Posted by Trey Mosier
Fundraising can eat up a club's entire semester if you let it. These ideas are sorted by how much planning power you actually have, so you can match the effort to your group's bandwidth instead of taking on more than your committee can pull off.
Good for a small executive board or a group that's short on time this semester.
Running a bigger campaign? Set a goal, track donations in real time, and skip the forced donor tips
Check out SignUpGenius FundraisersEnough moving parts to need a few dedicated organizers, but still doable within a few weeks of planning.
Genius Tip
A pledge-based fundraiser like a step challenge works well as a Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser. Each participant gets their own page to collect pledges, and a leaderboard keeps friendly competition going.
Learn how Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers worksWorth the extra coordination when you're funding something big, like a spring break service trip or an annual signature event.
š¤ Need hands on deck?
Organize volunteer shifts for your next fundraising event with a sign upBefore you launch
While it's running
Fundraising doesn't have to take over your club's semester. Pick the idea that fits your group's time and energy, then let SignUpGenius handle the parts that eat up the most hours: collecting payments, tracking who's given, and following up without a dozen group chats.
Which Fundraiser Type Is Right for You?
A quick guide to choosing between a donation drive, product sale, or ticketed event based on your goal.
See which fundraiser type fitsHow to Launch Your First Online Fundraiser
A step-by-step walkthrough for setting your goal, building your page, and collecting your first donations.
See how to launch your first online fundraiserWhat are good fundraising ideas for a college club with a small budget?
Ideas that use what your club already has work best on a tight budget: a restaurant spirit night, a car wash, or selling care packages on move-in day. None of these require upfront spending to get started.
How do we raise money for an alternative spring break or study abroad trip?
Personal fundraising pages tend to work well here, since each traveler can reach their own network of family and friends instead of relying on one group-wide ask.
Do we need university approval to run a fundraiser on campus?
Almost always, yes. Most campuses require sign-off from student activities or your organization's advisor, and some have specific rules about tabling locations or how funds get deposited. Check with your school before promoting anything publicly.
How can we collect money from members and donors without cash or checks?
A sign up or fundraiser page with payments built in lets people pay online at the time they register, buy a ticket, or give, so there's no cash to track or checks to deposit by hand.
Just a note to say how much I love SignUpGenius. I'm coaching a team from Team-in-Training that is fundraising and training to ride 100 miles around Lake Tahoe to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We have weekly training rides that need volunteer support and a need to get RSVPs from the cyclists so I know who will show up at team rides. Using SignUpGenius, I have ride support volunteers for almost all our rides through early May. This has been like pulling teeth in the past. It was so simple to set up and send out and easy for the volunteers to sign up.
Art Saffran
