the gb student fundraising guide raise more, do more

The GB Student Fundraising Guide

RAISE MORE, DO MORE

3 Welcome Letter from Global Brigades CEO

4 Background on Global Brigades

5 Things to Know

6 Fundraising 101

7 Sources of Funding

8 Fundraising Templates

10 DIY Fundraising

13 Top 10 Ideas for Chapter Fundraising

17 Success Stories

19 GB Signature Event

Inside the Guide

Want more help? Talk with your GB Advisor The GB Student Fundraising Guide |

When we started Global Brigades back in 2004, we dreamed of empowering thousands of college students from universities all around the world to participate in a social-impact movement that delivers sustainable solutions in partnership with rural communities in developing countries. You are part of that dream becoming reality. You are living out our mission and making it distinctly your own. This year, Global Brigades expects to mobilize thousands of students just like you from colleges and universities across North America and Europe. Together, we’re going to make a significant impact on global health and economic disparities in Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Ghana. In the following pages, we have collected the best ideas, the most useful tools, and two powerful success stories to help you make your fundraising efforts as effective as possible. We have also created a new signature event that should assist you in raising awareness and support for your life-changing project. Thanks for helping build an equal world!

Steve AtamianChief Empowerment Officer

You’re part of something big that matters.

Letter from the CEO

MISSIONTo resolve global health and economic disparities by empowering student volunteers, local professionals, and community members in a collaborative, holistic approach to sustainable development VISIONTo improve equality of life by igniting the world’s largest student-led movement for social responsibility

Empowerment + sustainability = Global Brigades

Background on Global Brigades


WHAT IT’S ALL FORThe goal of your fundraising is to finance a project that will help people in under-resourced communities take another step closer to sustainability – meaning, because of your project the community will have better access to critical services such as health, education, and economic opportunity. GB chapters are all working together to achieve “sustainable exits” from each community, so the communities are no longer dependent on student brigades for ongoing support.

Before you start raising any funds for your project, you need to know a few things to avoid headaches down the road. There is a right way and a wrong way to secure donations through Global Brigades. By adhering to some important rules (below) and applying the tools/resources within this guide (following pages), your fundraising experience should be positive, straightforward, and successful.

CARDINAL RULE:Treat the Global Brigades tax ID with extreme care, because an IRS-approved nonprofit status can be revoked if the tax ID is used inappropriately. (The tax ID is a credibility marker for donors seeking tax deductions, because the Internal Revenue Service only gives these tax-administration numbers to legal entities that meet strict operational and financial standards.)

If done correctly, fundraising can be very effective.

Things to Know

Do This Not That• Encourage donors to make all donations – whether by check or

credit card – directly to Global Brigades (to be tax-deductible). Cash donations are not tax-deductible.

• Provide GB’s tax ID to solicit financial contributions from local businesses.

• Provide GB’s tax ID to solicit in-kind donations from local businesses—even if they are part of a national corporation (i.e., donations of food, auction/raffle items, etc.).

• Provide GB’s tax ID to solicit donations of space for events, such as local auctions, banquets, etc.

• Provide GB’s tax ID to solicit monetary donations from local foundations and grantmakers that are restricted in giving funds to local organizations.

• Use GB’s tax ID to open a chapter bank account (serious red flag!).

• Use GB’s tax ID to raise funds for an individual (all donations should go to GB).

• Provide GB’s tax ID to solicit monetary donations from a national corporation, foundation, or grantmaking organization. Here’s a clue that you’re dealing with a national organization: They’ll ask you for financial statements, a list of your Board of Directors, impact reports, a letter of inquiry/intent, and other official documentation. If you have a lead, please pass it on to [email protected]. (The lone exception to this rule: If the organization is owned by a member or friend of your family, go ahead and solicit them.)


mailto:[email protected]


The art of fundraising is equal parts expressing the need, sharing your passion to help, and courageously asking others to support you on your journey. Keep it personal and simple. Maybe even a little creative. Whichever approach you choose, make it uniquely yours. The science of fundraising is all about applying years of research to building strong relationships and helping donors see how their donations are making a positive social impact. You can increase your chances of success by combining the art and science of fundraising. Check out the key steps in the process (below).

