You’ll definitely need some money to run your campus club. Whether it’s a sports club, academic club, student organization, religious association, or a community service organization, it’s difficult to manage all club activities without enough money.
But you’ll find out that most of the club members have only enough for their personal upkeep and can only spare very little for club affairs. That’s very normal and okay. After all, they aren’t working yet.
To supplement the little they can afford, you can try fundraising. This ensures that your club has enough money to host events, buy uniforms and equipment, travel for club-related events, and cover all miscellaneous expenses.
Here are 10 creative fundraising ideas for your campus club:
1. Sell Club Stuff
Campus students, lecturers, and surrounding community members will certainly be proud to be associated with your club, especially if it’s a well-performing one. One way to make them feel part of your club is by ensuring they have common household items and dress up accessories bearing the name and logo of your club.
These include hats, water bottles, shopping bags, coffee cups, t-shirts, and calendars, among many others. What you need to do is consult with the local printing firms regarding the range of items they can customize by printing.
One thing you can’t go wrong with is baseball caps. They’re very popular among ladies and gentlemen of all ages. And it’ll be even more appealing if you’re fundraising for a baseball team. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the world.
In case you’re already a member of your campus baseball team, you may want to check these top baseball fundraising ideas. Otherwise, read on for more general fundraising ideas for all campus clubs.
2. Donation Jars
It pays to keep it simple at times. Fundraising shouldn’t necessarily be complex. You can try the good, old, straightforward method of placing donation jars at strategic locations.
Consider talking with local business owners to allow you to place donation jars at their business premises. Most businesses enjoy the constant traffic of shoppers. It should be quite easy for the public to spot these donation jars and drop in a coin or two.
Make sure to print a card that clearly explains what your club is all about and why you need money. The shorter and sweeter your message is, the better.
Also, a transparent donation jar will work wonders. People subconsciously tend to give once they see that others have already donated to the cause.
3. Cookouts
Most probably, other clubs in your campus have used the age-old approach of selling baked goods to students and outsiders. It still works very well. And that’s the reason it still exists.
But it’s always good to explore other creative fundraising ideas. Instead of the usual baked goods, why not try barbecues?
Simply advertise a casual dinner event at an appropriate location near your campus. You can charge a standard per plate fee for all attendees. Expect a good turnout as people really love roasted meat. And you can be sure the profits will be of a substantial amount.
4. Sell Raffle Tickets
You’d be surprised how many people are willing to purchase raffle tickets with the promise that they stand a chance to win a prize.
It’s good to sell the raffle tickets before a popular club event that’s guaranteed to have many attendees. You may want to keep the sale price to an amount that most of the attendees can comfortably afford. A good starting point is any amount between USD$1 and 5.
The prize that you intend to give the winner shouldn’t be too costly. You can even use donated items so that all the cash you collect goes to your club’s kitty.
Remember to pick the winning numbers in full view of the participants. This will further boost your club’s image regarding transparency and honesty. The next time you do a raffle fundraiser, the public will willingly participate without petty doubts in their minds.
5. Paid-for Academic Assistance
Without a doubt, the main business on campus is excelling in studies. And it happens that, in any campus, some students grasp academic concepts faster than others.
If your club has a few exceptionally bright students, consider offering tutoring services to other students at a fee. Pay the tutors some reasonable amount and keep the rest for club activities.
Don’t limit yourself to only the units covered in class. You can also coach other students in computer application packages that are in line with the course they’re undertaking. Freshmen will certainly find it worthwhile to be tutored by the seniors.
6. Car And Other Washes
>Cleanliness is most people’s desire. However, not everyone gets enough time to make their houses, businesses, and other possessions as clean as they’d love to.
Your club can take this opportunity and make some quick bucks. Here are some of the things you can easily wash:
- Cars
- Homes
- Garages
- Roofs
- Carpets
- Utensils used in events
- Tents
- Dogs
- Windows
- Bikes
You’ll need buckets, soap, detergents, sponges, rags, towels, and other cleaning materials. These items are quite affordable.
Whatever cleaning service you choose to offer, you can either set a standard fee or leave it open for the clients to pay whatever amount they wish to. This is on condition that you’ve communicated to them that you’re offering these services as a way to raise money for your club activities.
You can be sure that many people will pay even more than they usually do once they know that they’re helping a campus club. Most of your clients will be parents who most probably have their own kids in campus, and so they easily feel the connection.
7. Direct Mail
This is yet another old-fashioned but very effective method of fundraising. Most moneyed persons and businesses access their email inbox several times every day. Therefore, your request for help will most likely reach the targeted persons and businesses.
You first need to hunt for the emails of all people you suppose may be of help to you. Keeping it local is a great idea since these are the people who know your club and its activities.
With all the emails in your database, go ahead and draft impactful, personalized donation appeals. Address each potential donor by name. Generalizing your email may feel too generic, and the people you contact may not be easily convinced.
Be precise in your message and remember to clearly state the account details where you’d like them to send their contributions.
8. Create Your Club’s Own Website
It’s very likely that your campus already has its official website. So, check with the administration whether they can allow you to create another website specifically for your club’s activities.
Once you get the permission, choose a web hosting plan that won’t cost you a lot of money. Professionally design your website so that it’s appealing to every visitor. Use the website mainly to update the public of your club’s activities and upcoming events.
Also, make sure that you have a clearly visible call to action button for donations. Clearly explain why you need help to raise money. If your case is well articulated, you won’t miss generous donations from the public.
9. Clean Up Your Community
It’s a wonder how most neighborhoods are never entirely free of improperly disposed of trash. Look around your campus. Are there rivers, beaches, public parks, streets, hills, nature trails, and the like? What are their current cleanliness standards? Is there anything you can do as a club to rid them of trash?
Sure, there’s always something you can do. Mobilize your club members. Pick a favorable date. Dress up for the job at hand. Arm yourselves with the right tools and equipment.
Put your best foot forward and see if the community won’t back you up with generous donations. Only make sure that you’ve informed them of your intentions for the clean-up exercise.
10. Dance
What college student doesn’t like to dance? Very few, if any. That’s the good thing about youthful energy. Make it an opportunity for your club to make money.
Organize a themed dance for fellow campus students and require them to pay some fixed entrance fee. It’d be great if you can find volunteer pop stars and DJs to make the event livelier. Just keep your expenses as minimal as possible so that your fundraising goal is realized at the end.
During the event, you can still sell your club’s merchandise, drinks, popcorns, chocolates, fruits, etc.
To Wrap It Up
You can fundraise for your campus club in quite a number of ways. Your creativity is what will help you.
At least you know your campus mates in and out. You understand exactly what they like and what they dislike. You know when they’re more likely to have extra cash in their pockets.
Also, try to understand the local community along these same lines. Use such information to present to them goods, services, events, and requests that will bring money to your club.