3 Creative Fundraising Ideas For Back To School Season
There are so many different ways to garner donations during a fundraising campaign. But, arguably, the best fundraisers are the ones that acknowledge specific occasions and times of year. As August begins to wind down, we are firmly in back to school season. Have you been drumming up ideas for an upcoming fundraising initiative? If so, we would highly recommend that you consider some creative fundraising ideas for back to school season.
Here are three:
1. Throw a back to school party.
Before the school season gets underway, give your brand’s supporters one last summer event to remember. Host an event at your place of business or consider commissioning an outdoor venue for greater space. Include refreshments, entertainment and chances to win prizes. By offering up all of the above for donations, you can raise money for an important cause involving those who are headed back into classrooms next month.
“Combine the fun of summer break into one last hurrah with something as simple as an outdoor movie, or as extravagant as an inflatable obstacle course and carnival games,” recommends Robert Carnes on Classy.org, “Partner with local organizations to offset the costs and stay within your budget. Ask local businesses to sponsor your activities or provide snacks for your movie night.”
2. Dress up or dress down for charity.
For many students, school uniforms are in order. With the end of summer comes the end of choosing whatever they like to wear each day of the week. Schools that insist upon uniforms often find success in offering dress up (or dress down) days when students pay to flaunt their own duds. Similarly, many businesses have dress codes that they can do away with for a day or two in order to elicit donations from employees.
On SignUpGenius.com, Kate White offers up a variety of back to school fundraising ideas. Among them is her version of the dress down day concept. “Partner with a company that will allow employees to pay to dress down for the day,” she suggests, “Better yet, let them dress UP for Halloween, baseball’s opening day or for the local high school rivalry game.”
3. Set up a campus pop-up coffee shop.
When we consider the needs of students, we can’t forget the ones who are approaching adulthood. College and university students love caffeine, Carnes reminds us. He suggests arranging a simple pop-up coffee shop on campus. It will attract new donors, boost visibility and help students survive their early morning lectures.
“Communicate with the college administration before you set up shop,” advises Carnes, “Assuming they’re supportive of your cause, they might even be willing to help spread the word about your charitable coffee. Promote your coffee shop on social media, since that’s where the college-age demographic looks to for news and notifications. Tag the college you’re partnering with and use a few applicable hashtags to increase the chances you’ll pop up on the students’ radar.”
With the help of Unity Payments’ advanced fundraising technology, you can give your donors an easy-to-use method to make donations. They can be sent directly to your non-profit with our fundraising kiosks that work directly with our processing technology. This integration will give your organization a comprehensive way to accept donations online or in-person. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at [email protected] to learn more.