Fundraising is both an art and a science.

Fundraising 101

Ask for a donation using the appropriate template—personalized, of course—on Page __. Keep your contacts updated as you progress toward your fundraising goal. Be sure to follow up in a timely manner.


Cultivation

Identification

Solicitation

Stewardship

Identify everyone you know—family, friends, classmates, co-workers, hometown contacts, etc. Add local businesses that might have the ability to support you, might be linked to your project somehow, and/or might be interested in supporting your student chapter.

Cultivate the above prospective donors by building trust in you and your project and establishing credibility in Global Brigades. Be prepared to answer basic questions, such as “Why should I support you?” and “Why should I support your project?” and “Why should I trust Global Brigades to steward this effort?” Find the intersection between your passion and their interest.

Once you have secured donations, be quick to thank your donors. Find out if they want to be recognized publicly. If so, how? Keep them informed leading up to, during and after your project, so they can see the impact of their donation. Consider doing a post-brigade presentation for your donors as a special way of showing your gratitude.

As you start the steps of Identification and Cultivation, spend some quality time thinking about who you will ask for support, because the effectiveness of your fundraising efforts is often limited to your perspective of available funding. Most students usually don’t look beyond their family and friends for support; however, there are many additional sources of funding within your reach. Consider the following: • Your immediate and extended family• Your friends and neighbors from your hometown• Clergy from your hometown • Your favorite high school teachers and Advisors• Your friends at college• Fraternities and sororities on campus• Your friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social-media sites• Companies where your friends and family work (for matching gifts)• Local businesses that cater to college students• Local businesses with an affinity for your project• Local civic clubs such as Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis• Local religious organizations such as churches, temples and mosques• Your university’s School for Public Health• Your college’s Student Affairs Office or Study Abroad Program • Your school’s Alumni Association

As you progress toward your personal and chapter fundraising goals, you should consider reaching out to these sources (and more).

Know where to look for funds.

Sources for Funding


We have developed a set of fundraising templates on the Volunteer Resource Site that should help you raise awareness and support for your project. Download the templates, fill in the blanks, and follow these basic steps to increase the probability of success regarding your personal or collective fundraising efforts.

Simplify your fundraising efforts with these tools.

Fundraising Templates

PERSONAL SOLICITATION LETTEREmail it as an attachment to your close friends and immediate family. Print it off, sign your name, and mail it to your grandparents (they’ll appreciate the extra effort). Cut and paste it into the body of an email to contacts outside of your inner circle.

THANK-YOU NOTEAs critical as any solicitation letter, the proverbial thank-you note shows gratitude and appreciation for the gift. Use this template and personalize it to thank your donors. You can also adjust it to share important milestones during your journey.

ELEVATOR SPEECHFill in the blanks on this 60-second speech (approximately the time of a typical elevator ride) and practice it close friends and fellow chapter members. The speech should hit the highlights of your project, while providing something memorable and actionable to the listener.


GLOBAL BRIGADES PRESENTATIONLocalize the PowerPoint to your chapter and add facts about the partner community where you will be serving. Practice delivering it to small audiences before expanding to civic clubs, school groups, local businesses, etc.

LOCAL BUSINESS SOLICITATION LETTER Identify the appropriate decision-maker at the local business. Insert specifics about your project, print it out and mail it. Follow up with an email, asking if the contact has any additional questions about the funding request.

GRANT APPLICATIONIdentify the appropriate contact at the local foundation to send the letter of inquiry. Share details about your project and send it in the manner required on their website. Follow up two weeks after sending the letter inquiry to see if they need additional information or require a formal proposal.

PRESS RELEASEIdentify the appropriate press contacts on campus and in the local media. Insert specific information about your fundraising event and your project. Email it to the contacts. Follow up with a call, asking if they need additional info or have any questions.

Fundraising Templates


Every Global Brigades member helps fuel a broader social-responsibility movement by raising public awareness and financial support for your project. Individual and chapter fundraising efforts bring your members together and help you get to know each other. These efforts also build an esprit de corps that galvanizes collective passion to resolve global health and economic disparities. But it starts with you and your individual efforts. Following are some tips to guide you in reaching your personal fundraising goal.

