21 Fundraising Ideas Every College Org. Should Know About

Raising money for your school and fellow peers can be one of the most rewarding feelings for a student involved in a college organization. The goal of a fundraiser is to make as much money possible in support of whichever collegiate cause you choose to be a part of. But the difference between a mediocre fundraiser and a truly successful fundraiser is how much effort and drive a fundraising team actually has. By following the below list, you can rest assured that your team did everything they could to make your fundraiser the best it could possibly be.

1)       Planning is Essential – Make a plan and stick to it. This plan should include financial goals and a fundraising time frame that should be no less than 2 weeks.

2)       Make it Fun and Relatable – The more interesting, fun, and relatable your fundraiser is to those in your surrounding areas, the more money you will potentially make.

3)       Make It the Number One Priority – This can be hard with typical college lifestyle, but in order to be successful, the whole team must be on board and ready to make their best effort. Team leaders should delegate “To Do” lists to students to make sure everyone is getting the job done.

4)       Offer Prizes and Incentives – Offering some type of goody or free pass to those on the fundraising team will get everyone involved motivated to the max.

5)       Keep it Short – In order to make the most money and keep everyone involved participating, keep your fundraiser short and sweet.

6)       Hold a Kick Off Rally – Start your fundraiser right by holding an event on campus that can educate others on what your goals are and help bring more money in.

7)       Promote – No one can give you money if they don’t know about it. Posters, community announcements, and letters sent home to parents and alumni can really help get the word out.

8)       Door to Door – Promoting by going door to door will be worth the footwork in the end. The more people reached, the more money your fundraiser will see. 

9)       Get Businesses Involved – Whether it is a large company or a hometown business, most companies love to get involved in raising money for community efforts. Some may offer promotion, money, or even their time to help your cause.

10) Online Fundraising – Whether you allow people to donate online or buy

      whatever you are selling, the internet it a great tool to utilize for any fundraiser.

11)    Include an Auction – Offering items for auction is a simple way to make money for your fundraiser. Companies and other organizations should have no problem donating some type of good to your efforts. No donations? Grab a few fraternity and sorority members for a slave-day auction or buy-a-date auction.

12)  Students Have Talent – Use your peers’ talents to help your cause. For

       example, you could hold a fashion show and offer students the chance to

       outfit the models and get their clothing sold afterwards. The same can go for

       artists, photographers, or any other creative minds on campus.

13)    Hold  Fun Events – Small events during your fundraising time can be a

great help to all those looking to raise money. Ask a fraternity to hold a womanless beauty contest where the boys act as the girls themselves or come up with a fun idea that students won’t mind spending a few dollars to watch.

14)    Theme It – No matter what time of year, there is always some type of holiday or season to celebrate. Associating yourself with a theme can help in the long run.

15)    Be Unique – You want to stand out from other fundraisers in the past. By selling items such as homemade pet treats or charity CD’s, your fundraiser will be able to profit well.

16)    Be Organized – If your fundraiser includes delivering products that people ordered, then make sure to be super organized. Re-check all order forms and look for damaged goods before delivering goods to anyone.

17) Get a Professor Involved – Teacher and administrator involvement can help any    organization. These types of allies offer great advice and help others to get involved.

18)   Find Sponsorship – Holding an event like a clean-a-thon can be easy money for an organization. Something like this would include getting sponsors to pay money per bag of trash that team members clean up on campus or in the community.

19) Be Thankful – Send out thank you notes, write emails, or make phone calls to thank those that contributed to your efforts. This is a nice gesture that will get you loyal supporters for when your next fundraiser comes around.

20)   Don’t Break the Rules – Not following exact campus or community rules

can be a fundraiser’s major downfall. Before you embark on your journey, make sure that it is within the guidelines set before you.

21)   Stay Optimistic – You probably will start with a small budget and even

smaller expectations. Stay positive about your situation and then reset your goals once you realize what is working and what is not. Feedback from others along with realistic goals will keep your head completely in the game.

If you follow these simple tips, your college fundraiser should be a roaring success that will make people eagerly await the next one!