Written by Erin Barnett, Global Brigades Program Associate in Honduras
Want to go on a brigade but worried about fundraising!? It’s no secret that raising enough funds to meet your donation goal for a brigade can be a BIG challenge. Here are ten easy steps to make fundraising easier for your brigade:
1. Set a Goal
The best place to start with fundraising is to set a goal for yourself. Break down your total goal into mini-goals and set deadlines for each. This way you can give yourself attainable targets and clearly see your progress.
2. Use Social Media
Use social media to your advantage! Reach out to family and friends and tell them about the amazing sustainable aspects of Global Brigades and why you are passionate about it. Sharing your #MyGBStory and the impact your brigade will make is an incredible way to fundraise and spread the word about GB. Be sure to share the link to your fundraising page (which you can access by searching for your Chapter here)! You can also use Facebook to set up a birthday or holiday fundraiser.
3. Take Advantage of Employee Matching Programs
Whether you are self-funding or reaching out to friends and family for donations, check to see if their employees offer matching programs. Some employers will even double donations! You can do this independently, through the company, or through DonateDouble on the Global Brigades website. Just make sure to check out any service fees that matching agencies may deduct from the donation.
4. Organize a Group Activity
Does your campus have a sports team or event center? Often times, universities or venues will employ student organizations to perform clean-up after events. It might not be the most glamorous fundraising event, but it can be a great chance to bond with other brigaders and make a big dent in in your donation goal! Other group activities could be running a concession stand or organizing a 5k!
5. Sell Late-Night Snacks
As many of you know, nothing is better than a piece of pizza or a cookie at 1AM on a Friday night or during a study break in the library. Take advantage of this opportunity to sell snacks to your peers! Just make sure to follow campus or city regulations by getting all necessary permits and approvals first!
6. Organize a Profit-Share
Reach out to local and chain restaurants about hosting a profit-share event. Many restaurants (like Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, etc.) will donate a portion of the night’s sales to student and volunteer organizations. Just be sure to contact restaurants early, as there can be a lot of competition for prime time slots. Once it’s organized, invite everyone you know through flyers and social media!
7. Skip Eating Out and Going to Coffee Shops
Who doesn’t love their daily iced vanilla latte or grabbing tacos after a late night of studying? Unfortunately, these can add up FAST at $5 a piece! One great and easy way to save money for your brigade is by saving the money you would be spending at a coffee shop or fast food restaurant!
8. Make Something and Sell It
This can be T-shirts, bracelets, necklaces, coffee through Café Holístico, workout guides whatever! Find something that you can use your skills to create and sell it! You might be surprised by how well this works!
9. Sell Things you Don’t Use or Need
If you are like me, you have a ton of clothes that are still cute, but that you never wear anymore. Luckily, there are tons of outlets for selling clothes, like Poshmark, thredUP, and consignment stores. You can also sell furniture, household items, basically anything you can think of on sites like Ebay and Craigslist.
10. Get Creative
Use your imagination and past experiences to come up with ideas that will work well in your community! Every Chapter, university, and city is different – use this to your advantage. If one fundraising strategy doesn’t work, try another until you find one that does!
Do you have any tips or trick for fundraising? Comment below with any ideas we didn’t mention!
For more ideas check out these articles:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fundraise-for-your-volunteer-travel_b_5649133
https://americasaves.org/for-savers/make-a-plan-how-to-save-money/54-ways-to-save-money
https://fundraise.globalbrigades.org/brigader-tools-fundraise-strategies
