Every year sororities, fraternities, and non-greek organizations participate in fundraising efforts to support philanthropies far and wide. Here at Florida State, our largest student-run organization is the Dance Marathon and we have a huge annual fundraising push day.
That day is upon us yet again and so many people are in that end-of-semester drought and cannot find the motivation to fundraise, let alone get creative with it to gain mone donations. So, in honor of Florida Statement day, here are five ways to help you make your "statement" while fundraising for any organization or philanthropy.
1. Get creative with your outfits.
This can hold multiple purposes, but the main being when asking for spare change. Here at Dance Marathon at FSU, we call this "canning" and it consists of you standing outside asking passersby for their spare dollars and coins. The best way to maximize your profit and your time (because standing outside is often less than ideal) is to wear something that makes you stand out! Try a cute pair of flashy socks, or even a bright headband the next time you can for donations.
2. Give an incentive.
As great as it is when someone donates out of the goodness of their heart, many people will not donate unless there is some sort of incentive. So, get creative! Many people shout out their donors on social media (Instagram stories, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.), but you could do even more like doing a step on the stair master for every dollar you raise or offering to wear something funny to class if you reach a certain goal. The opportunities are endless, so get thinking and get fundraising.
3. Do something wild and crazy.
This one goes with the last one, but this one is more about out-of-the-box actions. Think more like flips for tips (if you are capable, obviously), eating a nasty combination of foods and recording it, or even getting up in front of a huge crowd and singing karaoke to the song that is chosen by your highest donor. If you have wild and crazy ideas that people haven't seen much of, they may be more apt to donate to you to see you do fun and out of the norm things as an incentive for donating!
4. Show your love for the cause and let it shine through.
Sometimes, the best method is a heartfelt letter, email, phone call, or text to show someone how much the particular cause means to you. When things are important to you and it shows, people are often more willing to throw you a few extra dollars. People love seeing fundraising goals get achieved when the person that achieves it is so eager and doing everything they can to make it happen. Sometimes, passion and genuine love for the organization or philanthropy can get you some donations when you show it.
5. Keep people updated.
The most important part of fundraising is letting people know your progress and how they contributed to that. When you aid someone in their fundraising efforts, you feel good when they hit their goals because you helped make that happen. In addition, it's the polite thing to do on the receiving end of the donation to keep your donors in the loop of how you are doing as a thank you to them. This also encourages repeat donors for the future, so make sure you update people throughout your fundraising efforts on how you are doing!
Although these may be more applicable to Dance Marathon because sometimes we go to crazy lengths and measures to raise money for the kids, these tips and tricks can also be applied to any fundraising efforts. For more information about Dance Marathon at FSU, click here. Also, if you are interested in donating to help fight pediatric illness and injury through Children's Miracle Network, click here.
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