11 Fire Department Fundraiser Ideas

Volunteer fire departments play a crucial role in keeping their communities safe while oftenV working on a limited budget. Grants, such as the AFG grant, can help fill in some of the gaps, but fundraising may still be necessary to cover the rest of the department’s budget. Majestic Fire Apparel understands the importance of building a sustainable budget for volunteer fire departments, so we’ve compiled a list of eleven fundraiser ideas for fire departments to help your company out. These firefighter fundraiser ideas include: 

1. Fill The Boot Fundraiser

2. Fire Hall Bingo

3. Designer Purse Bingo

4. Firehouse Tours

5. Basket Raffle

6. Community Dinners (Spaghetti, Fish Fry, Etc.)

7. Bake Sale

8. 50/50 Raffle

9. Lottery Raffle

10. Auction Night

11. Firefighter Calendar Fundraiser

1. Fill The Boot Fundraiser

If your town is hosting a highly attended event, you might want to coordinate with the organizers to set up a collection station near the event parking area. Once you have approval from the event coordinator, set up a station and assign members of your department to take turns manning it each day. Make sure to bring a boot and clearly indicate that your department is accepting donations. Event attendees can then roll down their windows and drop donations into the firefighter boot as they drive by. When hosting this type of fundraiser, it's important to know when the event will be busiest. For example, the start and end of the event may be high-traffic times for donations.

2. Fire Hall Bingo

Who doesn’t love a good bingo game? Many fire departments host bingo nights regularly as a way to create a consistent schedule and encourage attendance. Your team will need to decide what prizes to offer, whether it be cash or donated items. If you plan to make this a recurring event, consider investing in a bingo flashboard and cards for your hall. Fire hall bingos are a popular choice for fire department fundraisers and can become a regular source of income.

3. Designer Purse Bingo

A popular variation of bingo is designer purse bingo, where all of the prizes are designer purses. If your department already hosts bingo nights, consider adding a special designer purse bingo event every so often to generate extra interest and attract more attendees.

4. Firehouse Tours

Firehouse tours are a fun and educational way to raise funds for your fire department. You can host ticketed tours or simply collect donations from attendees. The community will enjoy the opportunity to explore the fire hall, see the fire trucks up close, and learn more about firefighting. Kids will love seeing the trucks, and residents will gain a greater appreciation for the hard work involved in firefighting. Firehouse tours make for a great family-friendly fire department fundraiser that can bring the community together.

5. Basket Raffle

A basket raffle is a great way to raise funds. When hosting a basket raffle, ask some of your firefighters to contribute baskets and check in with local businesses for donations. Not only are baskets great prizes, gift cards are coveted prizes at these events as well. Local businesses are willing to donate gift cards to basket raffles to get their name out there and to get foot traffic to their business. Your station may also want to offer higher value door prizes to get more people interested in the event. 

6. Community Dinners (Spaghetti, Fish Fry, Etc.)

If your fire station has a kitchen and banquet area, hosting community dinners can be a successful way to raise funds. "All-you-can-eat" nights tend to draw large crowds. Popular menu options include spaghetti dinners and fish fries, which are both community favorites. These events make for delicious fire station fundraisers that bring people together over a meal.

7. Bake Sale

Bake sales are a classic fundraiser that can be easily paired with other events on this list. When your department hosts a fundraiser, consider offering baked goods for sale to increase profits.

8. 50/50 Raffle

Often paired with another firefighter community event, a 50/50 raffle will allow your department to keep half the money you take in. It’s simple: the pot grows as more tickets are sold, and the winner gets half of the total money raised. The more you promote your 50/50 raffle, the higher the potential payout and participation.

9. Lottery Raffle

In this type of raffle, your department would sell numbered tickets. These tickets would then be pulled throughout a month and if that ticketholder’s number is called, they win a cash prize. Weekdays might be worth a smaller amount, weekends a larger amount, and holidays could have the biggest cash prizes, adding excitement and incentive for ticket buyers.

10. Auction Night

To host an auction, your fire company should gather up some prizes that people will want to bid on. Some examples include:

• Sports memorabilia and tickets

• Valuable electronics

• Designer bags

• Gift card boards (tape a variety of gift cards to a trifold)

• Event tickets

Pick an enthusiastic auctioneer from your crew and have a fun night calling out bids. This event can generate significant funds for your fire department’s budget.

11.  Firefighter Calendar Fundraiser

This one is a classic and can net your fire company some money each year. To create a firefighter calendar, see which of your firefighters want to partake and assign each a month. You can create themed photo shoots for each month and use props to make the photos more interesting. You may need to work with a printing company to have the calendars printed, so it’s a good idea to pre-sell some calendars to avoid overprinting. The firefighter calendar is one of the most iconic fire company fundraisers and can become a staple of your department’s yearly fundraising efforts.

Stock Up on Firefighting Gear from Majestic Fire Apparel

Now that you have some fire department fundraising ideas, it might be time to consider how to spend those funds stocking up on new firefighting gear. Majestic Fire Apparel offers a wide range of products, including firefighting hoods, gloves, and more. Want to learn more about our products? Reach out today or find a dealer. Have more ideas? Share them in the comments below!