We get it — it's hard to come up with creative fundraising events as often as you need to. You want to support your philanthropy efforts, and to do that you need to host fundraising events that will get your members engaged every time.
But just how many creative ideas are there to choose from? And how can you come up with them every time when you've got other large undertakings to organize, like recruitment?
Luckily for you, we've got 14 fundraising ideas sure to engage your members, from creative events to smart online solutions:
- Online Giving
- Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Newsletter
- Greek Golf Tournament
- Matching Gifts for Fraternity and Sorority Philanthropy
- Fraternity and Sorority Fundraising Letter Drive
- Greek Carnival
- Best Seat in the House for Greek Donations
- Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Event
- Greek Sports Tournament
- Sorority and Fraternity Food Fundraisers
- Greek Penny Wars
- Pancake Breakfast Served by Fraternities and Sororities
- Fraternity and Sorority Olympics
- Greek Pie-Throwing Contest
Try one (or more!) of them out to boost your overall fundraising efforts!
1. Online Giving
We already do our banking and order our groceries online, so why not support charity there, too?
When you're organizing your next fraternity fundraising effort, an easy and effective way to incorporate online giving is through an online donation form. You can link to your donation form on your chapter website's home page so all of your website visitors can find it — and if you need help developing an effective fundraising donation form, Pennington & Company can help.
In addition to encouraging year-round gifts on your online donation page, your chapter can also start a virtual fundraiser. For your next event, you have your pick of:
- Crowdfunding: Set up an online fundraising page and accept a large number of small donations instead of a small number of large donations. Crowdfunding campaigns usually offering perks for different levels of donations and include social sharing features to make it easy for your supporters to spread the word. With over one hundred crowdfunding websites available, you're bound to find the perfect platform for your needs!
- Text giving: Though SMS isn't technically online, it's a form of mobile giving which is very close to online giving. To donate to your philanthropy, your members just have to text a certain phrase or amount to a preset phone number. It's that easy! Best of all, unlike some online donation forms, with text-to-give, supporters can donate anywhere and anytime.
The common thread between these forms of online fundraising is their reliance on networking. Your well-connected members spread the word about your fundraiser through their social networking sites or mobile devices.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Each of your members has access to the web, and they carry around connected mobile devices every day! Why not make philanthropy as easy as possible by taking your fundraisers to them where they already are? Plus, because online fundraisers can reach a large number of people, you can accept lots of small donations instead of a few large donations (a good strategy for fundraising on a college campus).
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Online giving is perfect for any time of year, especially when you're partnering with your philanthropy for a big fundraising event. If your donors have their phones with them, they can contribute.
2. Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Newsletter
It's not just your on-campus members who support you. When you launch a fundraising campaign, especially if you set up an online donation form, you can accept donations from anyone you want. And what's one population you know are already invested in your success as an organization? Your alumni!
Of course, your alumni can only support your campaigns if they know about your current fundraising efforts.
If you get into the habit of keeping in touch with your alumni via a fraternity and sorority alumni newsletter, you'll have the perfect way to get in touch with them when the time comes. No late-night scrambling for email addresses, no last-minute newsletter design, no eleventh-hour software purchases.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Sending your alumni a newsletter gives you a great opportunity to provide them with specialized ways to participate in your philanthropy. You know your alumni have different financial and professional situations than your on-campus members, so ask them to support you in ways you won't get from students. Think higher donation amounts or corporate sponsorships.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
You should make alumni newsletters a constant of your operations, but you can target your alumni fundraising asks around times of year with an emotional connection for alumni. Times like graduation, homecoming, your organization's founders day, or the holidays are always good places to start. Chances are, you'll be focusing on boosting your annual fund during those important times, too.
3. Greek Golf Tournament
It doesn't get more classic than a golf tournament to support your philanthropic efforts. This fundraising idea for fraternities and sororities brings people together in competition, which always helps draw support.
You can get creative if a traditional golf tournament is too old-school for you. Pair your tournament for adults with a putt-putt tournament for kids or Frisbee golf for young alumni!