Everyone is a fundraiser (including you)!

Do-it-yourself Fundraising

SIGN UP ON EMPOWERED.ORGWhether you are a rookie or a veteran at GB, you’ll need to register online for your brigade. This site makes it incredibly easy to solicit donations, as well as helps you tracks your donations and lets you see how you’re progressing toward your goal.

PERSONALLY INVEST IN YOUR PROJECTGB recommends an initial investment of $250. We realize that not every student can afford to make this first donation, but it’s a powerful message as you start reaching out to your prospective donors: Join me in supporting this project.

Timeline to be aware of

4 months (or earlier): $250 initial contribution

60 days: $800-$1,550 secures your airfare

14 days: Remaining Balance finishes the job


CONSIDER HOLDING A LAUNCH PARTYAs you prepare to solicit your family and friends for donations, it might be helpful to introduce your plans and project to people who can spread the word on your behalf and to recognize those who are helping you. You can practice your elevator speech, introduce GB veterans, share an inspiring video that illuminates what you’re trying to accomplish, and much more.

SHARE ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE IMPACT YOU’LL BE MAKINGThis is more than just a volunteer trip; donors are supporting your efforts to bring sustainable solutions to an under-resourced rural community. Focus on the impact, not the trip.

TAG US ON FACEBOOKYour Facebook account is a vital channel to communicate progress on your project. Like us and tag “Global Brigades” on your posts as your prepare and eventually travel on your sustainable-development project.

USE THE SOCIAL-SHARE FUNCTION ON EMPOWERED.ORGOne of the best empowerment tools on the GB site is the social-share function. Be sure to include the donation link on every Facebook post. You’ll be amazed how many of your Facebook friends will support your project.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN NETWORKBefore you go home for the weekend or for a seasonal break, plan a fundraising event at a local restaurant where you once worked or at your parent’s workplace or your place of worship. Involve your hometown network in your GB adventure.



PARTICIPATE IN CHAPTER FUNDRAISERSLead them, if necessary! By participating, you’ll get to know the people going on your project and help the chapter reach its fundraising goal.

THANK DONORS EARLY AND OFTENWe can’t emphasize this enough: Say thank-you for every donation and let your donors know what’s going on every step of the way. Let them live vicariously through you as your chapter impacts people in a developing country.

HOST A POST-BRIGADE PARTYConsider organizing a reunion party for your brigade and combine it with recruitment for the next brigade and a fundraiser for others to join. It could be as simple as a pizza party or a photo swap. Chances are, everyone will still be on a “brigade high,” so use that moment to host another fundraiser and finish what you all started!



The GB Student Fundraising Guide |

Over the past year, Global Brigades has interviewed dozens of student leaders at GB Exchanges about what’s working and what isn’t with chapter fundraising. The following list is comprised of the most effective fundraising ideas currently being used by most GB chapters in the United States and Canada.

Put the best fundraising ideas into practice.

Chapter Fundraising

Percentage of Sales

Work with a local restaurant, bar or nightclub to get a percentage of sales or the cover charges on a slower night of the week (usually Wednesday or Thursday, but almost never Friday). Competition among local groups for these charity nights is fierce, so approach these establishments early in the semester to secure your slot. Then promote your night heavily to maximize the turnout. The more people in the door, the more money you raise for your project.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Average Results: $200-$300 (as high as $750)

Buena Vida Coffee

Take orders for bags of coffee before the holidays or sell cups of coffee at busy times during the academic year—whichever is more convenient for your chapter. Hot chocolate is also available for sale. Buena Vida even provides a step-by-step guide to help your chapter optimize your fundraising efforts. Advanced sales require a little more planning.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Average Results: $500-$600 (as high as $2,200)

Easy Easy to Moderate Moderate Moderate to Complex

Want more help? Talk with your GB Advisor

Benefit Dinner

Organize a special dinner to promote your project. You’ll need to secure a venue, plan the meal (opportunity for food or restaurant donations), promote the event, send invitations, secure sponsors, set the décor for the evening, arrange a special speaker, develop visuals and/or produce a video, and execute flawlessly on the night of the event. Though it sounds complex, this event can be a huge success for highly motivated chapters. See Page __ for more info on a school that raked in $20,000 at their benefit dinner.

