Are you thinking about how to raise money for your school? Perhaps you need new sports or computing equipment? Even books come in handy whilst at school. Whatever it is, there are many fun things you can do, including a shoe fundraiser.
5 School Fundraising Strategies
Of course, you might have heard of most of these fundraising options before but don’t forget that you can put your own personal spin on them. That’s what’s going to make them different and memorable.
Don’t be afraid to do some research before you start and to send out mini-surveys to your potential audience. The more you involve people in creating your fundraiser then the more likely they will be to support you.
The great thing about social media is that you can reach out to a vast amount of people from the comfort of your own home. So get messaging and check out what people think of the following ideas:
1- Whatever-a-thon
Whether you have budding runners, golfers or cyclists then you can create whatever-a-thon you want. You need to essentially know your audience so ask them about sports and if they’d be interested in such an event.
Alternatively, you can do things like a dance-a-thon or a paint-a-thon. In fact, you can be as creative as you like with the skills and hobbies that people have around you. Therefore, a simple question for your potential target audience is what is their favorite hobby.
Perhaps you can then even create the first something-a-thon and make your local history? That would also help you with your promotion and your local newspapers will most likely even be willing to support you to spread the word. Perhaps even for free.
2- Sponsor Ideas
Depending on what type of school you go to, you might have some parents with business contacts who could reach out to potential sponsors. Again, why not send out your mini-survey on social media and find out what people can support you with.
In terms of sponsorship ideas though, you can keep it simple. For example, perhaps you need a new gym hall floor and you could therefore ask people to sponsor a tile for a small fee. This could also work for a new building although people would most likely be sponsoring a brick in that case.
There’s nothing stopping you from actually putting small initials in certain parts of the school for your sponsors. For example, you could have a thin strip of cement installed along the side of a wall into which you could write every sponsor’s initials.
3- Events
Schools are great locations for events because you have space. You could organize an evening gathering or game, depending on what preferences people have around you.
Perhaps you have some local bands or student musicians who could help put on a music gig for you free of charge? You’ll then ask everyone attending to pay a small fee for your fundraising of course.
4- Auction
Most people love auctions and you can also offer refreshments for a small fee on the day itself. In terms of what to auction though, again your creativity is the only limit. Do you have art students who could donate a piece? Perhaps you could ask people to donate something from home that they don’t need anymore?
5- Shoe Fundraiser
Last but not least, a shoe fundraiser is a fun project. You don’t just set up an event but you can also run a collection service over several weeks for people’s old shoes. The longer you run the collection for then the more shoes you’re likely to collect and then get money for. Don’t forget that you can get 1 dollar per pound, or 2 pairs, of shoes.
How a Shoe Fundraiser Can Help
- Collaborate with friends
- Promote through social media and word of mouth
- Support the global community
Collaboration
A shoe fundraiser is the perfect way to collaborate with your friends and any new people. You’ll learn all about events management and promotion and how to leverage social media. Furthermore, you’ll be liaising with a non-profit company who then collects all the donated shoes for you and exchanges them for money.
Promotion
All good events need great promotion, including a shoe fundraiser. Social media is your most obvious tool but don’t forget to reach out to any local bloggers, journalists and other figures in your community. They’ll be able to support you and spread the word to all their networks. Word of mouth is also a very powerful tool, especially within communities.
Global Community
The best part about a show fundraiser is that you won’t just be helping your school. You’ll also be supporting the global community. This is because the non-profit companies that collect your shoes actually then donate them on your behalf to micro-entrepreneurs. These small business owners are dotted around South America and Africa. The idea is to help them help themselves by allowing them to be independent business owners selling on your old shoes to their own communities.
Final Thoughts on School Fundraising and A Shoe Fundraiser
Whatever fundraiser you decide to go with, you’ll have a lot of fun. However, consider the shoe fundraiser approach because of the opportunities it offers. You’ll learn all about events management and promotion, you’ll raise lots of money, and, most amazingly, you’ll be supporting the global community. Now there’s something people can’t claim every day.