Soapbox Engage Blog

College groups and clubs usually need extra money for various reasons, from funding a service project or buying supplies for an event to attending conferences or events. There are loads of great reasons for college clubs and organizations to fundraise.

But let's be honest, you've probably experienced that awkward walk past yet another fundraising table on campus. Even if it's a worthy cause, it can be tough to justify buying yet another baked good or participating in one more "change for change" campaign.

Have no fear; we've rounded up some great fundraising ideas for college students, clubs, and organizations that don't involve those awkward fundraising tables or uncomfortable conversations!

Table of Contents

• 6 Easy Fundraising Ideas for College Organizations and Clubs
• 3 Virtual Fundraising Event Ideas for College Clubs and Organizations
• 3 Tips To Boost Your College Club Fundraiser Success

6 Easy Fundraising Ideas for College Organizations and Clubs

1. Work at a stadium during or after an athletic event

Many universities rely on clubs, organizations, and groups to work concession stands and other jobs during home games. What a great way to raise money and help make game-day an excellent experience for all the fans! Gather your club members for a day of serving up hot dogs, drinks, and whatever food and drink your stadium has to offer.

Or, see if your university will let you join the cleanup crew after a day of tailgating and game-day revelry. While these fundraisers might not be glamorous, they can be lucrative, especially if organization members are ready and willing to work hard for a day or two.

2. Host an inter-club competition to raise money for your college organization

Many college clubs form around a shared interest, hobby, or field of study. There can be some friendly competition between these clubs. Consider leveraging that competition to your fundraising advantage! It's an opportunity to build community, polish skills, and grow knowledge.

Consider challenging a rival club to a rousing trivia night, video game tournament, basketball tournament, or anything that fits the context. Make it a fundraiser by charging a small "entry fee." This kind of fundraising event, when done well, can quickly become an annual tradition, especially when bragging rights (or a winner's trophy) are on the line.

3. Pinata prize fundraiser for college clubs

Let's be honest, pinatas bring out the kid in all of us. Deep down inside, we all enjoy them, whether we're eight or eighteen. Leverage this for your fundraising by hanging a pinata on campus and inviting people to pay per swing.

This works best when you get a vendor or business to add an enticing prize to the goods. It's not hard to fill that pinata with some great prizes like restaurant gift cards, college swag, and other things college students will love (along with the candy, of course).

Depending on the quality of prizes you gather, adjust your "per swing" fee accordingly. The bigger the prize purse, the more you can reasonably charge. Be sure to advertise what's inside the pinata, so people know what's at stake!

4. Host a pitch-a-thon to raise money for your college club or organization

Rent (or borrow) a radar gun and set up a pitching area on campus where people can throw a baseball (or softball) or kick a soccer ball. Charge $1 per try and offer a prize to the individual with the fastest pitch.

You might also consider asking the baseball team to join you in this fundraiser. Many people will be keen to see how their pitching "measures up" to some NCAA pitchers. And the baseball team will probably be eager to get a bit of publicity and recognition, too.

This type of fundraiser can also work as a "bench-a-thon" where people bench press weights at your university gym. Each participant pays a small fee to enter, and the competitor who lifts the most weight gets a percentage of the total earnings as a prize.

5. Host a charity donut dash for your next college fundraiser

You've heard of charity 5K runs or other running fundraisers. Raise the stakes (and the dough) by hosting a "Donut Dash." This can cover any distance, but a 5K donut dash has competitors running a total of 3.1 miles. At the halfway point, competitors pause and eat donuts to shave a certain amount of time off your total time, then finish the rest of the race.

For example, if you decide each donut is worth a 10-second time bonus, and someone eats 6 donuts, that competitor would have a full minute deducted from their total finish time.

This turns your traditional charity 5K into quite a strategic (and sugary) adventure, and there are loads of variations you can add to keep things interesting.

6. Offer lessons or "local master classes"

Surely, someone in your club or a local expert has a valuable skill that others want to learn. Take advantage of that expertise and host a class with a small entry fee.

Whether you offer dance lessons before an upcoming campus-wide dance, knitting lessons, math tutoring, or a charity yoga session, the options are endless. The key is to find something that many people are keen to learn. If you can afford to, provide some light refreshments and make it a complete experience!

Consider using the Soapbox Engage Events app to make online advertisement and sign-up a breeze. It will help you plan appropriately and allow you to accept online payments.

3 Virtual Fundraising Event Ideas for College Clubs and Organizations

With COVID making large gatherings more difficult or less predictable, it's a good idea to gather some virtual fundraising options to add to your rotation.