Difficulty: Moderate to Complex

Average Results: $4,000-$5,000

50/50 Raffle

Sell raffle tickets for $5 each (5 for $20). Offer to split the total with the lucky winner. Some chapters have worked with Kaplan to offer a free test-prep course and have pocketed the entire amount for their project. You need to promote the event heavily to maximize ticket sales.

Difficulty: Easy


Benefit Concert

Organize a concert or variety show using local talent. Secure a venue, line up audio/visual assistance, promote the event, sell tickets, sign up acts, take care of performers, share the GB story during the event and how the ticket sales will benefit your project, and have fun. Check out Page 19 for a success story on a school that scored a national act and generated nearly $10,000 for their project.

Difficulty: Moderate to Complex

Average Results: $2,000-$2,500

Chapter Fundraising

The GB Student Fundraising Guide | Want more help? Talk with your GB Advisor

Clean-up Crew

Get paid to clean sections of a stadium or event center after a major sports event or concert. Many venues prefer to use student groups like your GB chapter to perform these duties. It’s messy work and takes a few hours to complete, but many hands can make light work and generate funds for your project.

Difficulty: Moderate

Average Results: $500-$600 per event

Trivia Night

Sign up teams of 3-4 people to compete in massive trivia contest. Secure a venue, line up tables and chairs, design decks of questions (mix in a few that relate to your international project), develop answer sheets for each team, reach out to a local celebrity to serve as the quizmaster, secure sponsors and prizes from local businesses, and secure refreshments for breaks. Promote it across all academic disciplines. Put together an all-star team of popular professors as a special challenge. Let the teams come up with creative names.



Matching Donations

As you are reaching out to individuals within your network, ask them if their workplace offers matching donations. If so, they can essentially double their donation to your project.

Difficulty: Easy


Chapter Fundraising


Delivering Midnight Munchies

Several entrepreneurial chapters have created a delivery service for students with the midnight munchies. Chapter members promote the service—many say they offer the service during finals week, others offer it on first Fridays every month—grill up cheese sandwiches (or other campus faves) and deliver them to dorm rooms. Obviously, there are food costs and maybe gas costs (depending on how big your school is) associated with this fundraiser, but everyone is happy to see you when you show up with the food!



Collection Drive at Public Events

Accept cash and medical product donations at major sports events, concerts, or other public events on campus or in the metro area. Advance planning is crucial, because competition is fierce for these collections. You’ll need several people for this fundraiser, containers, donation receipts (for those who want one), info about your project, and security arrangements (if you’re carrying a lot of money).

Difficulty: Easy

Average Results: $800-$1,000 (as high as $2,000)

Chapter Fundraising


They did it. You can too!

Success Stories

Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick, CanadaGlobal Brigades Gala

Mount Allison’s combined the efforts of all its Global Brigades chapters to organize its first-ever gala dinner to raise support for sustainable-development projects in Honduras. The first year blew away all of their expectations by raising nearly $10,000—much of which was used to make a significant donation to GB’s Sustainable Exit Fund. For their next event, they had ambitious goals – 50% growth in fundraising. How did this school of 2,700 students hold an event more than 100 miles from campus and double their revenue? The answer: Focused enthusiasm (and a helping hand from university officials).

