Thank you for fundraising for STAND! Your support means a lot to us, and will go a long way toward helping us achieve our mission. There are many ways to raise funds creatively. Below are just a few ideas to get you started. Make sure to check Slack or the chapter newsletter for specific resources on our latest campaign.
Easy Asks
- Invite direct links to give via Facebook or Instagram.
- Share STAND’s social media posts from our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, adding your own language on what STAND means to you.
- People can also donate through standnow.org/donate/ OR mail a check (payable to STAND LLC): STAND LLC, 3900 16th St. NW #217, Washington, DC, 20011.
Getting Started
- Set a fundraising goal – Do you want to raise money independently or as a group? If you are working with a group, try coming up with a goal for each individual or for the group altogether. You can even have a competition between individuals!
- Pick a fundraiser (or two) – Decide what kinds of fundraisers would work best on your campus or in your community. Take a look at our list of ideas or come up with your own.
- Identify targets – Decide who would be best for you to reach out to in your fundraising.
- Start fundraising!
Event Tips and Tricks
- Decide what type of event will be most effective for the goals you are aiming to accomplish. For example, would a film screening or speaker better suit your purpose for holding the event?
- Test your idea out. Ask a few friends what they think. Consider what kind of resources you will need to make it a success. Bounce it off a Fundraising lead for more feedback and insider tips!
- Get a team together. Make a list of tasks, find out what skills people have, and try to give them tasks they’ll enjoy. Make sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are.
- Come up with a back-up plan. For example, what will you do if it rains?
- Do research and estimate how many people might turn up. What is the minimum number of people you’ll need to make money? What’s the maximum number of people you can accommodate?
- Think about the best date. Avoid competing with another local function or a major TV event, for example. Agree on a realistic timetable and give each task a deadline.
- Think of ways to keep costs down and your proceeds up. Try to get as much as you can for free — whether it’s people’s time, a venue, food, publicity, printing, commercial sponsorship, or prizes.
- Bring materials about the organization you’re fundraising for – contact a Fundraising for tips and sample materials on Slack or at info@standnow.org!
- Remember to thank everyone involved and let them know how much they’ve raised.
- Above all, make it fun!
Fundraising Ideas
- Merch: sell STAND merchandise like stickers, shirts, or water bottles.
- Bake Sales: Get together with friends to bake some delicious treats to sell at a central space on campus or in your community!
- Pre-ordered Baked Goods Delivery: Deliver pre-ordered baked goods to students on campus! Partner with a nearby business, such as Insomnia Cookies, to facilitate the delivery process, or you can deliver the goods with a couple of your friends.
- Interfaith Kitchens: Organize an event where people bring food from cultures around the world. A small entry fee will make this a delicious fundraising opportunity!
- Open Mics: Host an open mic at a popular spot in your community or campus! All you need is a microphone, and people interested in forms of self-expression like poetry or singing.
- Comedy Nights: Know anyone who likes to tell jokes or do stand-up comedy? They might be interested in participating in this event! You can charge a small fee for entry to this fun event!
- Sports Tournaments: Hosting a sports tournament can be as simple as organizing a soccer game between two teams made up of community members and students. The members of the teams can pay an entrance fee, and the winners can receive awards, such as t-shirts!
- Film Screenings: Host a film screening in your community or campus and charge an entrance fee much reduced from typical movie theater tickets to entice people to come!
- FUNdraisers: As suggested by the name, this fundraising idea is incredibly fun! All you have to do is host a party and charge a small entrance fee!
- Take advantage of exam season: Throughout the semester, students are constantly stressing about midterms and final exams. Providing de-stressing services to students during these times can be a really great way to fundraise! You can sell homemade food, smoothies, or even ramen in the library during exams. In the past, people have also brought puppies to campus and charged students a small fee to spend some time with the puppies, as a way to relieve stress.
- Rivalry competitions: Take advantage of the large variety of organizations and societies on campus, and hold competitions between them! You can hold events like sports tournaments or dance-a-thons, and pit the groups against each other to see which one can raise the most money.
- Change buckets at sporting events: An easy way to fundraise is to simply carry around containers to small cash donations at large school events such as sporting events!
- Embarrassing photos: Persuade your friends and family to donate to your fundraiser by posting embarrassing photos and stories about your younger self on Facebook! Post a new photo or story every time the money meter goes up by a certain amount.
- Instagram/Facebook Live: With Instagram Live, there is a multitude of different ways we can showcase and publicize our embarrassing moments. Although getting pied in the face live does not sound like a lot of fun, you would be surprised how many of your friends and family would be happy to donate to a good cause if it means getting to see you go through such an ordeal!
Make sure to take photos and have a sign-in sheet at every event, and share with info@standnow.org.