Our Coin Drive

Our very first fundraiser was a coin drive, organized in collaboration with our school's Social Justice Club.We dreamed of a successful fundraiser, that would raise thousands of dollars and inspire change among the student body. Though our fundraiser raised a lot of money with our combined efforts, many problems arose along the way.

1.The reward

To encourage the participation of the student body, we offered a reward of discounted tickets to school events. A genius idea... that required approval from the school's student council. After lots of negotiation we managed to convince the council that we'd pay the discount using a portion of funds.

What to take away?

Know what your goal is, what your target audience's goal is and what your sponsor' goal is. That way, you can reach ultimate satisfaction between all parties.

2. The time frame

Organizing an event in a short time is a challenge, especially when you're planning it in accordance of a school event. We planned the entire coin drive in Friday + a weekend. Remember, to plan an event, you need approval from your school, promotion, printed flyers, announcements, rewards and a schedule for all the roles needed on that day. Luckily, our partnership with social justice club came in handy for just that. Numerous students joined together with a goal of pulling off the fundraiser in such a short time.

What to take away?

Partners and friends make a fundraiser go around. A team is one of the most important aspects of any event so make sure that they know it! Remember, there is also no need to rush. Give yourself plenty of planning time before the actual event.

3. The Snowday

The first day of our fundraiser, school was cancelled because of a snow day. With that one day eliminated, most students forgot to bring in change the next day. Our deposits were a lot less than they could have been. Nonetheless, teachers and students alike donated and the next day, though our fundraiser was officially over, many teachers brought in change that their students had collected.

What to take away?

Take it from Murphy and his laws: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." To avoid being caught by surprise, think ahead and ensure that you always have a backup plan. Stop the disappointment before it happens and remember nothing ever goes according to plan.

In the end, we fundraiser more than $200 in day (sort of) for the Rohingya Refugee Crisis. We had a lot of fun and learned much more. You can easily start your own fundraiser, event or even volunteer and enjoy the same rewards and more!

way