Fundraising

I just thought this was an interesting essay my son just submitted for school...perhaps we could learn a thing or two about sharing with others!

How to Give a Successful Fundraiser

Have you ever felt sorry for the people on the streets, or wanted to help a person in need?  Do you have a family member who is sick but doesn’t have enough money to  pay for a doctor?  Good morning/afternoon honorable judges, teachers, and fellow students.  My name is S...L.... and I would like to share with you my speech on how to have a successful fundraiser.  The above examples are sometimes reasons that cause us to want to raise money.  Some tips I will be highlighting today are on how to clarify your reasons and goals, how to setup a fundraiser and how to handle your money.

  

The first tip when preparing for a fundraiser is to know your reasons and goals.  Without a reason a fundraiser would be pointless.  First, you must set a goal for your fundraiser that you can reach (don’t set a goal that is too little).  Having said that, be careful not to set an unrealistic goal either (e.g. $5000 might not be realistic).  Finally, find and define your reason.  Some reasons for fundraising could be: raising money for someone who has a disability, or for your school, or even for your religion/church.  

The next tip for having a successful fundraiser is to select the right day to have it.  You need to pick the right day for it because, let's say you have a hot chocolate stand on a hot and sunny day.  Well, who is going to come!  So, to prevent this, watch the weather forecast or just change the fundraiser event you’re having by having a Plan B.

Another tip is to figure out how to spread the news about the event so people will come to your fundraiser.  Some ways to do this is on apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the help of your parents.  You can also send messages to your friends.  You can even put out flyers around your neighborhood that tell people that you are having a fundraiser, inviting them to come over to support your cause.

A good tip to remember is to ask for help.  Just ask your friends to come to whatever you are having before or during the event.  Remember this though:  ask them if they want to help and if they say yes then tell them what to do, but… remember to be fair.  Thank them for helping you to reach your goal.                                                 

Another great tip is to know what kind of fundraiser you are having.  First, find out if you are selling or doing something.  Some ideas for raising money by selling are:  bake sales, garage sales or lemonade stands.  If you want to do something instead, you could have a car wash, cut the grass for neighbours or walking other people’s pets. Once you make your decision, then you plan the final details including your setup and how much things will cost.  

Setup is essential for a fundraiser so read these tips carefully.  First, gather all of the things you need and bring it to your fundraiser’s location.  Then, put everything down and create your setup.  Finally, make sure it is visible but doesn't block people from doing what they need to do or go where they need to go.  Catchy posters are always a good idea to attract people’s attention!

During and after a fundraiser you might have money problems so in this part of my speech, I will give you tips on how to prevent them from happening.  First, find some extra change.  You can do this by asking your parents to lend you some money or use your own money.  Write down how much of the borrowed money you got so that you can return them afterwards.  Be responsible!  Next, after your fundraiser you will need to see if you reached your goal or not.  You can do this with a calculator or if you want a challenge, you can sort the money into piles and then count all the money in each pile, and then add it all up to get your total.  It’s a good idea to have another person count with you.  Finally, after your fundraiser event is complete, ask your parents to send the money to the group, organization or person you decided to help when you set your goal.

After a fundraiser, you need to find some way to say “Thank you” to the people who came to your fundraiser so what better way than to give them Thank you cards.  But, read these steps carefully to avoid missing anyone.  First, before your fundraiser, make some cards that say ”Thank you”.  Then, write down how many people are at your fundraiser so you know how many cards you need (If you don’t have enough cards, you can make some more).  Once they start to leave, remember to give them their thank you cards.  If you didn’t have enough to give to everyone, try to get their contact information so that you can give them the card later.

Fundraising is a meaningful way to help others and gather up the community.   Following these tips,you can have a really good fundraiser.  Moreover, you can develop organizational skills which can help you in life.  If you choose to do a fundraiser, I hope you will feel really good after it because you know you're helping people.