Fundraising for Your High School Organization: 4 Tips
The goal of fundraisers for high school organizations is to raise funds that will give students access to more opportunities through extracurriculars like sports, band, and clubs. For these students, a fundraising event can be a way to relieve academic stress—a welcome distraction from grades, standardized tests, and the college application process. Fundraising for their team or organization also helps reduce the financial strain on students, their parents, and their school.
But obtaining these benefits is only possible if you choose a school fundraising idea that is both lucrative and engaging for your organization. Let’s walk through several tips that will help your team or group choose the best fundraising idea and set up a successful campaign.
1. Choose an entertaining fundraising idea.
What interests high school students will differ from what interests younger students, so make sure your fundraiser idea fits your intended audience. Here are some potential fundraising ideas to engage your older students:
Flea market. Encourage students to sell their own arts and crafts to support their organization, such as crocheted animals or paintings from art class. They could also bring in their second-hand clothes and home goods to sell. This is a great way for them to showcase their artistic talent, clean out their rooms, and earn some money to fund your group’s activities.
Fun run. According to 99Pledges, fun runs are enjoyable, versatile fundraising events in that a wide variety of organizations and age groups can take part. Similar to a walk-a-thon, members of your organization accept pledges from friends and family for the distance they run or the amount of time they run. For example, a parent might pledge to donate $5 every half an hour the student runs or for every lap on a track.
Online shopping fundraiser. These fundraisers meet supporters where they already are for convenient giving, and they help diversify your organization’s revenue streams and provide consistent funding. To effectively host an online shopping fundraiser, your organization can work with a program specializing in them. Make sure to find an online shopping fundraiser program that is partnered with relevant online retailers that your students and their parents will want to purchase items.
An effective fundraiser not only raises funds but can also provide the students involved in your organization with some respite and help to combat senioritis. The prospect of a fun event might give students something to look forward to, motivate them to attend school and keep them coming to your organization’s practice sessions or meetings.
2. Pick a good time for your fundraiser.
Conduct the proper research to determine what days and times the most people can attend your organization’s fundraiser. Choose timeframes where students have time to not only attend the event but fully enjoy it. This means avoiding hosting your event during time periods when students are busy, such as when they are studying for finals or the SATs.
Here are some potential timeframes you could host your event during:
Giving Tuesday. A global day of giving, Giving Tuesday is a great day to host a fundraiser. Millions of people every year approach this day with generosity, so take this opportunity to host a larger fundraising event that your community can attend.
End of the year. 30% of annual giving happens in December, with about 10% of all donations coming in the last three days of the year. Leverage this giving spirit and schedule your fundraiser to take place at the end of the year, such as selling present-wrapping services or a winter-themed fun run.
Holidays. People tend to feel happier and more generous around holidays, which can lead to higher rates of giving. Consider making your fundraiser holiday-themed. If your organization is holding a fundraising event, you might even pick holiday-themed food and beverages.
Fridays. If your fundraiser takes place after school hours, Fridays are ideal. Other students will be more likely to attend, as they won’t have homework due the following day. They’ll be able to have a stress-free and enjoyable experience while supporting your team or club.
Having many people in attendance is important, so take steps to advertise your event appropriately. You can ask to promote your organization’s fundraiser on your school’s website or social media pages and create printed flyers.
3. Get parents involved.
While the purpose of high school organization fundraising is to raise money that will give your organization the resources it needs to provide enriching experiences for students, the events themselves are not always solely attended by students or school staff members. Parents and other members of the community are crucial to the success of your fundraiser.
When appealing to these supporters, you’ll need to keep these considerations in mind:
Make giving easy. Parents are often the main donors for their student’s organization fundraisers, but if your donation process is complicated, it may discourage them from contributing. Facilitate the donation process by evaluating your fundraising platform to make sure you choose one that’s designed to work for groups, accepts multiple forms of payments, and can be accessed on any device.
Fundraising events for adults. Consider hosting events meant for parents who are involved in the organization and other adults in the community, such as an auction. Handbid suggests using mobile bidding tools for convenience. Then, be sure to choose auction items that appeal to that audience, such as a spa day for busy parents or a weekend getaway for the whole family.
Offer parent participation roles. Parents want to be included in your fundraiser too! Offer volunteer spots so they can help organize and run events. For example, if your organization hosts a bake sale, you can appoint a few parents as judges or ask them to set up tables prior to the start time.
Although students are often the ones who benefit from school fundraising and it’s important to make sure they enjoy your fundraising events, it is equally important to appeal to their parents and other adults from the greater community.
Parents are frequently the ones making monetary donations, so hosting events that are entertaining for both adults and students is ideal. Parents are also willing to do the heavy lifting when it comes to preparing for a fundraising event, so make sure you and your group show them your appreciation for their contributions of both time and money.
4. Consider selling merch.
Selling branded merchandise is a popular fundraising strategy employed by college sports teams and other student organizations—why not take a leaf out of their book? Having your merchandise on display during a fundraising event will help you generate more donations, giving attendees a chance to purchase a souvenir to better remember their awesome experience.
Here are a few considerations to get the most from your school fundraiser merchandise:
Allow students to submit design ideas and vote for their favorite one. This increases your chances of students purchasing your merchandise, as you’ll know that the majority of them liked the design. Furthermore, it gives students a chance to show off their creativity. This idea is well-suited for wearable merchandise like t-shirts or sweatshirts.
Include your organization’s logo on your merch. Branding your merchandise will essentially serve as free marketing in the future. Your students or their parents may bring a branded water bottle or wear a branded t-shirt out and about. Everyone who sees them will see your organization’s logo on this merchandise, piquing their interest to learn more about the school.
Make your merch relevant to the campaign or event you’re hosting. For example, if you’re hosting a swim-a-thon for your swim team, you could sell swim caps or towels. If you’re planning on investing in a new buzzer system for your academic bowl team, on the other hand, your merchandise could have a more academic focus like t-shirts featuring the periodic table.
Consider setting up a dedicated merch shop for your organization when you’re not hosting a fundraising event for a more consistent revenue stream. Stock it with popular merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, and water bottles. You can also include practical items that students may need on a day-to-day basis, such as pencils, notebooks, or snacks.
Final Thoughts on Fundraising for High School Organizations
Remember that high school students are burdened with a lot of responsibilities, and it can be difficult to motivate them to organize a fundraiser for your team that their peers will want to support. The most important thing is to choose exciting and enjoyable fundraising ideas so your base of supporters will want to donate to support your organization and the enriching experiences it gives your students outside of class.