Five Rules to Out-of-the-Box Fundraising (Part 4)

The students in your group likely have many talents, both musically and otherwise. All of these talents can be used to help with fundraising on a group and individual level.

Rule four: Leveraging the Talents of Your Students

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Performances

Leverage your group’s musical performance skills. Many local businesses, especially restaurants, are looking for local groups to perform. Get the word out about your group by simply having students call or drop off fliers at businesses around town. Some venues may not be able to accommodate your entire group; look for volunteers to form smaller ensembles in these instances.

You can also perform in public venues, such as a local park. Don’t be shy while you are there! Announce that you are raising money, and enlist a few parents to roam the audience and collect donations. You’ll likely collect more than you think. With both of these options, your students will also gain valuable performance experience.

Neighborhood Jobs

This idea is an oldie and a goodie. Have students look for “traditional” neighborhood jobs such as lawn mowing, snow shoveling, and dog walking. If these jobs aren’t available, students can also look for a part time or summer job at a local business to help close any funding gaps.

Individual Talents

Each of your students has their own talents, which can be used to make a little extra dough. Many are talented in sports as well as music, and able to sell one-on-one lessons/coaching in swimming, soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, to name a few. Students can also offer tutoring or after school babysitting to help support their fundraising efforts.

There are likely many other ways you can leverage your group’s collective and individual talents to improve your fundraising efforts. If students are having trouble coming up with ideas on their own, set a few minutes aside one day to have a brainstorming session to get the ideas flowing. Regardless of the methods you choose, make it clear that you are fundraising, and what the money will be used for. People are often more generous when they know their money is going to a good cause. Read the other posts in our series on fundraising, which look at finding opportunities with high profit margins, partnering with local businesses, and seeking help from your students’ parents.

Back to Part 3 – Parents as allies | Forward to Part 5 – Track your efforts