. Moreover, the gift of coffee is easily combined with complimentary items making it the perfect present for almost any occasion.

Because there are such a wide variety of coffee flavors available today, why not assemble an assortment and present them as a gift. Coffee lovers enjoy sampling new flavors and by presenting an assortment as a gift, he or she can delight in a different coffee experience each and everyday.

Another great gift option is giving a coffee club membership. Most memberships will provide the recipient a new blend of coffee each month instead of offering all the flavors at one time. In addition, the majority of memberships last for a year and the coffee is delivered directly to the members doorstep.

Gourmet coffee shops are also a great source for gifts. Along with preparing coffee blends flavored to your exact taste, better Gourmet shops stock unique cups, special sugars and creams, and even gift baskets so you can present your gift in style.

How about giving the gift of a coffee maker or coffee accessories? There are plenty of great resources available on the internet where you can find excellent deals on machines such as the Tassimo Coffee Maker or the Keurig Coffee maker. Also, great accessories such as a customized mug or a grinder make excellent gifts for any coffee drinker.

The great thing about giving the gift of coffee is that it can be as simple or unique as your budget or imagination allows. With so many people who are coffee lovers, the gift of coffee is perfect for a wedding gift, a birthday present or just about any occasion.

Author Bio:

Visit our Waring Pro Coffee Maker page for more great information about coffee.

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Most people already have a coffee maker of some type sitting on their counter at home and most likely the office too, but if it’s even a few years old it probably is the traditional kind that just makes coffee.

Espresso – Cappuccino Makers

With Starbucks extreme popularity in the last five to ten years more exotic forms of coffee have become the norm with coffee drinkers and that has created the need for a home or office coffee maker to be able to brew espresso, cappuccino and the like.

What people want now is what are called espresso – cappuccino makers that can brew a variety of coffee drinks, not just coffee alone.

The Tassimo Coffee Maker was first introduced in 2004 and has been one of the most popular coffee makers available because of it’s genius innovation to the coffee brewing industry.

Tassimo Coffee Maker

The Tassimo machine uses what are called T-Discs which are little one cup serving coffee discs that are each individually created to make a specific beverage.

For example you would select the espresso disc to brew a cup of espresso or you would select a milk disc with real milk combined with an espresso disc to create a cappuccino.

You simply place the T-Disc into the Tassimo Coffee Maker and the machine reads a barcode printed on the T-disc and calculates exactly how much water should be drawn from the huge reservoir, what the brew time should be, what the exact brewing temperature will be, and in under 60 seconds you have a perfectly brewed cup of your favorite beverage!

Perfect Cup – No Mess!

Each time you get a perfectly brewed cup of the beverage you choose and there is no mess to clean up and you are not throwing out half a pot of old burned coffee that sat on the hot plate for hours.

Even if you drink coffee all day long it still makes sense to brew it one cup at a time, this way your coffee is consistently great each and every cup and you can brew it in under a minute…. try that with a traditional coffee pot.

Espresso – cappuccino makers are the perfect appliance to have at home or at the office because it can save you trips to Starbucks that cost $5 or more each time!

Author Bio:

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The coffee bean plant was most likely discovered in Yemen and in the Northeast region of Ethiopia. The cultivation of coffee first expanded in the Arab world. Coffee drinking began in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen.

Trading coffee futures goes through the New York Board Of Trade. With 1 futures contract of coffee, you control 37,500 pounds of coffee. This means each 1 cent move is worth $375.00. This is incredible leverage, which is a double-edged sword. You must have close to $4000.00 in your trading account for initial margin to trade 1 futures contract of coffee. This article is about how I made a nice profit trading coffee.

There are many different strategies, methods, and techniques when it comes to trading the markets. This includes the stock market and the futures market. Two important keys to successful trading includes, putting as many factors in your favor as possible before taking a position in the market, and implementing sound money management. Keep all losses small and manageable when trading coffee, or any other commodity or stock.

The strategy I implemented in 2002 was very successful. It included factors such as trend analysis, pattern recognition, historical price level analysis, seasonal analysis, cash basis, and sound money management.

The most important factor in my trading plan is implementing sound technical analysis. On a daily chart I saw a nice, steady saucer shaped pattern which developed during July and August of 2002.

Next, I got a historical perspective concerning the price level of trading coffee. It was right at 30 year lows of approximately 50 cents. This was excellent. The price downside potential was quite limited and the upside potential very good.

Coffee usually hits its seasonal low from July into August. This is also a positive. It is usually not a good idea to go against seasonal tendencies. The cash basis at this time was also positive. This basically means the cash price for coffee is higher than the futures price. Trading coffee is just like trading anything else. You want to put the odds as strongly as possible in your favor.

