Where do you get started?
1. Ask previous classes about their experiences.
2. Ask your class for ideas.
3. It's also easy to do research online. If you do a search for fundraisers, you'll likely have more resources than you can get through. You can narrow your search by looking for specific types of fundraisers (see suggestions below).
Ideas
Items that you can sell
1. Clothing (T-shirts, hats, windbreakers, visors)
A lot of possibilities exist in this area, and it is a great way to use your members' creativity. Be certain that you do not use the official name or logo of the AAPA on any items without AAPA approval. You may even be able to work with a local high school career center than can make these items at a reduced cost, benefiting you and the career center. You can sell these items anywhere, but they are extremely popular at constituent chapter meetings. Contact your constituent chapter for more information about marketing the items to their members.
2. Cookbooks
This has been very successful. One idea is to take a class collection of recipes. You can also include practicing PAs or famous people in your state. These can sell very well at local PA meetings.
3. Food (cookie dough, pizzas, candy, popcorn)
Some items can be bought before the sale so that you can sell the item directly (candy for example). Other items, can be sold and then delivered at a later date (most of the refrigerated foods). The delivery can be made easier if it is a group effort where everyone shows up and helps organize the goods.
4. Holiday/Season specific
a. Wreaths
b. flower bulbs
c. Christmas cards
d. Roses for Valentine's Day
e. Halloween
i. chocolate vampire and skeleton lollipops
ii. pumpkin carving contest
f. St. Patricks's Day-green Carnations
5. Medical Supplies
a. Penlights, Rubber Hammers, Clipboards-Don't forget that if your school is associated with a medical school, you can market these items to the medical students as well. Clipboards with medical information are available or can be designed by your group.
b. Handbooks-This is something that can be of tremendous value to the general public or to new students entering the medical profession. First: choose a topic (poison guide for new parents, general childhood diseases and symptoms, immunization guidebook to travel; the list is endless). Second: choose your authors. Third: shop around for a printer, or try to use your college print shop or other available facilities. For more suggestions, call publications professionals and ask for their advice.
6. Calendars
You could have a different health topic for each month or describe important people in medicine or your state.
7. Discount cards
8. Bake Sales and Garage Sales
a. Handicrafts, used home appliances and furnishings, unwanted clothes, plants and other items you can scrounge up are great profit makers at garage sales. This is also a good place to sell baked goods such as donuts, cookies, bagels, pretzels, breads, pies, and cakes. Beverages can also be served.
b. Another idea is to have a bake sale at your student union. You should check with the person in charge of the area to make sure that you won't compete with local businesses. If competition is a problem, one idea is to offer only desserts.
c. If your college has a popular sports team, you can organize cookouts to sell hotdogs or hamburgers. An additional way to make money from this idea is to have the items that you cook donated for the cookout. Be sure to donate some to charity if you do get items donated.
9. Books
Sell old texts, paperbacks, magazines, and comics. You can arrange to buy some books at a discount from a dealer and then sell them for a small profit. (It is helpful if the dealer agrees to take back any unsold books.) If your society is near a medical center, you may do well having a sale on medical books and study aids, self-help paperbacks, handbooks, etc. If this idea interests your group, you should contact one or more publishers handling these items. It is best not to try to sell the more expensive books ($25-30 and up), but to try selling the paperbacks and used text materials.
10. Coffee Cups and Mugs
These can be pretty easy to have made. One suggestion is to have a contest in your class to see who can come up with the best design.
11. Yearbook
You can design one for your class and sell the advertising in it. You can also charge a small fee for family or friends to put messages to the graduates.
Online fundraisers
1. homegalleria.com (non-profit only)
This site is like an online shopping mall with a great variety of stores (many big names included). Each store donates a certain percentage of its sales to the recipient group. Once registered, you need only advertise the site to friends, family, and anyone else that you think enjoys online shopping. (FYI, the prices are the same if you buy them at this site as they are if you go the individual store's sites directly.)
2. other sites
Some sites allow you to submit a compilation of e-mail addresses (family, friends, faculty). The company then sends a specified number of e-mails to these people advertising the products that they sell (magazines, chocolates.). A portion of the proceeds is donated to your group. Check online for more details. Be certain to check out the company to ensure that they are legitimate before starting an online campaign.
