I’ve done a lot of fundraisers in the past. When the money goes for medical bills, its best to have the doner send the check straight to the hospital. When the money is for living/funeral/whatever expenses, the recipient is expected to pay the taxes. In Arizona, I mean. I haven’t researched how it works in Texas yet.
As has already been mentioned, you really do need to find some social group to sponser your wife. As a biker, I can tell you that we are really soft touches who will go out of our way if we think the cause is a good one. Call your local Harley Owners Group. They are usually Rich Urban Bikers who love to show how charity minded they are, while riding around on their expensive and more washed than rode bikes.
Yes, I do have some distaste for them, but if they pick up the cause, they will support it, and they know how to do this sort of thing.
Planning an event/events is hard for someone who has never done it before, and you have to be comfortable asking people for free stuff. I’m able to go up to strangers and ask for money for my cause. I’m comfortable about calling people that I don’t know and asking them to donate stuff for my cause. A lot of people aren’t.
This is why you need to get a group involved, even if it does seem like begging to you.