Critical Steps: 1. Contacted and partnered with Mount Allison’s alumni department.2. Agreed upon budget for the event, including start-up costs, venue rental, etc.3. Involved the school’s chancellor (and Canadian Broadcasting Company chief news correspondent) as the keynote speaker—

a move that garnered community support.4. Set a date and venue that worked with the keynote speaker.5. Formed a gala committee of students, university officials, and alumni located near the venue for the event.6. Targeted community members and influencers, since tickets were $175 each (out of reach for most students).7. Held the event at the historic Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia (a two-hour drive from Mount Allison). The venue drew a who’s who list

of notables from Atlantic Canada.8. Created a website with info about the event, about GB, how to buy tickets, and an easy-to-use registration option. 9. Designed, printed and sent invitations to a targeted list.10. Created a sponsorship package with multiple giving levels and sent it to local businesses.11. Sold tickets until the day of the event. Attracted more than 180 people to the event.12. Used the funds to seed need community health worker trainings in Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Ghana. Best Advice: “Reach out to your university officials for help. The university can help you plan your even in more ways than you can imagine.” Paras said the GB chapters on campus worked very well together to secure sponsors and sell tickets, and they were very pleased with the results. More Info: Paras Satija, [email protected]

Raised $20,000+



University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USABenefit Concert

CU’s Dental Brigades needed to raise extra support for medical supplies and to help several international students who were having difficulty reaching their fundraising goal.

Critical Steps: 1. Approached the school’s Cultural Events Board with a concert proposal for $9,000 (anything over $10,000 would have become a

Cultural Events Board event and the Dental Brigade would not have benefited from it).2. Worked with talent agency Monterrey International to approach folk band Elephant Revival with the proposal. The band has a large

fan base in the Boulder area and responded favorably to the request.3. Approached the Programs Council to produce the event. The Council’s only requirement was that their name appeared on all

promotional materials (posters, flyers, etc.). They handled everything from lights, sound, booking the location to fulfilling the band’s rider (a list of requirements).

4. The Dental Brigade distributed the posters and flyers and told everyone they knew about the concert.5. The chapter also solicited raffle donations from local businesses and procured a flat-screen TV, pair of skis, restaurant package,

brewery package, Elephant Revival merchandise, etc.6. Raffle tickets were $5 each.7. Concert tickets were $8 for students and $25 for non-students. Room held 1,100 people. Sold only 300 tickets with two days till the

concert, but sold out by the concert date.8. Planning time: 4-5 months (chapter president Tyler Mesa said he did most of the planning while he was applying to dental schools!) Best Advice: “Never underestimate how much your student government has to give away. You just need know who to ask and what to ask for.” Tyler said the concert sounded like a big production, but it was actually pretty easy. It required a lot of “sweat equity” from the chapter members, but no money out of their pocket. More Info: Tyler Mesa, [email protected]

Raised $15,000

Success Stories



Promo: Signature Event


Earlier this year, Global Brigades polled chapter leaders and asked them if it would be beneficial to have a GB signature event around which they could wrap their fundraising calendars. The answer was a resounding YES! Based on that feedback, the GB staff started developing the concept for the signature event. We tested it over the spring, held focus groups over the summer, made some very helpful adjustments, and arrived at the final product… (Drum roll) We are pleased to present Brigade-a-thon as GB’s signature event! The Brigade-a-thon literally transforms your campus (or your community) into a gigantic obstacle course. Teams of four or five people sign up to participate in this global development team challenge. They fundraise before The Brigade-a-thon and during the race to support your project – while getting a glimpse of the development issues you are addressing through your project. Teams overcome a series of challenges as they progress to the finish line. Fun and funds await your GB chapter! The Brigade-a-thon Resource Guide – complete with planning steps, ways to promote your event, registering teams, setting up the course, getting everyone started, and finishing strong – is expected to be released on the Volunteer Resource Site shortly!

Here’s something to wrap your calendars around.

WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED: Connect with a Chapter Advisor: [email protected] Visit the Volunteer Resource Site: http://brigaders.wikidot.com/fundraising-guide Check out Global Brigades: http://www.globalbrigades.org Subscribe to the GB blog: http://blog.globalbrigades.org Join the GB community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalBrigades Follow GB on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobalBrigades Watch GB in action: http://www.youtube.com/user/BrigadeVideos

Stay Connected!

The GB Student Fundraising Guide |


http://brigaders.wikidot.com/fundraising-guide

http://www.globalbrigades.org/

http://blog.globalbrigades.org/

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalBrigades

https://twitter.com/GlobalBrigades

http://www.youtube.com/user/BrigadeVideos

the gb student fundraising guide raise more, do more

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