5 Fundraising Ideas for College Students

We do A LOT of fundraisers and thought we'd make a list of the best ones for college students. Here's a list of some of our most successful fundraisers. 

1. Bake Sale: An oldy but a goody, you can reach out to staff, students, and your entire student body to make a good amount of money. It is all about strategic placement and marketing so we suggest bringing your baked goods to staff and faculty, then reserving a table at a popular hang-out spot on campus to reach students.
2. Partner with a Local Business: Reach out to a local business that has a great relationship with your college/university and where a lot of the campus community hangs out to support your cause. Ask if they can sponsor you during a time when they're busy (i.e. breakfast hours at a coffee shop) or make an "item of the month" where a part of the proceeds brought in from the selling of that item goes to you (i.e. money brought in from strawberry waffles sold in the month of march goes to your cause).
3. -Thons: Always a blast, these events ask people to see how long they can do an activity. They work great for college students schedules because of their flexible hours and varying time requirement. Some examples include a "yoga-thon," "baseball-thon," "zumba-thon" and more!
4. Car Wash: We have had a lot of success in the past with car washes. On a nice fall or spring day, just when the weather is getting gross, faculty and staff will really appreciate the opportunity to have their car cleaned and the money going to a good cause!
5. Personal Sponsorship: Reach out to friends and family members asking for a personal sponsorship for your cause. Just a $5 or $10 donation can go a long way towards making your trip or service commitment a reality.

Don't be afraid to get creative. Any game, fun activity, or talent that you have can be tied into raising money for a great cause!

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Sometimes numbers just don't cut it with relaying information. Below is a fantastic infographic that highlights poverty statistics in the U.S.A.

Did You Know...?

• In 2011 The 4 most popular volunteer service activities were
1. Fundraising or selling items to raise money (26.2%)
2. Collecting, preparing, distributing or serving food (23.6%)
3. Engaging in general labor or transportation (20.3%)
4. Tutoring or teaching (18.2%)

• More women than men volunteer regardless of education, age, and other demographics

• Volunteer rates were lowest among 20-24 year olds

• Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) working mothers volunteered

• Married people volunteer more than non-married individuals

• Individuals with children volunteer more than those without kids

• The average volunteer spent a total of 50 hours volunteering from Sept. 2011-2012

• In 2011 The top 5 states of volunteering:
1. Utah 40.9%
2. Idaho 38.8%
3. Iowa 38.4%
4. Minnesota 38.0%
5. South Dakota 36.8%

• More volunteers volunteered in 2011 than in any year since 2005

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm

http://eleventygroup.com/site/14-facts-and-statistics-about-the-state-of-nonprofit-volunteer-recruitment/

Puentes al Futuro Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 1

As adults we know why we love having the Puentes al Futuro Summer Camp here on campus. It gives the kids access to a lot of fun activities (including sports, an indoor swimming pool, and arts and crafts), they can continue working on their academics (English and Math classes occur twice a week each), and they work closely with college-aged counselors who serve as mentors and role models. 

But, do the kids love it? If so, why? To solve these perplexing questions, the camp's English teacher, Jenny, asked the campers to write about why they love camp as a part of the regular newsletter project she is doing with them!

Read below to see what the kids really think. There are some truly heart-warming accounts.

"Poverty, Love, and Money" by Jessica Jackley

Jessica Jackley's Ted Talk, "Poverty, Love, and Money" touches upon a lot of themes that surround many of us who are involved in community engagement, volunteerism, and social justice. Around the CCE, we like to downplay the use of the word "help." It is not with a mentality that we are giving to those less fortunate out of guilt, shame, or feeling more adequate, but with the mindset that we are sharing a skill or gift with our neighbors who are in turn sharing their skills and gifts with us. Rather than a one-way road, we emphasize building symbiotic partnerships with those we work and interact with. 

This mindset is relatively new. Many people, like Jessica, give money or time to help someone because it is what is expected of them. They hear stories about the poor suffering and think only to address this immediate misfortune. 

However, there are two sides to every story. I highly encourage you to watch Jessica's talk, hear about her exploration of the state of poverty, application of love, and power of money. 

If you're unsure how to tackle a social justice you find challenging, how to better understand and empathize with someone you may otherwise look down on because of their financial status, how you fit in to society as a volunteer or advocate, this video is perfect for you! 

Video link: http://bit.ly/14WXXil
Jessica's foundation: http://bit.ly/13rUfsI

Puentes al Futuro (Bridges to the Future)

Puentes al Futuro (Bridges to the Future) is a grant-funded program for at-risk youth living in Greater Windham, Connecticut. The program is sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and is staffed by Eastern student volunteers. Below is an account from one of the Eastern volunteers about her experience: 

Puentes met on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week after the students get out of school, on Eastern’s campus as well as at Windham Middle School. Each time we met there was an opportunity to participate in an activity with the students to help them explore their culture, and then we helped them complete their homework. This past semester, on Thursdays, we studied poetry and worked on creating a Puentes-specific cook book. Talking about recipes and foods that are special to the children gave us another chance to share about ourselves and our families. It truly is amazing the type of connection that you build, even though you only spend a small portion of your week with these students. I love the way that Puentes helps students embrace and truly love their culture. The program helps students build a foundation based on understanding themselves and their heritage in order to promote their success in the future. I remember finding out when one of our Puentes students got into Windham Tech, after having applied only a few weeks earlier. Not only was everyone excited that she had chosen to tell us first, but we were so excited to see her become so thrilled about something directly related to her future. 

Guest Post: Kim, '15

What I Look Forward To When I Volunteer

The first night that I went to Lyon Manor, I expected to have a much different experience than I did.  When I heard the words ‘independent living center’, I expected the residents to need much more assistance.  I did not think that it would be so laid back and I did not realize that the residents would be able to go and come as they please.  I did not expect to terribly lose a game of chess against one resident.  I did not expect to laugh so hard that I cried.  And I certainly did not expect to form a friendship that I hold that close to my heart.

Every Tuesday I look forward to going to Lyon Manor.  I have a friend who lives there named Joanne.  She has a hard exterior and is not usually very happy.  But this past year, she and I have become so close.  Every week I bring a craft for the residents and Eastern students to do together, whenever I ask Joanne to work with me on one, she refuses because of her arthritis.  At Christmas time, I brought supplies so that the residents could make cards for their families.  This was one of the few times that Joanne agreed to do the craft; she made me a card, with a long poem about how much she loves me.  Joanne makes such an impact on my life; I cannot imagine my life without her or any of the other residents at Lyon Manor.

Recently, I went to the Impact conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It is an annual conference about community engagement and social justice.  There I was inspired to find more ways to make our time at Lyon Manor more engaging for the residents as well as the volunteers.  I plan to pair up similar students and residents to create a one-on-one friendship.  We will spend the first part of our time there one-on-one with our friends and the second part as a whole group.  I am hoping that this will make volunteers want to return every week to spend time with their friends!  During the fall 2013, we will be visiting Lyon Manor on Wednesday evenings. If you are interested e-mail: gemmaj@my.easternct.edu. 

-Guest Post: Jeannine, '15