fundraising for organizations, charities, and causes

If you belong to a student organization or are involved in various community charities and causes, then you should become familiar with the process of organizing a fundraiser in order to financially benefit and raise awareness of the program(s). From student council organizations to sports teams to animal rescue causes, fundraisers are a vital source of needed revenue for these groups. Here is what you need to know in order to fundraise for organizations, charities, and causes.
 

How to Organize a Fundraiser

Organization is a key factor in having a productive fundraiser. Review the following tips to ensure your fundraiser is a success.

• Form a planning committee. Establishing a planning committee should be the first step in organizing a fundraiser. The committee should consist of people who are enthusiastic and dedicated to planning and organizing the event. It should also have enough members to share the work and to represent a mix of different skills that involve money management, promotion, etc.
• Set a goal. Establish a dollar value on how much you hope to raise. Be sure to keep the goal realistic. The amount you choose should be what you plan to raise after any expenses are deducted.
• Create a budget. Every fundraising plan should contain a complete budget listing of all the expenses that will be required for the fundraiser. Expenses may include vendor products, entertainment, space rental, etc. Work to get these types of expenses donated in order to keep your budget reasonable.
• Determine the set-up. The set-up includes all of the particulars of the actual event. Where will it be? When will it be? How long will it last? Will there be entertainment? What is the itinerary for the event?
• Submit a fundraising request. If you are organizing a fundraiser as a student group or for a charity, you will need to submit a fundraising request and agenda to the school or charity. Certain guidelines and procedures will apply for any school-related and/or charity fundraising events.
• Recruit volunteers. After you have your fundraising plan in order, it's time to recruit volunteers to help out on the day of the event. Many people will be happy to donate their time. When asking people to volunteer, be sure to emphasize how much their talents will contribute to meeting the fundraiser's goals.
• Promote. Advertising is fundamental in order to achieve your fundraising goals. Take advantage of any opportunities to promote your fundraiser, such as submitting press releases to your local papers, radio stations, and TV news stations and advertising the fundraiser on social media sites.

Fundraising Ideas

A multitude of ideas exist for raising funds for organizations, charities, and causes. The most popular fundraising ideas can be categorized into three groups: sales, activities, and services.

Sales. Sales are the most common method to raise funds because they are easy to plan, require little set-up, and can be done several times a year. From homemade crafts to vendor products, consider this list for your selling endeavors:

• Baked goods
• Calendars
• Candy
• Cookbooks and recipes
• Flower bulbs and seeds
• Gift baskets
• Jewelry
• Magazine subscriptions
• T-shirts

Activities. Hosting an event for an evening or over a weekend is a fun and energizing way to raise awareness of your group or cause and to bring in funds. Activity fundraisers may include:

• Carnivals
• Contests (i.e. pie eating, pumpkin carving, etc.)
• Dances
• Garage sales
• Marathons
• Open-mic nights
• Outdoor movie nights
• Restaurant percentage nights
• Sporting events
• Talent shows
• Tournaments

Services. Providing services is another productive way to raise needed funds. Service fundraisers can include:

• Babysitting
• Bathing dogs
• Mowing lawns
• Raking leaves
• Shoveling snow
• Walking dogs
• Washing cars

Fundraising is an excellent way to benefit your school organization or favorite charity or cause. Just remember to follow any guidelines set by your school or the charity you are helping.