By Brandon Nguyen
With the holiday season approaching, now is the prime time for Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) clubs to start brainstorming fundraising ideas to raise money. While every club may use these funds for different things, clubs always need to think about fundraising to host events and prepare for the upcoming year. As the pandemic dwindles and in-person interaction gradually returns to normal, here are some fundraising ideas to help your club raise money.
First, the Associated Student Body (ASB) has different fundraising rules for Curricular and Equal Access Group (EAG) clubs. Curricular clubs can fundraise on school campuses solely for the club’s benefit and can participate in school-sponsored fundraising activities. They can hold a fundraising account with ASB and a big advantage is they have access to their club fundraiser to be promoted by the Public Announcement System. On the other hand, EAG Clubs are not allowed to have a fundraising account in the ASB office and are not allowed to fundraise on school campuses. They also may not participate in school-sponsored fundraising activities except at culture fairs.
Pair with a local business
This is one of the most popular and easiest ways for both Curricular and EAG clubs to fundraise. Many local businesses, especially restaurants, are willing to pair with clubs by splitting the profit. Clubs can go to the business and ask for a partnership and within a certain time period, club members and regular folks can mention a particular club and the profits get split between the club and the business.
Both sides benefit here as clubs promote business which drives consumers and the clubs get a portion of the profit and food. Popular spots are Ding Tea by Magnolia Street which is within walking distance of FVHS and provides an assortment of boba drinks, juices, lattes, slushies, popcorn chicken and more.
17150 Brookhurst St. Plaza hosts Habit, Wingstop, Taste Tea, Blaze Pizza and Chipotle giving the club a host of partners to work with. While this plaza is farther than Ding Tea, the wildly popular and willing businesses that would pair with students.Oftentimes, businesses will require clubs for customers to mention the club or bring a flier to make it count. Students can stand outside businesses and pass out flyers or spread the word to customers who are already going to the business anyways which can help increase the fundraising amount.
A downside is that clubs typically don’t get as much money for fundraising since a portion of the profits is shared with the business. It may also be difficult to drive enough club members to spend their money on food or a particular business to make the effort worthwhile.
Sell home-made food
This is another easy, but more time-consuming way for clubs to fundraise money. Only Curricular Clubs can sell this food on campus, so EAG clubs would have to sell the homemade food somewhere else. However, this is usually feasible when properly incentivized with volunteer hours or a point system the club may have and enough members show up to help with making homemade food. Many clubs have bake sales, sell drinks and make delicious ethnic foods for a lower cost than many businesses.
This is especially useful as clubs can make these food items at an affordable price and bring the goods directly to the consumer. Many students are willing to fork over $1 or $2 for a delicious treat which can accumulate over time. Furthermore, this is relatively cost-efficient as the homemade ingredients are usually sold at a significantly marked-up price. This is usually accompanied by posters, advertising and more which drums up enthusiasm as many students are willing to help their fellow peers. Many successful selling food items have been spam musubi, cookies, boba, tacos and more.
Car Washes
Car washes are a great way to bond with your club and have fun splashing with water. Both Curricular and EAG can have car fundraiser events that they will have to find throughout the local community. Fundraisers are often time-consuming and can be laborious under the sun, but can often turn out hugely profitable. Clubs will have to bring the proper equipment unless it is provided by the vendor and need proper training. Furthermore, there needs to be a decent number of club members who are willing to go to make sure the car wash is timely.
Oftentimes, car washes are hugely profitable because adults are willing to give large tips and pay extra money to high school students when they see what is being pursued. This is especially great on sunny days as cars are more likely to get a car wash when the temperature is warm. One of the challenging things is to convince people to get their cars washed by students which can be done by holding posters on the side of the street and working with an accredited vendor.
Fundraising Tips and Tricks
Whatever avenue clubs decide to go in to fundraise, there are always helpful guidelines that can help a club. The biggest tip is to constantly advertise in the lead-up to the fundraiser. Curricular clubs can use the school’s public announcements to advertise their club. Both Curricular and EAG clubs can print black and white flyers and post them in classrooms which many teachers are willing to allow.
Another tip is to be proactive during fundraising. It is especially useful to have a table with colorful posters and the item being sold attractively. Some members of the club should be in front of the table trying to persuade people to check out what product is being sold.
Lastly, as the holiday season approaches, there is endless opportunity for Halloween, Christmas and more holiday-themed activities and gifts to sell. Fundraising does not have to be an intimidating task and with the proper preparation and ideas, it can turn into a great club bonding opportunity.
