Fundraising Ideas for Student Groups
Money
Doesn't Grow on Trees!
True, money doesn't grow on trees, but Janet Cox of the national
BACCHUS & GAMMA Peer Education Network has some fund raising
ideas that may seem as easy-or at least as fun. Here are just of
few of her suggestions, featured in a September edition of "The
BACCHUS Beat".
Sponsor "The Great Cake Raffle," in which you ask your local
bakeries, grocery stores, and coffee shops to donate a cake (or
dessert) or two. She says, "Ask your suppliers to give you a certificate
for the donated cake with a lengthy expiration date," so that cake
winners can redeem their certificates when they need a cake. Once
you have enough cakes, sell $1 chances to win. As she says, everyone
needs a cake for birthdays, anniversaries, dinners, even floor parties,
especially when the money supports a good cause.
You could ask faculty to donate prime parking spots for
a week, so that you can auction them off. In a similar spirit, a
popular faculty or staff person could donate a meal for a couple
of students: "Trip to the Movies for Two with Professor Blue".
In spring, pick a visible location for the infamous car wash,
using a good location and donated soap, buckets, hoses, and rags.
With advance advertising and signs at the event that tell about
your group and the purpose of the fund raiser, a car wash can be
quick and enjoyable way to bring in money.
You could clean the athletic stadium after games, offer face
painting for fans, or sell Polaroid photos taken with the
mascot or another costumed character. Maybe a famous alum
would return to campus to sell autographs or pose for pictures.
You could also set up a concession stand at games and sell
a cheap and popular food that isn't currently available.
At the beginning of the school year, your group could host a plant
or carpet sale. At a community event, you might be able to sell
non-alcoholic cocktails or "mocktails". Anytime, especially
during holidays, your group could sell balloon bouquets, flowers,
or candy with messages.
You could try a Fall Festival on campus and "invite local
restaurants and artists to set up booths and sell items like food,
t-shirts, pottery, jewelry, etc.;" you could charge a fee for booth
space, ask for a percentage of profits, or both. A local D.J.
[or band]
might be even willing to donate entertainment. You could also host
a "big social event," like a casino night or weekend getaway
party, and sell admission tickets, offering a donated trip for
two from a local travel agency.
You could offer a "Parents' Night Out," reserving a gym
or student union for a Friday night, showing videos, and acting
as games monitors and crafts leaders for children of faculty and
staff. Ms. Cox urges you to consider safety, adequate supervision,
release forms, and age range of the children.
She suggests recycling aluminum cans for three weeks, getting
residence halls and Greek houses to compete. Your organization keeps
the money raised, and could award a pizza party to the living unit
that gathers the most aluminum. You could also declare a "Chores
R Us Day," when your members accept pay to take on household
projects of faculty and staff. In a group, chores can be as fun
as a cake raffle or a car wash.
For other helpful information, you can join the BACCHUS & GAMMA
Peer Education Network by contacting P.O. Box 100430, Denver, CO
80250-0430, 303-871-3068; bacgam@aol.com; http://www.bacchusgamma.org/
Webmaster's Note: The orginal copy of this article can be found
at http://webhost.btigate.com/~endabuse/html/news.html#anchor6,
as part of a very good campus violence prevention site known as
the Campus Violence
Project. Check it out sometime.
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