Student Fundraising Ideas That Will Grab Attention

Whether you’re in college or high school, fundraising for a charity that means a lot to you is a great way to get involved with extracurricular activities throughout the academic year, meet new people, and develop great skills for your future career. Sports teams, theater productions, student council services, renovations, community projects, field trips, and more often need a financial boost, or you could get a team together to support a charity or cause in the local area, abroad, or anywhere else. Innovative, motivated student fundraising projects are one of the best ways to meet these goals or even exceed them. So, what makes for a truly unforgettable student fundraising project? We’ve put together some top ideas that you might want to consider for your team at college or school.

#1. Getting Prepared:

First of all, let’s make sure that you’re fully prepared for putting the project together and getting as much as possible from your efforts. To start with, you’ll need to have a clear purpose. Think about exactly what you are trying to achieve with your fundraiser, and why others should be just as passionate about the cause as you are. This information will be essential for any advertising and campaigning that you conduct before the event. And, have a set, measurable goal amount in mind before you get started – it’s a good idea to aim higher than the amount that you’d like. Then, consider your target audience, and put together a powerful message that will invoke their feelings and emotions towards your cause. And finally, arrange a venue for your event, and have an estimated cost in mind.

#2. School Talent Show:

A talent show is a fun and light-hearted way to raise some money and get the school or college community together. And, it’s something that’s fairly easy to organize on the campus, to bring out the best in your school. There could be singers, dancers, comedians, and many other performers studying on campus who have yet to be discovered, and your talent show could be the perfect option for helping them get their big break. You’ll need an appropriate venue such as the sports hall or a lecture room, and a panel of judges – ask teachers, lecturers, parents and other students to volunteer. And, prizes for the top performers will make your event even more popular. Charge a small fee to enter and sell tickets to your audience, all going towards a good cause.

#3. Cultural Fair:

Today, there’s never been a better time to enjoy and explore other cultures and customs. So, what better way to raise money for a cause close to your heart than putting on a fun and vibrant cultural fair on your campus? You could get a huge team of students involved; if your school is a fairly diverse place, you’re sure to find several students from different cultures who will be happy to have a stall where others can learn about their heritage. You could have home-made foods from a wide range of international cuisines, dance performances, cultural art and crafts, and much more.

#4. Speed Dating:

When you’re in college, dating is all part of the everyday student life. So, why not consider setting up a speed dating event for students, with all proceeds going towards your chosen charity or cause? Speed dating is a very fun and fast-paced way to meet new people, and even if you don’t meet the person of your dreams, it’s a great way to spend an unusual night out with friends and perhaps even meet new friends who you’ll end up being close to throughout your university experience.

#5. Spa Services:

Student life can be extremely stressful, so some relaxing spa treatments are certainly going to go down well. Reach out to your local community and contact local spa owners and treatment practitioners to ask if they will be able to donate their services to your school or college for an evening. Talk to massage therapists, hair stylists, makeup and nail specialists, and anyone else providing health and beauty treatments who would be willing to set up spaces in your library or gymnasium and provide much-needed treatments to students who’ve been working hard. Invite students, teachers and parents for a night of pampering and relaxation for a small fee that all goes towards your cause.

#6. Team Challenges:

Getting a team together to take on a sponsored challenge is a great way to raise money for your cause, and they can easily be organized by students. Websites such as JustGiving make it easy for you to collect sponsorships and donations and send them directly to the charity or cause that you have chosen to fundraise for. There are several awesome challenge ideas that you might want to consider – sports and fitness challenges such as running a certain distance or climbing a mountain, food challenges, facing fears, or something daring like shaving heads and getting tattoos. Sit down with your team and come up with something that you’d all be willing to do collectively, and will grab attention at the same time. You could even take on an army-style challenge to really push yourself, and get custom challenge coins for your team to remind them of why they’re pushing on. There are coins out there that you will love!

#7. Cooking Classes:

Cooking classes are tons of fun and often provide very useful skills for life when it comes to making healthy meals, trying your hand at cooking a different cuisine, or developing kitchen skills that you can use for life. If you know a student who is a budding chef, then why not let them show off their skills in the kitchen by putting on a cooking class for anybody who’s looking to learn more about making particular dishes? Participating students could focus on teaching people how to make ethnic dishes, tips and tricks from their own kitchen, or favorite recipes from home.

Whether you’re putting on a talent show or taking on a grueling army fitness test, there are so many great ways to raise money for a good cause as a student. Do you have any ideas we haven’t mentioned? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.