Miscellaneous ideas
1. Catering constituent chapter meetings
For an arranged fee with your constituent chapter, your society can agree to provide and serve refreshments or even a meal for chapter meetings. The meal can be done simply as a buffet or a picnic, and much of the food and refreshments can be planned as easy, make-ahead items. You can also modify the idea to work for other organizations, such as a local physician's meeting.
2. Group travel for meetings
a. Some groups have raised money by renting a bus to take them to the annual conference and selling tickets for the extra seats on the bus to local graduate PAs and their spouses.
b. Students may also be eligible to obtain funds for this type of trip through their university/college student government association. Often times, money is available via this route if students comply with specified procedures of their student government. This may require writing a formal proposal and giving a presentation to classmates after the trip.
3. Car wash
The car wash, a time-honored fundraiser, requires a good location with ample room for cars (parking lot or gas station), a source of water, adequate advertising, and willing volunteers.
4. Dog wash
Similar to a car wash, a dog wash is easier. Remember to advertise: use posters, flyers, ads on bulletin boards at grocery stores, pet supplies stores, etc
5. Students for hire
Advertise to the local community that your members are available for odd jobs. Another possibility is a communal job held by the society as a group and worked on a rotational basis by its members. Try selling tickets at the local theater, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, or working on the school campus.
6. Working on a constituent chapter money-making project for a percentage of the profits
Often students can supply back-up support for chapter CME workshops in exchange for a percentage of the profits or for an hourly wage. Another option is to offer to run a shuttle service for CME speakers for a modest fee. Contact your local chapter.
7. Donations
Contact your university or constituent chapter and request sponsorship of travel funds for student delegates to the AAPA House of Delegates and SAAAPA Assembly of Representatives.
8. Raffles
Charge a nominal ticket fee, with the winner getting half the money and the other half going to the student society, or have merchants donate an item of value (VCR, TV, stereo) with the drawing held in their store. Be sure to check both state and local gaming laws before conducting a raffle.
9. Sporting events or tournaments
Plan a fun run or golf, volleyball, or other sports-related tournament. Charge an entry fee and search for sponsors for T-shirts or other free gifts. Contact local businesses, sporting goods stores, running clubs, or sports teams for advice and sponsorship. Your members can help to register participants, advertise the event, and help organize the event. This type of event can be very profitable and, if enough funds are raised, your society can donate a portion to a charitable cause.
10. Talent Show
You can get together with other departments, faculty, friends or others. Students could sing, play the piano or even perform parodies of faculty.
11. Practical Jokes
Get your heads together and come up with a list of practical (but nice) jokes that can be played on classmates, faculty and people at the University. Have people pay individuals in your class to do these practical jokes on April Fool's Day.
12. Bury the wheelchair
Get a wheelchair and place it in a Plexiglas or clear plastic cube, with an open slot for donations. Place the chair in the student union or area that gets a lot of traffic and has good security. Ask people to throw in their donations and see how fast they can "Bury the Wheelchair with Charity". Make sure to donate some of the profits to a local organization like Hospice, Muscular Dystrophy or Multiple Sclerosis. Have an event where the cube will be officially opened and the money counted and have this publicized in the media so you get good press for the college, your program, the PA profession and your class!
13. Cream Pie Booth
Create a shaving cream pie-throwing booth. Put down lots of plastic on the floors and wall. Create a form of a graduate (or Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or some famous figure) with a space cut out for face. Ask fellow students (and faculty) to volunteer a half hour of their time to be the face. Then fill small paper plates with shaving cream and have people buy the "pies" for a couple of dollars to throw at the face.
14. Famous person
Invite a famous sports person in your state or area to come and do a lecture and then have people pay your class to have autographs.
15. Working at stadiums
If you have a stadium in your area where big events (concerts, hockey) are held, you can work in the concession stands or clean up afterwards. If this appeals to your group, you can make a large amount of money at a single event.
Tips
Advertise
The key to a successful fundraising project is advertisement. People will not participate in your event or give money unless they know about your activity. Utilize your local community and university newspapers and radio and television stations. Posters, flyers, and cards at local stores and at street corners are also productive. Another good place to advertise your meetings is in local publications. This could be your school paper or a newsletter put out by your state's PA society.
Recognized student organization
When looking for funding for your student organization, do not overlook your own backyard. If your PA program is part of the college campus, approach the student government about formal recognition for your student society as a university student organization. As a recognized student organization, you may be eligible for campus meeting space, resources, and often funding.
For other ideas visit: www.raisingfunding.co.uk/home.htm