Another benefit of hosting virtual events is that people can participate from almost anywhere. So, if you'd like to challenge a partner club at another university to a virtual game tournament, you can do that! Expanding your potential audience is a significant advantage when fundraising.

Here are three clever virtual fundraising ideas college clubs should consider.

1. Video game tournament

Loads of people enjoy playing video games and are keen to use their passion for gaming for a good cause (or bragging rights). Plus, with platforms like Twitch, you can live-stream your tournament for everyone to follow the action and cheer.

Whether you gather everyone for a rousing Donkey Kong tournament or a marathon Call of Duty session, this is a great way to raise money for your cause.

There are many viable ways to structure a successful video game tournament. Some clubs ask everyone to pay a small entry fee and offer a prize for the winner. Others choose to ask for donations or get prizes donated.

2. Host a virtual gathering with a high-profile speaker for a college club fundraiser

Another great benefit of virtual events is that it can be easier and cheaper to bring in high-profile speakers and experts to offer a class or workshop. This type of fundraiser is especially attractive for academic clubs and organizations because members can learn more about their field of study while raising money for a great cause.

Whether you bring in an academic expert, a motivational speaker, comedian, or a celebrity, be sure to offer options for attendees to ask questions or engage with the speaker. Gather questions in advance with a custom form or have a moderator collect questions from the chat as the speaker is presenting.

How is this a fundraiser? With tools like the Events app, you can charge a small attendance fee when people sign up for a virtual event, or you can ask for donations when people fill out the free registration page.

3. Virtual paint night, cooking class, or other virtual fundraiser

Whether you're interested in a virtual paint night, learning how to cook a new dish in an apartment kitchen or another fun class, many experts or businesses have virtual options!

For example, Wine and Design's Paint it Forward program is a great way to raise money and have fun painting a lovely picture everyone will love. They might even be able to come up with a painting scene from your campus or another meaningful image!

With a virtual event, people will need to register in advance so you can either deliver or mail the supplies for the event (or give participants enough time to gather the supplies).

These fundraisers can be great to plan when everyone's home on break. You can encourage your club members to get parents, friends, and other people involved, increasing your fundraising potential.

3 Tips To Boost Your College Club Fundraiser Success

Choosing a great fundraising event is only part of the formula for a successful college club fundraiser. There are other practical steps you can take to bring in more money.

1. Make it easy for people to pay or give online

Let's be honest, most people don't carry cash or change. It's easier to pay with a debit or credit card. Whether you use Paypal, Venmo, or set up an online donation page, give people several options to either pay to register or make a donation.

2. Use online sign-ups for events to streamline the registration process

You and your fellow club members are juggling a lot. Using an online event registration platform for your next fundraising event helps organize registration information. Check-in at the event will be a breeze without cumbersome spreadsheets. It will also be much easier to follow up with people after the event because you'll have their information on hand.

Another benefit to using online sign-up options people can let you know if they're interested in receiving more information about your club or philanthropy. What an excellent opportunity to connect with potential club members! Simply add a question or check-box to your sign-up form that lets people indicate if they're interested in learning more about your organization.

3. Thank your supporters

Whether you're raising money to attend a conference or to purchase new equipment for your club (or anything in between), don't forget to follow up with your supporters to say thank you. Let people know if you reached your financial goal. Update them on how their contribution impacted your club.

People want to know that their small contributions made a difference. You can distinguish your club from all other organizations on campus by making it a priority to thank donors with an email or note and let them know the outcome of your fundraiser.

Now that you're ready to plan your next college club fundraiser, here are three more resources to help you reach your fundraising goals.

• Is Your Nonprofit Making These Common Crowdfunding Mistakes? Many college clubs, organizations, and nonprofits use crowdfunding strategies to raise much-needed money. It's one of the most popular fundraising strategies and has the potential to bring a lot of money. This guide will help you avoid some common crowdfunding mistakes people make when deploying a campaign.
• Virtual Fitness Fundraising Ideas for Any Nonprofit: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits and organizations used virtual fitness tracking apps to raise money. Many people appreciate using physical fitness to benefit their favorite club or cause. Why not leverage this to help your club or nonprofit? This blog has some of the best, most creative, most effective virtual fitness tracking fundraisers.
• 9 Steps to Plan and Host a Virtual Fundraiser: Virtual fundraisers are likely here to stay. They're cost-effective, practical, and easy to host. This blog includes useful information and steps to help you plan and host a great virtual fundraiser for your club, organization, or nonprofit.