Fundraising Module

Raising money for a worthy cause seem like a difficult and time consuming job, but it doesn’t have to be. This module (Word, 44KB) was developed by AMA members who have been successful in fundraising thousands of dollars for worthwhile charities. The many projects are divided by the type of fundraising technique and includes an approximate time commitment. Like with everything affiliated with your university, your chapter should run its fundraising plan by your dean’s office. Your chapter can apply for an AMA Chapter Involvement Grant to cover the costs associated with planning a fundraiser. The keys to a successful fundraiser are advertising and collaborating with other groups (think colleges of dentistry, nursing, undergrad organizations, etc).

Please let us know if your chapter raises money for the tsunami relief efforts by contacting the International Health and Policy Committee. We would like to feature chapters that raise funds for tsunami victims on their Web site.

Types of Fundraising Techniques:

• Letter Writing
• Canning
• Collaborating with Businesses
• Auctions/Raffles
• Group Activities
• Large Events/Projects

Letter Writing:
approximate time commitment: 5 hrs
Use a form letter (Word, 25KB), print it on your school’s AMA-MSS letterhead, and send it with a stamped/addressed return envelope to various groups. A good group to target are physicians and faculty members with offices at your school. Most schools allow for inner-university mailings to be postage free; therefore, you won’t have to invest stamps in mailing the letters or return envelopes. Contact your state and county medical societies to see if they will send the letter to their members. (skip to end of module)

Canning:
approximate time commitment: 8 hrs
Canning can involve a number of things, all of which revolve around labeling a clean container and using it to collect money. You can collect money by:

• placing cans in businesses
  • get creative, these can be physician’s offices, restaurants, gas stations, etc
  • call the businesses ahead of time and speak with the manager, and bring a letter (Word, 25KB) with the can
• standing in front of businesses with cans
  • like with placing cans in businesses, you can be creative and make sure you call ahead and speak with the manager
  • offer information about the cause
  • believe it, this works, you can raise $100/hr at grocery stores--the girl scouts and school bands know what they’re doing

(skip to end of module)

Collaborating with Businesses:
approximate time commitment: 15 hrs
Lots of businesses are charitable, not just for a worthy cause, but also for tax purposes, so don’t be afraid to approach them. Here’s where you can get very creative. Some options include:

• Club Benefit Night
  • contact a popular club or bar and ask them if they would be willing to donate a portion of their cover or drink sales for an evening to tsunami relief, and again, make sure to send them a letter (Word, 25KB) explaining your efforts
  • this is particularly good to do with a bar/club on one of their “off” nights or if they don’t usually charge a cover
  • the key will be advertising the benefit night, give your chapter at least two weeks to get out the word not just in your college but throughout campus; make sure you contact your college newspaper/radio stations and the Asian culture organizations
• Restaurant Benefit Night
  • this is the same concept as the club benefit night, but of course asking a restaurant to donate a portion of their sales to a charitable cause
  • some restaurants will even allow your chapter’s members to pair up with a server so that you can describe the charity to the different tables and hopefully receive charitable tips
  • some national chains that have these type of programs include Red Lobster and Dominoes Pizza and again the key will be publicity, publicity, and publicity

(skip to end of module)

Auctions/Raffles:
approximate time commitment: 10 hrs
This is pretty simple, either way you choose to go. First, you’ll need to solicit donations from local businesses. Call ahead to save time and always offer to send or bring a formal letter (Word, 25KB) . You can ask a variety of businesses for donations ranging from restaurants to automotive repair shops, even the Gap. Don’t be afraid to think big, like calling spas for donations of gift certificates for spa days or checking with a travel agency for a vacation package donation; always remember businesses want to give to worthy causes. In order to maximize your fundraising, the best bet is to go with an auction; however, particularly for bigger ticket items, a raffle can be better. You’ll have to make this decision for yourself. Also, don’t forget to call the local MCAT preparation centers and ask for donations of gift certificates; then, tell the pre-med clubs at your schools and auction off the certificates. (skip to end of module)

Group Activities:
approximate time commitment: 5 hrs
Some of these suggestions may be things you did to raise money in high school, but they work:

• Car wash
• Bake sale (ask a local bakery to donate the goods)
• Pizza sale (national chains are always eager to donate)
• Selling concessions at sporting events

(skip to end of module)

Large Events/Projects:
approximate time commitment: depends on what you choose to do
If your chapter decides to make a commitment to raise a large amount of money for the tsunami relief effort, then you’ll want to do one of these activities:

• Medical Pin
  • Design a pin that healthcare workers at your school would want to wear (an example would be a pin that depicts your school’s mascot in medical gear)
  • Sell the pin to faculty, students, and alumni
  • If you do a Google search, there are hundreds of custom pin design companies to work with, many of which charge less than $1/pin for lots of 300 or more. If the pins then sell for just $5, you’ll make a huge profit.
• 5K Run
  • Its easiest to do this on your university’s property because there’s a lot of paperwork to do if its on city property
  • Contact the office of student activities of your college to find out what the paperwork requirements are
  • Solicit refreshment donations from local businesses
  • Consider designing a t-shirt for the event that registered runners will receive for free. You can sell advertising space on the shirt to local businesses as well as put the logos of the businesses who donate gifts in kind.
  • Make sure to advertise your event at least a month in advance. Contact the local run clubs and utilize the undergraduate organizations on campus.
  • These steps can be modified for other sporting events like flag football, golf, and basketball.
• College of Medicine Merchandise
  • Start by deciding what type of merchandise your chapter will sell. Go the regular route by designing a t-shirt or you can get more creative by making a messenger bag or mugs.
  • Do a Google search to find an online dealer or work with a local business.

Conclusion:
Thank you for taking the first step towards helping those devastated by the tsunamis in Southeast Asia. Remember that people want to help, make sure they know why you’re raising money. For more fundraising ideas/tips, please visit YouthNoise.