Late in August I bought 3 futures contracts of coffee at around 51. I set my stop losses for the 3 contracts at 45. This way I have predetermined my maximum loss if the market goes against me. This is sound money management which is crucial to successful trading.

In September, the price rose to 55. At this point, I raised my stop losses to 51. Now, at the very least, I will break even on my 3 coffee futures no matter what happens. This is a great position to be in when trading and a solid money management technique. Ultimately, I got out of my 3 coffee futures in December at about 69. Total profit was just over $20,000. With proper pyramiding, the total profit would have been much higher. Trading coffee certainly has the potential of making you a fortune. It is a matter of implementing a successful trading plan and proper trading psychology.

Author Bio:

Gary E Kerkow is the founder of Tradingmarkets4u.com. This site provides information to help traders and investors become successful. Kerkow has over 20 years of trading experience including stocks, futures and options. He implements the strategies, methods, techniques, principles and psychology of the world’s best traders and investors. This includes Jesse Livermore, William J O’Neil and others. Visit my website at http://www.tradingmarkets4u.com

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Arabica coffee beans are known for a better-flavored coffee. There are two main species of coffee beans that are grown for sale: Robusta and Arabica. Gourmet coffee houses serve the smooth and very palatable Arabica coffees, while the worst cup of coffee you ever had probably came from a pot of bitter Robusta coffee that had been sitting for hours.

If you have been spoiled by the quality coffee served at coffee houses and cafes, you are probably craving the taste of Arabica coffee beans. You can brew fine coffee at home as well; the trick is to use only Arabica coffee beans. Organic coffee beans, grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, allows plantation owners to grow their farms in a sustainable way, without the use of chemicals, thus producing a mild, non acidic coffee bean. You should expect to pay a little more for organic coffee beans, but you can be confident in knowing that you are securing the future of the coffee industry worldwide.

Most specialty coffee and tea retail outlets only sell Arabica coffee and beans. On the other hand, the large commercial companies either sell Robusta coffee beans, or a mixture of both types of beans. This is because they are cheaper for the wholesaler and subsequently cheaper for the consumer. Arabica coffee beans produce a stronger-tasting coffee, and actually contain less caffeine than robusta beans. They cost a little more, but are far more satisfying.

While many people are only familiar with coffee beans grown in Colombia, they are actually commercially grown in more than 80 countries around the world. Coffee only grows near the equator, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. While it is grown at varying altitudes, experts say that the richest coffee beans are harvested at high altitude plantations.

Wholesale coffee suppliers are available via mail-order catalogs or the Internet and can ready to assist you in making your next coffee purchase. Why pay retailers more, when cheaper costing, fresher wholesale coffee beans are available to you? Wholesale coffee bean buying allows you to eliminate the high cost of retail buying and let you purchase the same beans at a much lower cost. A savings of 20-30% over store chain prices can easily be expected. Savings can be more if you just shop around.

Wholesale coffee beans are far fresher than those beans that may have been sitting on a dusty store shelf, not for days, but for weeks, sometimes months longer than if you were to buy them direct from a wholesaler. You can be assured of the quality afforded you when you select wholesale coffee beans. Each supplier generally offers a huge selection of beans, bean blends and roasts available. You can order standard size one pound, or two pound packages directly from the wholesaler easier than if you were to pick them from a shelf in your favorite market.

Author Bio:

Looking for information about Coffee?

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As an organizer, you hold the key to a successful fundraiser. It doesn’t matter if you’re having a cause, community or school fundraiser. You have to have the ideas and the keys on how to be successful in this endeavor.

School fundraisers are actually the easiest. You have your attendee’s right there in the school. You just have to know how to spark their interest. But usually, this is a given. These types of fundraisers are usually for the school. As students, I’m sure that they care enough for the school, so they would do anything to support it. You can invite popular school personalities like the teachers, varsity and the school council to serve as the school’s representatives. In order to get the school spirit working for you, you can have the cheerleaders rally the students for the cause. The venue is not an issue since you can use the school gym.

Temporary tattoos are a great idea to raise money. Personalized temporary tattoos are a great idea if you want to raise the school spirit for your fundraiser. A simple temporary tattoo fundraiser with tattoos ranging from something simple as “Go (team name)!” or something more creative that you thought of yourself is sure to raise awareness. The crowd will be pumped up but ready to listen and to help.