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
The great thing about golf fundraisers is golf is a slow sport that involves lots of walking (or riding in a golf cart) between holes. Your chapter officers will have plenty of time to talk to the players during the game and encourage them to give in the ways they can.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
A golf tournament is a good choice to support your biggest philanthropy push of the year because you can invite potential major donors to play and collect a lot of support at one time. Get your members face-to-face with potential major donors at the opportune time!
4. Matching Gifts for Fraternity and Sorority Philanthropy
There's nothing people love more than a bargain, and that's what you get when you incorporate matching gifts into your Greek fundraisers.
The mechanics of matching gifts are simple: After an individual whose employer offers a matching gift program makes a donation to a charitable cause, they fill out a matching gift request and submit it to their employer. Once the employer verifies that the initial donation was made, they donate the same amount of money as the original donation.
The only downside of matching gift fundraising is that many donors don’t know their employers offer matching gift programs, so their gifts go unmatched. Check out these matching gift statistics that demonstrate just how powerful matching gifts can be once you promote them to your donors:
- Businesses donate about $2-$3 million in matching gift funds every year.
- An additional $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed each year.
- 26 million people work for companies that offer matching gifts.
- 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if they know their gift will be matched.
- 1 in 3 donors say they’d give a larger gift if they knew their donation was being matched.
- Out of 250 multi-billion-dollar companies surveyed by Forbes, 92% of them offer a type of matching gift program.
- When you promote matching gifts in your fundraising appeals, donors are 71% more likely to respond, and the average donation amount is likely to increase by 51%.
Now that you know just how much revenue you could earn from matching gifts, start promoting them to your donors as soon as possible. You'll probably want to target your matching gift fundraising efforts toward your older alumni. It's more likely that they work for companies with corporate giving programs than your younger, more recently graduated members.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
The beauty of matching gifts is that they increase the impact of a single gift without your donor actually having to give any more of their own funds. And plus, individuals who have already filled out a donation form are more likely to take the extra set of submitting matching gift paperwork!
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Especially if you use a matching gift tool like 360MatchPro, you can incorporate matching gifts into your fundraising efforts year-round through your online donation form, emails, and newsletters. This type of tool allows your donors to access a matching gift database where they can easily determine their matching gift eligibility. Then, they can submit a matching gift request to their employer. Considering that 73% of donors will use a matching gift tool when offered on a donation form, this type of software is worth the investment.
For best results, look for a platform that offers autosubmission. That way, you can ensure more matching gift revenue by simplifying the process for donors. All donors have to do is fill out a few pieces of information, and if eligible, the matching gift tool will automatically send a matching gift request on their behalf.
Make sure to push information about matching gifts out during your largest philanthropy fundraisers, especially when you make appeals to major donors among your alumni. Their matched gifts really add up!
5. Fraternity and Sorority Fundraising Letter Drive
Your biggest asset when fundraising is your members' time and dedication. Put those to use when you organize a fundraising letter drive!
Gather your brothers and sisters to hand write letters requesting donations from a list of prospective donors.
To execute a successful letter drive, you'll need a solid list of potential donors to send letters to. A prospect research service can help you search for the most likely donors in your area so you don't waste paper and energy sending letters to people unlikely to give.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
The personal touch isn't lost on prospective donors, especially coming from young people. The cost of an envelope and a stamp is a small sacrifice compared to the return from impressed donors.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Usually, fundraising letters are sent to prospective donors, so you should schedule your letter-writing sessions around the beginning of campaigns. Keep your members' schedules in mind, though — it does take time to write letters by hand, which is something your brothers and sisters won't have around exam time.
6. Greek Carnival
Who doesn't love cotton candy, fortunetellers' booths, and carnival games? No one! And that's what you offer when you throw a carnival.
