You’ve Been Flocked by the Famous Flamingo Fundraiser
Posted by Jim Berigan on 15 Jan 2008 in: Fun Fundraisers, General
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Tuesdays are the day that I highlight a particular fundraising event, sale, or process. Today, I am thrilled to bring you “Flamingo Flocking”! I have to admit, this is a variety of fundraiser that I was completely unaware of just a couple of days ago.
But, in my pursuit to bring you creative options, I was struck by the audacity and simplicity of this idea and had to share.
We are all familiar with the pink flamingo yard ornament. One of the prime examples of American cultural kitsch, this plastic bird with metal legs has for years marked its owners as well… interesting. I think there are probably two types of people in the world: those who take the flamingos seriously as quality yard art and those who wouldn’t be caught dead with even one adorning their lawn.
For the purposes of this fundraiser, we are banking on the hopes that there are more of those in the latter category.
The fundraiser begins with the formation of a team of people who love to have a good time and make a little harmless mischief. These folks all need to be available to convene and operate under the cover of darkness.
There is an initial cash outlay for this charity event. I’ve snooped around the Internet for prices on a set of pink flamingos, and the best I could come up with is right around $100 for 20 birds. (I even checked eBay, and of this printing, there was a very limited supply of the types of ornaments we’re talking about.) You could spend less and get fewer birds, but I’m kind of thinking the more birds you use in your flock, the greater the shock value and the greater the potential donation.
The premise is simple, yet ingenious. The group picks its first victim. Then one night, they sneak over to this house and place the flock prominently in the front yard. Around the neck of one of the flamingos, they place a “ransom” note that demands a donation for the removal of the birds. (Details of the ransom collection are left to the group.)
Some groups choose to set an amount, say $20, for removal. Others leave it open and let the family decide how much to pay. One group that chose to leave the amount open received a $200 donation, so this may be a good option for your school to think about.
Once the fee is paid, the “victim” family gets the opportunity to pick the next family who gets “flocked”. This process is repeated every night for a specified amount of time until the fundraiser is concluded. In order to keep the fundraiser moving, the flock shouldn’t stay in anyone’s yard for more than 24 hours, even if the family chooses not to pay the ransom. (Spoil sports…)
If your school thinks that your base is large enough, you can decide to purchase enough flamingos to operate two or more flocks at one time. Of course this will require more management, but it does potentially double your income (or more…).
At the fundraiser’s kick-off event or announcement, some organizations have elected to offer “flock insurance”. This certificate can be purchased for the amount you choose (roughly $10 to $20) and ensures that any of these families will not get flocked.
Please remember that you can add flare to any one of these steps by creating cute ransom notes, making up official looking flock insurance certificates, etc. One group actually made small wreaths to place around the flamingos’ necks, since their event coincided with Christmas. The more creative you get with this, the more fun your group will have.
While a flamingo flocking fundraiser is a lot of fun, its potential to raise a large sum of money is limited. If your group managed one flock for thirty straight nights and received an average donation of $20 per night, you’d gross $600. If you spent $100 for the birds, your net is $500. If your school managed two flocks, you’re looking at $1,000. And so on.
Of course, you may receive the occasional larger donation and that could improve your results. You will also have the potential income from your “flock insurance” sales to add in. However, I would only recommend this kind of a fundraiser for specific projects with exact needs- a piece of gym equipment or a subsidy for a school trip, for instance. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for bailing your school out of a financial crisis, unless of course, your community is really, really has something against flamingos….
Beside the revenue, the other by-product of this kind of fundraiser is fun. It’s a great way to get people involved who are new to fundraising. Sure, it’s a little daring, sneaking over to someone’s house to fill their lawn with tacky yard art, but it is much easier than cold calling a business and asking for donations. Or writing a grant proposal. However, once people build confidence in themselves at an event like the flamingos, it might be easier to graduate them to a more advanced process. Remember, as a leader in your school’s fundraising team, you should always be looking to develop talent.
