The field of education fundraising has been struggling recently in terms of retention, however the total number of donors has maintained a steady level.
The sector of education covers the entire spectrum of education foundations, schools and universities, so here are some ideas that could be used in any of these areas:
Opportunities to sponsor
Opportunities for sponsorship could be a means to attract companies, as well as individuals. One way to provide opportunities to offer different capacities to donate is to establish levels Unique Fundraising Ideas sponsorship. As an example, you could have silver, gold, and bronze levels. It is possible to name every patron at every level, or maybe those who are on higher tiers receive an additional benefit (such as having their name permanently on a piece of equipment).
A few ideas are:
- Get an outdoor tile.
- Sponsor a bench.
- Include your Unique Fundraising Ideas name on the banner of the sponsor.
- You can sponsor the occasion (where your name is mentioned on the event’s promotional events)
- Make a brick your sponsor.
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Peer-to-peer fundraising involves the request supporters to fundraise for you via their networks. One of the most popular examples is the variety of “a-thon” available which ask for sponsorship in exchange for participating in the task.
The basic elements of P2P fundraising are:
Define a campaign (e.g. walkathon etc). What kind of event is it and what’s the objective?
Create fundraising pages for each individual (or collect pledges using paper). Paper forms are a traditional method to collect pledges however, online individual fundraising pages makes it much easier for your volunteers to promote the cause and solicit donations from far distances.
Make sure your fundraising efforts are successful. Participants require clear materials for fundraising that detail what they’re doing to get donors.
Acknowledge your fundraisers. Thanks them for their work! Sometimes schools offer rewards or prizes.
A product-based fundraiser
Product-based fundraising works as it sounds. Organizations sell their products to raise money. One benefit of this is that if have a product that is appealing it can be simple to sell, and thus increase funds.
Consider Girl Scout cookies as an example of this – people search for them around a certain season. One disadvantage is that they typically don’t offer a lot of margins, so you may not earn a lot per sale.
There are a few online businesses which create “to purchase” items. This means you create the product, and then they make it once it’s requested by the customer. The benefit of selling products in this Unique Fundraising Ideas is that you don’t need to incur significant initial costs for ordering. This is a prime example of an enterprise.
A few ideas for products are:
- Cookie dough.
- Wearing gear for the supporter, such as caps, t-shirts, and beanies.
- Chocolates.
- Scratch cards.
- Calendars.
- Gift wrap.
- Coffee beans.
- Fruits of the season in your area. (Some institutions are located in Queensland, Australia sell mangoes).
Discount card fundraiser
Discount cards (or coupons books) are usually appreciated by local donors, particularly in the event that they provide discounts at local businesses that they already trust and like.
This is a case of a firm that makes customized discount cards to support an event’s fundraising. They are wallet-sized and offer discounts to as many as twenty businesses in your local area. The company is in direct contact with the merchants in your region to negotiate discounts.
Another option is to go with an DIY method. Contact businesses to inquire whether they’ll give you discounts. You then request cards printed along with information about the discounts that are available.
Host an auction
Raffles are frequently popular with the general public, especially when you offer desirable prizes. The trick is to price tickets in a way that you can are able to sell a lot of them and also to more than more than the worth in the reward.
You can collect contributions to be raffled off. Or search for attractive items that won’t cost anything. For instance, a reserved parking space, priority pickup queue, VIP seating at an event, or the main attraction of the event…
Wishlists of in-kind donations
In-kind donations are the donations of goods or services your company requires. This type of fundraising can be beneficial because it keeps the need to locate the money to buy these items out of your operating budget.
Websites like Amazon provide the capability to create a wishlist for items your business requires. This is useful for stationery, office equipment, art equipment, and much more. You can input the number of an item you’re looking for and then they’ll be taken off the wishlist when someone purchases them.
It is also possible to request donations of second-hand objects when you are in need of these items, such as the furniture, or even tools. It is possible to create an wishlist, either through your online social media platforms or through email. Be precise regarding what you require and do not need so that you don’t end up needing to dispose of unnecessary things.