Citizen Works - Tools for Organizing

Fundraising is everyone's least favorite part of working for social and economic change. You don't want to beg; you don't want to offend anyone. You don't want to seem too interested in money. However, the fact is that your organization may require a lot of money. Flyers, posters, food, technical support, long distance calls--these things are all very important and cannot be purchased with your enthusiasm. Unless, of course, we use that enthusiasm to raise money!

First, draft a crude budget based on your upcoming campaign or possible campaign. Then, immediately ask your school for money. Most schools have some system in place designed specifically to give money to officially recognized clubs. (To find out how to get recognized, see Becoming an recognized student organization, in Part I: Getting Started.)

As for grassroots fundraising, which should bring in the bulk of your money, the key is to be creative and recognize what works and what doesn't. Your fundraising efforts should reach out to many different kinds of people in many different ways. Even low-income people will donate money to an organization that they care about. Even students.

Collecting Member Dues

Collect dues! Even if your school gives you $100,000 to use, collect dues! Any organizer can tell you that people are far more likely to invest their time and energy into an organization to which they have given money. Once a student gives $5, or $10 to your organization, they are far less likely to drop out of the group later in the semester. When someone feels like they've invested money in something, they'll stick with it.

This is not to say that you shouldn't seriously consider the financial limitations of your student members or create a sliding scale for dues. Asking for a minimum of $5 is always a good idea--it allows people to give a small amount without feeling bad, but it encourages those with resources to give more. Or you may want to charge a flat $10 or $15, but let students know that if they are seriously incapable of giving that amount, the group is flexible.

Another idea is to simply allow the group to decide what the due amount should be. If you set aside a couple of minutes to discuss this at your first meeting, then everyone should feel comfortable with the amount they are finally asked to give.

After collecting the initial dues, it is a good idea to ask the members of your group to voluntarily give donations during campaigns when money gets tight. It is not rude to ask people who are giving a lot of their time to also give money. Rather, these people are the most likely to give because they know the group's financial situation and they know where there money is being spent.

Hosting a benefit event

Benefit events are a great source of money because they are fun to plan and attend, can raise quite a bit of money, and can raise awareness of your campaign as well. When organizing any benefit event, be sure to lay out your goals. Obviously you'll want to set a fundraising goal ($100, $500, $1,000); you should set awareness raising goals, too, and recruiting goals. And try your best to mix different types of music and activities so that your benefit appeals to people of all races and genders.

A benefit event does not need to be complicated or huge in order to be successful. It can be as grand or as simple as you want it to be. One very easy idea is simply to throw a big party in the dorm room or apartment of one of your members. Charge $5 or $10 at the door (always ask for a "minimum donation" to encourage larger amounts) and let people know where their money is going. Play some good music, provide food and drinks, decorate the house to complement your organization, place flyers next to the bar, and get as wild as you want!

Another super easy event idea is to just attach yourself to an event that is already being planned. If you know members of a band or hip-hop group that has a scheduled show, ask them if they would donate the proceeds to your organization. Essentially, they are donating their own money, but they probably won't think of it that way. Or simply ask if they would mind you making a quick pitch in the middle of their set and passing a box or two around the crowd. Or, if you have a friend who is throwing a party, ask them if they'd mind you passing a box around there!

If you have the time and resources to actually plan and execute a benefit concert or event, by all means, go for it! You will have creative control; you can set it up to include short speeches as well as musical groups, you can decorate the event location however you like and you can organize the event as cheaply as possible to make the largest possible profit. A comprehensive how-to guide for organizing a benefit concert can be found in this manual under Appendix C: Setting Up a Benefit Show.

Going door-to-door

If you are going to fundraise by knocking on doors, you'll be much more successful if you go off-campus. However, every college is unique and canvassing dorm rooms is more convenient, so if your group wants to try to collect money on-campus, go for it. If it works, great! If it doesn't, you'll know better next time.

If you do decide to raise money off-campus by door-to-door canvassing, just remember to get a permit to do so from your town clerk.

First, carefully target neighborhoods that are likely to give you money. This does not necessarily mean that you should target your town's wealthiest neighborhoods. Rather, it means that you should target neighborhoods where residents are known to be progressive-learning, where they have a good relationship with students on your campus, where they have been particularly affected by corporate abuses, or--best of all--where they will directly benefit from a campaign your group has undertaken or plans to undertake.

Once your group has chosen which neighborhoods to target, make a plan! Read the general tips in the Canvassing section of Part III: Executing a Campaign. Your fundraising canvas will involve most of the same elements--meeting before and after the canvas, building teams, tracking donors, handing out literature, etc.--but will add a fundraising pitch.

Being able to give a good canvas fundraising pitch is a real skill; practice makes perfect. You should make sure to make your pitch a dialogue, rather than a speech. When talking to prospects, introduce yourself and ask for their names. Ask them if they have heard of your organization. Ask them what issues they are particularly concerned with, and tailor your pitch to their concerns. Do not mislead them, but emphasize the parts of your group's platform or campaigns that will affect them the most. And really listen--you'll learn something.

When collecting money door to door, don't waste your time on lost causes. Immediately after you begin your pitch, assess whether the person seems at all interested. If they are not, keep it short, thank them for their time, and move on to the next house.

Getting Creative

Your group's fundraising potential is limited only by your collective creativity. Spend a little time at a meeting with some butcher paper and markers and brainstorm. Design tee-shirts, buttons, or other propaganda for your organization or current campaign, produce them cheaply (but make sure your materials don't come from sweatshops!), and sell them for $10. Sell services like raking or lawn mowing or car washing. Have a bake sale--get every member to donate a dessert.

One final fundraising idea (although there are infinitely more possibilities) is simply to have every member call or e-mail 10 friends or family members with a request for a specific amount of money that will go toward an important campaign. You'll be surprised how well this works!

Set up a benefit concert! ->