Good morning Don,
Sorry for your lost, his family & his community, perhaps a lost for society itself. Yes, he is a hero.

Here's to the brothers in blue

I have no experience in fund raisers.
I just googled "starting a fund raiser" & a lot came up.

I would ask other officers & call a support line for police.
Also a veteran's hall may be a good idea to rent.

Hope this helps.

The details of what happened are truly amazing.

I am friends with multiple Deputies. I work with them on a regular basis. That's not the issue, the issue is getting businesses to donate time, resources a place etc.

I am meeting with a City Supervisor tomorrow, maybe he knows of a business.

I am meeting with a City Supervisor tomorrow, maybe he knows of a business.

That's a beautiful thing to do. Your ideas sound great and up beat which is refreshingly needed during a grieving process. Make it a celebration of his life and dedication to others. Silent auctions are a great way to go.

I found this link with a request letter example and a donation form template.

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/silent-auction-request-letter.htm

Also, maybe you can set up something online where donations can be made.

Wishing the best outcome! The family will need all the help they can get.

For the silent auction...
Find someone,(or yourself)to ring businesses. Explain briefly who you are, what your wishes are and then set up a meeting with them if they are supportive.
I believe in your situation most will be supportive.
At the meeting, ask them what they would like to donate.
Be grateful for anything they offer.

Before you know it you will have many items for your auction.

Also you will need food at your venue. So find volunteers from friends, church, family or your local volunteer service,(most towns have them listed online or in the phone book).
You may have to outlay a few hundred dollars, but you will get it back.
Do a sausage sizzle or whatever. Easy money....

That's a great avenue, to touch base with people that have connections. Many doors will open.

I've got many with connections. You would be
amazed at some of the name I could give you
and I am sure you would know who they are
but I don't like using them. I am not that type
of person to ask someone for a favor etc.

Lot depends if you want to create a separate charity for this family or do what I recommend, which is stick with the system that will cause the least amount of stress and financial problems for the family, and donate directly to the bank trust fund. Large amounts of cash can actually cause problems for widows in this situation.

If you want to have and activity think first about liability. Know it sounds like a bummer but when ever you have public activities you have risk and you need and insurance rider to keep your good gesture from becoming a nightmare for you or those who help you. The Mayor's office or city manager can advise you about local restrictions and how to stay out of hot water. Get signed waivers from EVERYBODY.

Next get a separate account to keep any and all money separate and a good accounting application or at least a ledger so you budget and keep really good records. Keep receipts for everything you buy and all in kind donations. Believe me the tax man will cometh. It should be under a couple hundred bucks but worth the legitimacy it affords to incorporate as a 501C3 charity. Then people can write off their donations and they will flow much more freely.

As a widow I advise before you jump in and do this ask the wife if she is really up for this NOW or maybe in a year when she will have had some time to collect herself. Planning for a date in the future allows her/the family time to grieve and you to maybe make a nice annual event that will sustain the family actually better. Having a written proposal that she will want to review with her legal representative from the Police Union or family lawyer is going to help a lot. Right now she is still in shock and having anything add to her stress with out an advocate she is likely to reject. Think CONFIDENTIALITY. AND be as professional as you can be. DO NOT take your proposal to her home, no matter how well you know her or the late spouse, and opt for a secured location where things can be PRIVATELY presented and discussed, thought about, and followed up on at a convienent time.

The reality is that as a widow her life may be up against economic hardships for and extended time. Sometimes the real hardships come decades later. Counseling is horrendously expensive and if she is a young widow she will have few resources or peers to help her cope in a smaller community. She may want to relocate and move on with her life; and not be forced to stay in a community that will forever make her the "hero's widow". Further education for her is often too much as and immediate goal but can be an expensive necessity; especially with child care costs when this tradgedy slips from the local headlines. Usually lump some cash funds end up enriching the local funeral director and the wife has to struggle to cover her own burial years in the future. College funds for kids sound great but many times the kids would qualify for more with out the "partial" help and many never make college when they loose a parent in childhood so flexible career options may be more useful.

Depending on what you really have time, skill, and long term energy for will change if you are a younger person. If you are now single, something that could change, you could have different priorities so I recommend not biting off more than you can chew. Little hurts more than being "dropped" by a community that "moves on" even if it is fair and just to do so.

Hope all this is food for thought and helpful. You seem like a good guy and you can make a difference if you plan this wisely. Good luck.

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all involved. And Yes I have done many fund raisers small and large.. By that I mean where a few K was raised to several hundred K was raised.
It takes many business's to get this going and a lot of work and it is worthwhile.

I commend you on your kindness..

As most of my Mingle family knows a Marine and Law Enforcement Officer and friend was shot and killed in the line of duty last week saving a woman and three children and his fellow officers.

This man went down as a hero, he really did. He leaves behind a wife and four young kids. I was thinking with my political event experience why not put together a fundraiser for the family? Has anyone on here ever done anything like that? Any input or advice?

My thoughts were try to find a local business like a bar and grill with a large parking lot, I know a couple of local bands and DJ's, maybe a silent auction, car show? How do you approach businesses and companies to donate?

I will finally admit this is one time I am out of my league, but I want to do something and I know the community will come together.

I do have a little bit of experience with fund raising due to youth sports leagues I was involved with

It the tragic case like this, I would approach the VFW or American league post ( as I have done in the past). They will bend over backwards to help out. Local businesses will to,

In on case where we were raising money for a needy family. We asked a local electronics company if they would donate a T.V. for the cause. They were happy to. We then printed raffle tickets ( local printer donated them as well) and we sold the tickets at a Bar B Que we had.. at the VFF facility. We sold food too.. all donated or made by the neighborhood folks.

We didn't have a license to sell raffle tickets.. and no one cared. The cops brought tickets too. As a matter of fact... everyone asked did. We could have sold more, given more time.

We raised over $15K and our costs were nothing. But it was the sentiment as much as the money that went a long way

Again, in the case of a military person.. the VFW or American Legion will do everything in their power to help.

advertising was easy.. posters in local stores, face book, twitter, local newspaper.. word of mouth. billboard at the VFW hall

Good luck