How To Get Started

 

1. Form a committee. It can be family, friends, kids from school or all of the above. Decide who is in charge of what—taking notes, making phone calls to secure food or locations, talking to the principal, etc.

 

2. Pick an idea and a charity. We’ve got a couple for you to consider below. Got more? Leave ‘em in the comments so other girls can benefit from your creativity. For your charity, choose an organization that does something your fundraising audience will care about.

 

3. Set a goal. Do a little bit of research and find out what you can reasonably expect to make from your fundraiser. Then, shoot a smidge higher. Why not reach for the stars?

 

4. Make your idea a reality. Talk to your school’s head honchos, get in touch with the fundraising staff at your chosen charity and get the ball rollin’, girl. Once you’ve got the details worked out, draw up some posters and keep those fingers crossed!

 

Fundraiser Ideas

 

Sponsor a Hat Day. Most schools have a no-hat policy nowadays. Talk to your school’s principal and see if you can get it waved just for one day and charge a fee at the door for your fellow hat-wearers.

 

Bring Back Penny Wars. Choose the groups—homerooms, grades, sports teams, school clubs—and grab some big jars (think pretzel- or pickle-sized). Decorate them and put them in a central location. Here’s how it works: For the first four days of your chosen penny war week, “competitors” put pennies into their own jars. On Friday, they put silver coins or cash into the other jars. Each silver coin or bill counts against the pennies already placed in the jar. The group with the most money in their jar at the end of the week wins. See if you can get a local pizza place to donate a pizza party to the winner. 

 

Get Down to Give Back School Dance. Who doesn’t love a school dance? Most dance expenses go to DJs and those who supervise and clean up once the kids leave the building. Ask teachers and maintenance workers if they would mind donating their time for charity. Got a locally owned grocery store in town? See if they’ll donate snacks and drinks for a good cause.  For music, create an iPod playlist and hook it up to your caf’s sound system, or bring in some speakers.

 

Cash from Cans. If you’ve ever looked closely at the label on your Coke can or water bottle, you’ll see a line or two about exchanging the aluminum or plastic container for change. While you’ll need to check to see what your state’s policy is, you can make a bundle in just a week if you collect the cans and bottles you and your peers normally dump.  

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