Want to host a baby shower with a difference? Perhaps the mum-to-be really has everything they could already want for their baby and would like to give something back for a cause or charity that’s close to their heart. How about hosting a fund-raising baby shower?
Throwing a baby shower should always be primarily about helping the mum-to-be celebrate the new baby that she’ll shortly be bringing into the world – it’s about recognising her hard work in pregnancy and the hard work she’s yet to do once the baby arrives. Obviously the majority of the time the baby shower is an opportunity to bring gifts for the new baby or items that the new parents will really need, especially for those parents who may not be financially comfortable. However, some baby showers will be thrown for ladies when they already have at least one child in which case they may already have most, if not all, of the baby equipment they need. Or indeed the expectant mum may realise that they are in a financial position to be able to purchase what they need themselves comfortably, or just that they realise that they have the opportunity to also do some good for others at the same time. Whatever the reason, here are some great ideas for a fund-raising baby shower.
1. Throw a baby shower tea party for charity. Many charities already use this method of fund-raising themselves. The idea being that on a particular date they ask people to hold a tea party and ask guests to donate a small amount of money to attend. If the baby shower was due to fall around one of these dates it could be tied in with the specific charity publicising the event nationally. If not, however, you could perhaps ask the mum-to-be which charity she would most like to support. Make it clear in the invitations that you are asking for a charity donation rather than for them to bring a gift as the mum-to-be already has everything they need and that they would love to be able to give something to others whilst still being able to enjoy the company of their friends.
2. Incorporate a raffle into the games. One of the most well -known games is a sweepstake where guests can guess details such as the date on which the baby will be born, how heavy the baby will be, whether it will be a boy or a girl and so on. It’s not uncommon for guests to pay a small amount such as one pound to enter the sweepstake. Often this is called the ‘nappy fund’ with the idea being that the money is used by the new parents to buy nappies for the baby. However, it could also be put to very good use as a charity donation. Another game where this would work would be ‘guess the number of sweets in the jar’ where the guests would again all donate a small amount to take part and have a chance at winning the jar of sweets.
3. For those financially better off mums-to-be or just those who already have what they need, donating the gifts to charity would be a great idea. Of course, you would have to make this clear in the invitations as guests may be offended if their well -chosen gift bought specifically for the mum-to-be’s new baby was then given away. However, if guests were told upfront that the expectant mum had all they could possibly need already that they would love to be able to give some essentials to new parents who have very little, most guests would be happy to oblige. The focus here would usually be on essentials needed such as nappies, wipes, newborn clothing, blankets, muslins and so on.
