Receiving a lump sum of money sounds nice in theory, but most people would see more benefit in consistent income. Ongoing expenses, like utility bills, require the stability of a steady income.
...
How and Why to Promote Stock Giving to Your Alumni
Your institution’s alumni are thriving, enjoying exciting careers, and eager to re-engage. Your development team is constantly on the lookout for new and improved ways to connect with ...
Fraternity Fundraising: Linking Current Members with Alumni
Many students join fraternities to make connections that last a lifetime. For fraternity leaders, these bonds influence an important aspect of your fundraising: alumni giving.
Your alumni ...
5 Steps to Run a Successful Higher Education Fundraiser
School pride is a unique loyalty unmatched by other motivations of support. People take pride in their schools by cheering on their athletic teams, making family traditions out of attending ...
5 Tips for Revamping Your Fundraising Strategy for 2023
With New Year’s resolutions fresh on everyone’s minds, it’s time to revitalize your fundraising to maximize your organization’s potential over the coming months and beyond.
Your calendar may be completely ...
Engage Your School Community: 7 Inspirational Fundraisers
Your school’s supporters provide you with the help you need to make each school year great, and what better way to engage them than fundraisers that give back to the very community they’re a part of? Whether it’s parents, family, or alumni, inspire them to give by engaging them in new and exciting ways to give back to the school.
Instead of endless requests for donations or invitations to networking events, invite them to participate in inspirational fundraisers. Creative, engaging fundraisers help supporters feel like they’re making an impact on your school and are a part of the community.
To help you spark meaningful conversations with your school community, we’ve gathered seven inspirational fundraising ideas schools of all sizes can try out.
Educational Fundraisers
Educational fundraisers link your school’s mission with community contributions. In other words, when supporters give to these fundraisers, they can see directly how their donations impact your students’ education for the better. Here are a few ways to incorporate student education into your school fundraisers:
Art Classes
Encourage creativity and raise funds at the same time by hosting art classes for students, alumni, and family members alike. Your community will be excited to support your school while learning a new skill. Plus, as a bonus you can potentially even help highlight a local artist’s skills by asking them to help volunteer at your fundraiser.
Depending on the size of your art class, you can use a school classroom or partner with a local art program at your community center to rent out their art studio. Buy shareable art supplies, and be sure to purchase extras that can be saved for the next event—depending on the turn out, this event could be repeated for even more fundraisers!
Read-a-thon
If your institution focuses on primary school education, increasing student literacy is likely an important goal for your school. By hosting a read-a-thon, your students can help your school raise money by working on their personal and class reading goals.
Read-a-thons raise money by having friends and family members pledge to donate a fixed amount. Then, your school will host the read-a-thon, encouraging kids to read as much as they can in a given timeframe. Students continue to reach out to their family and friends for donations throughout the event, and their reading progress can inspire new donors or multiple donations.
You can make managing your read-a-thon easier for students, teachers, and donors by investing in read-a-thon software. For instance, students and teachers can log reading time on Read-a-thon’s online school fundraising platform. Students can then send their personal reading log page to family and friends to collect promised donations.
Not only does this fundraiser encourage reading, but it can also grow your school community by demonstrating the initiative your school takes in supporting childhood literacy.
Creative Fundraisers
Tap into your more creative school’s supporter network and bring your community together by hosting a unique fundraiser. You can even showcase your students’ work with some of the following creative fundraising ideas.
Art Gallery
Invite your school community to engage to enjoy and even purchase art by hosting an art gallery event. If your institution has advanced art classes or an art school, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase students and community members’ art while also raising money.
Here are a few ways to raise funds with an art gallery:
- Partner with a gallery. Partner with a gallery to secure an event space. You can raise funds by charging for admission or arranging for a portion of profits from sold artwork to go toward your school.
- Host it yourself. If your school has the proper event space, you can host your gallery in your cafeteria, gym, or a set of classrooms. Find artists in your local community and invite them to present their artwork in your gallery. Just like if you partner with an official gallery, you can charge for admission or arrange for a portion of the proceeds from sold artwork to be donated to your school.
- Have artists donate their work. Invite your alumni and community members to donate their artwork to your school’s gallery. Then, whether you’re hosting the event yourself or have partnered with another organization, all the funds can go straight to your school.
You can encourage participation in your art gallery by highlighting student and alumni artists. Community members will be able to see how your school has influenced your students’ creative talents, demonstrating the positive impact your community can have by giving to your school.
Auction
Raise money for your school by hosting an auction where community members can bid on unique items and experiences. Start procuring auction items early by asking your school community members and local businesses if there is anything they would like to contribute. Highlight alumni and supporter businesses that make a contribution, providing some positive promotion while also shedding a light on the success of your school’s alumni.
According to