A carnival is a popular Greek fundraising idea not just for the apple bobbing. You can invite a huge number of people and get all your chapter members involved running booths and painting faces.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Even though this fraternity and sorority fundraising idea involves lots of moving parts, you can make it happen easily if you're smart about your planning. Integral to the success of a Greek carnival is software that can help you organize members' volunteer duties, announcements for members and the attendees, and the accounting afterward. With the right tools, a carnival is a piece of cake.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Unless you have an inside venue, carnivals are no fun when it's snowing. Aim for times of year that are fun to be outside and festivities are in the air, like fall and spring! Plus, since you can bring a lot of people through a carnival at once, you can time your carnival around the beginning of a big fundraising push to get a jump start on your philanthropy.
7. Best Seat in the House for Greek Donations
Tickets to the next home game, theater production, or homecoming concert are hot commodities on campus. What if some of those seats could be sold to benefit your organization's mission?
By partnering up with your university's special programs departments, your fraternity or sorority could claim the best seats in the house and sell them above value, with all the proceeds going to your philanthropic efforts.
What's more, the best seat in the house fundraiser makes for a great auction item. If your school is hosting a charity auction, why not sell tickets with the donations going toward your fraternity or sorority? Depending on the event, bidders will compete till the end to get your seats!
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Associating your fundraiser with another high-profile event makes it easier for you to market your cause. Individuals who would be interested in going will pay attention to flyers or emails that mention the event.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
You obviously have to time your best seat in the house fundraiser around a popular event on campus. To decide which one, you can send surveys to your members to ask which upcoming event would be best and which seats you should request.
8. Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Event
Your alumni are some of your most steadfast supporters, if you treat them right. By staying in touch and throwing fun networking events for your alumni, you show them that you still care about supporting their success even after graduation.
A happy hour or networking event that's equal parts fun and professionally useful will make your alumni happy!
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
The key to a successful alumni event is organization. You need to know where high concentrations of your alumni live so you can find a convenient venue, and you need reliable contact information to get the word out to them. You might consider investing in software to keep your alumni data organized.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
No time is a bad time for an alumni get-together, though you should plan around a typical work day. But if you want to give your alumni some extra motivation to participate in a big philanthropy push, schedule your alumni event for sometime around the kickoff of your campaign. You can use your fun event to give alumni access to special perks for early donors.
9. Greek Sports Tournament
There's a reason intramural sports are so popular on college campuses. You don't have to be on the D-1 team to love sports! More informal sports give everyone a chance to get active and play the games they love.
Harness the love of team sports by hosting your own tournament and donating the proceeds to your philanthropy.
As long as you have access to the right facilities and equipment, all you need are students willing to sign up in teams for a good cause.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
With a sports tournament, you've got several opportunities to raise small amounts along the way. You can charge a small tournament admission fee, sell T-shirts branded to the event, or offer concessions. College students are unlikely to be able to donate a huge amount at once, so allowing for more smaller donations is smarter for the population.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
You can really put a dent in your biggest philanthropy events using this fundraising idea, depending on how many teams sign up to play in your tournament. Just remember to start marketing early enough for students to get teams together.
10. Sorority and Fraternity Food Fundraisers
If college kids can agree on anything, it's a love of food. And if that food is fun and proceeds go to a good cause? Sold!
You can throw a food fundraiser in any number of creative ways, such as:
- Bake sales: You can collect baked goods from your members and sell them at a table in a common area.
- Partnerships: Greek organizations partner with restaurants or other food-related organizations at all levels, from decades-long Girl Scout partnerships to one-night-only profit shares at local restaurants.
- Delivery: Your members can cook take-out-style meals and deliver them to students who fill out an online order or call their order in.
When organizing a food fundraiser that requires your members to cook, keep the logistics in mind. Cupcakes are better than slices of cake for students buying treats on their walk to class, and large trays of pasta are faster to cook for lots of people at a big event than individual dishes.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Though a food fundraiser takes a lot of effort from your members in the kitchen, the organization of the campaign is actually easy. Just set up surveys for members to sign up for which food they'll help prepare, and then facilitate ticket sales.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Exam time should be the time students eat the best to keep their energy up, but studying often gets in the way of cooking a good meal. Organize your food fundraiser around a time with lots of testing and project deadlines to get the most participants. Exams often fall toward the holiday season and right before summer break, when philanthropy is at an all-time high!
