Most schools will offer their student groups a small annual budget. They will usually also provide space and equipment for websites, meetings, debates and presentations. However, most group leaders find these funds to be inadequate in covering all their costs, especially if they have ambitious goals. Fundraising is necessary if you are going to avoid paying for extra expenses out of your own pocket.

We do not discourage spending a bit of your own money.  Many a neophyte student leader has thrown down a few bucks for nametags, some flyers, and a bag of chips.  It can be some of the most rewarding $20 you’ll ever spend. 

That said, it can really add up and if you’re going to put on big events, you’re going to need others to help.  Asking for money is a very emotionally charged issue.  Many seasoned activists refuse to do it.  That said, it is amazing how many people want to give you money—you only have to give them the opportunity.  

There are three big categories of donors to think about: institutional donors (your school, national freethought organizations), individuals that give you less than $100 a year, and individual donors that give you more than $100 a year.  The $100 line is arbitrary, but pretty useful all the same.

Brian of Students For Freethought tries a unique approach to fundraising

Members of the Humanist Community of Central Ohio and Students For Freethought cavort—HCCO helps financially support SFF!

 

 Also, there are local off-campus freethought groups that are likely to help you with fundraising.  It is very important to get in touch with any local off-campus freethought groups in your area and build alliances with them.  Their members will be excited and happy to know that youth is getting involved, and they are likely to give you a bit of cash.  Let them know what your needs are and they are likely to help you meet them.
Another approach is to ask them to include a fundraising appeal for your group in their membership newsletter.  You may also be able to convince them to put a blank on their membership form for an extra donation to your group.

Small Individual Donors (under $100 a year)

These donors usually don’t give their whole gift at once.  They might throw a few bucks in a food jar at a meeting, or pay $5 for a yearly membership in your group, or chip in a few bucks for gas on a road trip.  Here are some ideas on getting money from this kind of donor:

• Collect!  A collection jar conspicuously presented during all regular meetings – you have to mention it and you have to seed it.  It’s best to seed it while people are watching.
• Annual membership fee. It could be a suggested fee for students, and only mandatory for non-student members. Decide what is best for your group.  
• T-shirt sales. If you are going to do this, research for the cheapest investment, have a marketable idea and a reasonable price. You don’t want to lose money.
• Sell other products from the Secular Movement, such as Darwin fish. (Some leaders report this has limited success, but it can be fun if you have the volunteers to maintain it.)
• Hold a “Soul Auction” where members of your group let others bid on their souls. Actually, this ends up being kind of a sale of service.  People agree to perform some task to “get their soul back.”  Not all universities allow the sale of services, check with your student organization office first. 

Keep track of your alumni and send them a letter telling them what you’re doing and asking for money.  It’s important to actually ask.  

 

There are lots of other ways, be creative.  Never forget to say thank you.

Large Individual Donors (over $100 a year)

This is usually the most difficult category for student groups.  Often these donors come from small individual donors that you have cultivated over a year or four.  Cultivate them by keeping them informed as to what you’re doing and by saying thank you.

 

The other sources for these kinds of donors are local off-campus freethought groups.  Sometimes these groups have people that are quite wealthy and really want to see the youth movement succeed.  After you’ve developed some trust with the leadership of an off-campus group, you might want to ask the leadership who might be the best people to court.

Paying for the Pink Gorilla (know what you are asking for!)
 
The biggest key to doing any kind of fundraising is knowing what you want to spend the money on.  You should always have a rough budget for the project you’re trying to get funded and it is not a bad idea to have a budget for your whole organization (for a million reasons on top of fundraising).  The more specific a picture you can paint in a potential donor’s mind, the more likely they are to fund you.

 

Any student group should have a steady small pot of funds for everyday expenses such as advertising. These costs might include munchies for meetings, publications, poster board, markers, and just neat little ideas that pop up at the last minute. For example, Students For Freethought at the Ohio State University rents a pink gorilla costume to help attract students to their Darwin Day awareness tabling efforts.

 
SFF members after a long day of tabling with the Pink Gorilla