Fundraising Idea: High Five Fund

Campus Pride utilizes the time, talent and skills of students, faculty, staff and educators to fulfill our mission of creating safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.

Volunteers help our organization continue to grow in supporting the needs of LGBTQ and ally student leaders and campus groups. One principal method volunteers support Campus Pride is through fundraising.

How might one setup a volunteer fundraising campaign? Here’s a great idea to check out:

 

Stop the Hate- High Five Fund Campaign

This campaign works to benefit the anti-bullying programs of Campus Pride and the Stop the Hate initiative.

HOW TO:

1.) Do some research in your local area to find a suitable LGBTQ-friendly restaurant/establishment that is willing to host this fundraising campaign. This local restaurant will accept donations from customers on Campus Pride’s behalf. Every time a customer makes a $1 donation or more, they are given the chance to write their name on a high-five and have it displayed along with others at the restaurant.

2.) Select a start and end date for the fundraiser. Two-three weeks is usually a good time window for collecting donations. Talk this over with the owner/manager and see what their input is.

3.) Ensure that the establishment knows what the donations are going towards:

The High-Five Fund is a fundraising campaign that supports the anti-bullying initiatives and hate-crime prevention initiatives of Campus Pride, a national non-profit organization that supports LGBTQ and ally college students.

With this, you will want to make sure employees asking for the donations know what to say as well. Something along the lines of:

–Would you care to donate $1 to support the prevention of bullying?

-Would you like to contribute to the High-Five Fund by donating $1 to help stop bullying?

-Would you consider donating $1 to help prevent bullying against LGBTQ students?

4.) Identify a spot for the high-fives to be displayed publicly with the manager/owner of the establishment. Some good spots may be in the lobby, drive-through windows, or even somewhere near the front registers.

5.) Provide the establishment with the high-five cut-outs. Some places may even be willing to print them out for you. This is something that should ask and make sure of beforehand.

You can find a .pdf of the high-five cut-outs HERE. (Coming soon!)

6.) Promote, promote, promote! Utilize your contacts, social media, and extended networks to help spread the word on the fundraiser! The more people you reach, the more money you will raise. Encourage friends and family to help promote as well. The more people on your team, the better!

Get creative: See if you can get a small airtime slot on your local radio show to help get the word out.

7.) Setup a pick-up time for you to return to the establishment and collect the funds that were raised. Be sure to thank the owner/manager for their help and support as well. Think about sending a nice thank-you card in the mail!

8.) Congratulate yourself on a job well done! Your efforts directly impact Campus Pride in a huge way. With more fundraising campaigns, Campus Pride is able to further advance the tools, programs, and resources provided to LGBTQ college students.

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If you’re eager for more fundraising ideas, consider some of these other opportunities:

• Plan a fundraising event (talent show, spoken word night, etc) to collect donations.
• Consider current philanthropic planned events and adding Campus Pride to the donations list.
• Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr with link for donations. Tell everyone why it is important to stand together for LGBT collegiate youth