So, if you have the right situation at your school and you want to have a load of fun, get ready to, as one website put it, “Meet the Flockers!”
Related Websites:
Plastic-flamingos.com
Flamingoflocking.com
Youvebeenflocked.com
13 Responses to “You’ve Been Flocked by the Famous Flamingo Fundraiser”
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I hosted a “flamingo flocking” fundraiser for my church and we had a great time, and raised a couple thousand dollars. The idea is that you put a bunch of pink plastic lawn flamingos on somebody’s yard until they pay a donation. Alternatively, they could buy “flamingo insurance”.
The site we used to get our flock of pink plastic lawn flamingos was called http://www.flockofpinkflamingos.com. They were a bargain and they came FAST! They also have a lot of instructions on how to run the fundraiser.
Hope this helps! The pink flamingos looked so good I kept a pair of pink flamingos for myself and have them in the front yard!
I would be mad as heck if someone did this to me and I had to pay to have the birds taken away. I would put them in the trash.
Has it occurred to anyone that this is trespassing, plain and simple. My yard is MY SPACE – no one has the right to put something in my yard without my permission.
Lizzie…has it occurred to you that you are an a$$?
If not, let me be the first to tell you….you are an a$$!
With the right people, especially supporters of whatever the money is being raised for, I can see where this would be a lot of fun.
But on the other hand, in these hard economic times, it can put unwanted pressure to give $20 which can be a lot when you may be cutting coupons to save 75 cents.
And appearances can be deceiving! One can live in a large house in a nice neighborhood, but have to watch pennies for any number of reasons these days.
This morning was the third time in as many months that I have seen a “Flocked” lawn. And each time it has brought a smile to my face. This morning was a first; the business across the street was “Flocked” during the night. Now I am thinking about my favorite charity and friends with a sense of humor and a big heart who will also enjoy the smiles.
I am looking forward to flocking my Favorite Aunt this year. She has a great attitude in life and does so much for others. Knowing that this money goes to charitys makes this event more specail. People who write negative comments about this should just stay inside their homes. Life is too short to be mad about small stuff like this.
We got flocked! When I walked out of the house and saw them in my yard, I knew it would cost me something but it was just plain fun and I laughed out loud…all by myself. Went back inside and woke up the family to come see. Money was tight and I didn’t really have the extra $20, but it was for a great cause and I knew they would use the money wisely. I would caution folks to make sure they know the flocking “victim” well enough to know whether they would take offense and spoil the fun. Most people know who the “spoil-sports” are, so just avoid those people. This fundraiser also gave me an out if I couldn’t/wouldn’t participate and I could have just called someone to come and pick them up, no questions asked or offense taken. I feel sorry for Lizzie who can’t see that groups are just trying to make fundraising unique, creative and fun! Go flocks…go forth and conquer!
You know, all you need to do is put a little note that if you do not want to play, just wait and the birds will go away in 24 hours. No one needs to throw the birds away or file charges. It’s for a fundraiser for crying out loud!
Our Daughter had my husband FLOCKED on Father’s Day! She went through the Humane Society for their
fundraising event. My daughter loves her Step-Dad so much.
He was so happy when he came home and saw all of the beautiful pink flamingos all over our yard! He wanted me to take pictures of him & his pink flamingos. Our neighbors were calling us, stopping by and taking pictures. Strangers were stopping and asking if they could take pictures. It was a GREAT FATHER’S DAY AND A MEMORY FOR A LIFETIME!
I feel sad for Lizzie. How can you NOT enjoy this???
I love the idea of this, you just have to hope you don’t do it to anyone who really treasures their garden and who might not appreciate what it’s all about and call the police.
[...] at least once in a year. Mix up major events (golf outing or auction), minor events (car wash, Flamingo Fundraiser), product sale (food or novelty items), and solicitation letters. Don’t give anybody an excuse [...]
[...] at least once in a year. Mix up major events (golf outing or auction), minor events (car wash, Flamingo Fundraiser), product sale (food or novelty items), and solicitation letters. Don’t give anybody an excuse [...]
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