Chapter Fundraising 101

It’s no secret that DECA can get pricy, especially for ICDC. Often, these financial barriers can prevent members and chapters from attending. However, with effective fundraising, these challenges are much easier to overcome. 

Step 1: Start with a Strong Plan

Identify the purpose behind your fundraising, and set SMART goals. Breakup your goals into checkpoints, then map out fundraisers to match!

Example:

• $500 by January for business clothes.

• $1,200 by February for state competition.

• $5,000 by April for ICDC.

Step 2. Choose the Correct Fundraising

While there is an endless possibility of fundraisers to choose from, it’s best to select a fundraiser that meets the needsof your chapter and its resources. There are three main types to consider:

1. Sales – Selling products or services. Typically, this requires the chapter to make a large initial investment and requires the work of many members to sell items on an individual basis.

2. Events – Activities that involve entertainment or competition. With events, there is a potential for very high profit, but promotion is critical to draw attendees. Active collaboration is key to pull off a fundraising event.

3. Direct Solicitation – Securing donations and sponsorships from individuals and organizations. This may require less hands-on work, but will still need many hours of support and lots of follow-up with potential donors.

 It’s important to remember that you are not limited to just one of these. Additionally, there are other ways to fundraise, including applying for grants, starting a student-based enterprise, and more!

Step 3. Organize Effectively

As with any project, it’s important to have a well-thought-out plan to ensure success. You should already have a set fundraising goal. With the end goal in mind, it’s time to create a budget. Your budget should include both your estimated revenue and all expenses you are likely to incur. While it may be obvious, make sure your profit is equal to or greater than your overall goal. If it’s not, you’ll have to find a way to adjust your budget or select a new idea. Then, it’s time to get specific and determine timelines. Break down all of the major and minor details with deadlines to keep your chapter on track.

Step 4. Utilize Teamwork

While you may be leading the charge within your chapter, your efforts as an individual are never as great as those of a team. The following factors are critical to ensure proper teamwork:

• Use the varied expertise of your members to brainstorm new ideas.

• Combine talents and resources to raise more money.

• Define responsibilities and clear expectations to prevent overlap and ensure all members are working toward a common goal.

• Communicate with your team and volunteers for consistent information.

Step 5. Take Action and Follow-through

Finally, it’s time to put your plan into place. Once you’ve launched your fundraising effort, it’s essential to keep up the momentum! To ensure you don’t lose steam, stick to your pre-planned timeline and hold members accountable for their various responsibilities. Practice clear and consistent communication with your team to be sure that everyone is in the loop at all times and remember to provide encouragement along the way.

Just as you communicate with your members, it’s important to follow-up with anyone who contributes to your fundraiser. This can be accomplished through hand-written thank you notes or small tokens of appreciation sent to donors. Building a long-term relationship with donors will set your chapter up for future success.

Step 6. Reflection

While it’s often the most overlooked, this final step is critical to ensure continued success in the future. Not only should you compare your budget to actual profit and expenses, but evaluate the process used. By the time you’re done evaluating your fundraiser, you should already have a giant head start on future fundraising efforts because you’ll be able to get better each time.

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate! Whether you hit your goal or not, you’ll be one step closer to your fundraising goals. Be sure to reward the efforts of your chapter’s members and thank them for any success.

Written by Lucy Etling, Region 4 President