Do you dream of attending LittWorld 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya, but can’t fathom how  to afford the airfare? Or, if you had spare cash, would you donate to help purchase airfare for a talented writer or publisher who lives in a region where an airfare ticket might cost more than his or her annual salary? Sometimes it just takes a little vision and creativity to raise funds.

Tony  Wales, MAI board member in Oxford, England, put both his hands to work, literally, to raise funds for MAI. The international publishing consultant placed notices  around his neighborhood for ironing services. The response was huge.

“I am still at my ironing board and am now well over £300 sterling and counting,” Tony reports. He projects his “Kingdom ironing” will ultimately raise more than $700 USD by the time he stops in a few weeks to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary. Go, Tony!

Have you done any creative fundraising? Share your ideas here and inspire friends around the globe.

This article was first published in MAI’s Words for the World e-newsletter, August 8, 2012.