So what does it take to hold a successful fundraiser for a cause or a community? You have to look for a “battle cry” in order to rally the group behind your cause or community. Why are you holding the fundraiser? If it’s against a sickness, you can have survivors inspire the crowd. You can then have those at risk attend the event. There’s nothing like a group of women rallying around the battle cry “Stop Breast Cancer.”

For your community, you can have a popular figure like a pastor or a local celebrity to make sure that you’ll have a successful fundraiser. They have their followers who believe in them. You can approach also local churches for assistance. With their congregation behind them, they are very influential and they’ll probably be more than willing to help since this is for a great cause. You can also ask the local politicians, since they are a part of the community, they’ll make sure that it’s going to be a successful fundraiser.

Unlike the school fundraisers, it’s a better idea to hold them outdoors. Your whole community should be your reach, so the bigger the venue, the better. Just make sure to get the necessary permits.

You can also do a temporary tattoo fundraiser for a cause or a community. As I’ve said, all you need is a battle cry. They are best when shouted and worn. A temporary tattoo with the words “Stop Breast Cancer” is sure to catch the attention of the crowd. What about for the community? Let’s say you want to have a successful fundraiser to save a well-loved building. A tattoo with the building’s design will remind the crowd what you’re fighting for.

As you can probably see, these are very easy tips to have a successful fundraiser. In addition, make sure that you believe in the reason behind the fundraiser. It will give you the inspiration to succeed.

Author Bio:

Get a Free Quote and More information on Temporary Tattoos here. Click Here.

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A dual coffee maker is a revolutionary coffee brewing idea that makes it easy to enjoy your own cup of coffee at the same time someone else in your home enjoys their own particular blend and all with the same coffee maker. This type of coffee maker makes it possible to actually brew two cups of coffee at the same time and with totally separate coffee blends. It’s a dream come true for two people who really want their own coffee blend!

Dual coffee makers are made with two separate chambers that hold water for brewing. The chambers drip water into each specific brewing basket and can produce two flavors of coffee at the same time. If you only want one cup, of course, you can do that too, without having to brew both. But the unique application of a dual coffee maker is a superb way to please everyone in the house with their own special blend of java.

Some of the unique features of these types of coffee brewers include separate brewing chambers, included travel mugs, optional ability to use your own ceramic mugs and two carafe brewers. The double brewing chambers that hold and drip water separately to create two distinct cups of coffee are the standout features of this type of appliance.

Another important feature of this type of brewing appliance is what type of cup or carafe set up is used. Some brewers can be purchased with a set of travel mugs already included and ready to go when you get ready to make two great cups of coffee. Other systems do not come with travel mugs, but allow you to choose your own ceramic mugs to be placed directly on the two heating elements underneath the drip basket. The coffee is sent directly into your mugs to enjoy within a couple of minutes. And finally, some dual coffee makers are made to accommodate two small carafes that sit on small heating elements. This allows you to brew a larger amount of coffee in each carafe.

Keep in mind that these units can also be used to produce hot water for tea, soup, hot cocoa, or any number of other liquids. Other helpful features may include an automatic shut-off element, removable drip tray for easy cleaning, and a water level window so you can see when you need to add more water for brewing. If you are interested in a very cool brewing system, check out a brand name manufacturer that offers you the best warranty, features and price on a quality dual coffee maker.

Author Bio:

Come visit http://www.singleservecoffeemakerstore.com/ which helps people find the best deals on a single serve coffee maker and more information about gourmet coffee machines.

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Besides the obvious things like bats, gloves, bases, and baseballs, there is one thing that all baseball teams hold in common and that is that they all do fundraisers. They can raise money for all kinds of reasons ranging from paying for end of year banquets to buying new uniforms and often times to help pay for travel expenses for competitions. But, whatever the reason for doing the fundraiser, a baseball team needs find a fundraiser that can raise a lot of money and that is where baseball team fundraising ideas come into play.

For a very, very long time food fundraisers have dominated when it comes to athletic team fundraisers. Who could resist buying a tub of delicious cookie dough or a candy bar from a young athlete selling for the betterment of his team? Well nowadays people are more health conscious and so are the baseball leagues. So much so that in some cases unhealthy fundraisers have been banned entirely.

The other issue with hosting a food fundraiser, or any traditional fundraiser for that matter, is that every other baseball team is likely to be doing the same fundraiser or a similar one. Think about it, the last time your baseball team was fundraising how many other teams were selling nearly identical products? Chances are that this is the case every year. But, what would happen if you found a fundraiser that offered new products or something different? Do you think it would help sales? I sure do.

Author Bio:

If you are looking for some terrific baseball fundraising ideas that are fresh, new, and completely earth friendly be sure and visit Go Green Fundraising.

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