11. Greek Penny Wars
Who says a penny doesn't go a long way? When you organize a penny war, you'll never walk by a penny on the sidewalk again.
The setup is simple: Place glass jars or clear plastic bins in a row in a common space, like a student lounge, and write the letters of every participating organization on the front of one container each. Passersby drop a penny into their favorite organization's container, and the organization with the most pennies wins!
After it's over, every organization gets the money from their jar.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
This fundraiser gets more than just one Greek organization involved, which introduces some friendly competition. You will have to coordinate with other chapters, so make sure you work everything out before setting out the bins.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Right before a long break from classes, everyone's trying to clean up, clean out, and clear out. Encourage them to donate all those spare pennies they find in the couch cushions! It's easy to use this kind of "clean out" messaging at the end of the school year and calendar year, around the times everyone is in the charitable spirit.
Try making this fraternity and sorority fundraising a recurring feature of your annual philanthropic efforts so students start to remember and save up their change.
12. Pancake Breakfast Served by Fraternities and Sororities
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not incorporate it into your next fundraiser?
You can get creative. Instead of just cooking pancakes and calling it a day, put out a tip jar for specialty shapes and flavors, ask diners to wear their pajamas, or host breakfast-for-dinner and a movie!
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
This fundraiser is easy to plan and incredibly popular with college students. And you can offer any toppings or syrup flavors you want, so there's something for everyone!
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
Since pancake breakfasts are such popular fundraisers, you can use the proceeds to kick off your big philanthropy push with a bang! Think big: organize concurrent breakfasts with your chapters across multiple universities for some impressive numbers at the end of the day.
13. Sorority and Fraternity Olympics
For more ambitious chapters, organizing a small-scale Olympics can really pay off. The first Olympic Games were actually hosted in Greece, after all!
Your can get as creative as you want when planning the events that will make up the Olympics (like trading in javelin for trivia or pie-eating) and assigning fake countries for participants to represent (like the names of residence halls or academic buildings).
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Though the simplest way to host a sorority and fraternity Olympics is for one chapter to organize the event for students at their university, Olympic games are easily scalable if you want to make the biggest impact. Multiple fraternity and sorority chapters could compete against each other for gold, silver, and bronze prize pots.
The Games could also go national, pitting chapters of the same Greek organization against each other virtually.
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
If you plan to scale up your Olympic Games, you could make it the event of the year. Such a large event could easily kick off a large philanthropic campaign or close out a year-end fundraiser with a splash.
14. Greek Pie-Throwing Contest
Who says you can't play with your food? Bring it back to every college student's dream of starting a food fight in the cafeteria, all for a good cause!
Whip up a few whipped-cream pies, put your sweetheart or chapter president on stage, and charge a few dollars for your members and classmates to try their hand! The more popular your volunteer is, the more you'll raise for your philanthropy.
Why does this Greek fundraising idea work?
Visible members of your Greek organization are used to putting themselves out there for their brothers and sisters, so why not for their philanthropy? Make sure whoever's getting pie-d volunteers so no one is pressured. Then pick a visible spot on campus to set up, and you're ready to go!
When should I use this fraternity fundraising idea?
You'll want to pick a time of year that a lot of students will be milling around outside where they can see your setup. Pick a warm month well before exam time.
Don't forget when marketing your events or implementing your software that it's not really about you, your brothers and sisters, or your Greek organization. Fraternity and sorority fundraisers benefit the charitable causes you support. That's the spirit that will engage members and nonmembers alike!
Can't get enough fraternity and sorority fundraising? Check out these additional resources you might find useful:
- OmegaFi's Strategies to Boost Fundraising: Now that you've got creative fundraising ideas under your belt, it's time to focus on kicking your chapter fundraising into high gear!
- OmegaFi's Best Chain Restaurants for a Chapter Fundraiser: Think you've settled on a profit share as your next fundraiser? Get smart about choosing the restaurant you'll partner with!
- OmegaFi's Innovative Ideas for Sorority Fundraising: If these ideas aren't enough for you, check out our sorority-specific fundraising ideas to mobilize your sisters for a good cause!
