A Crash Course in Sorority and Fraternity Fundraising

Understand the fundraising fundamentals for sororities and fraternities.

Sororities and fraternities are well-known for their philanthropic values and contributions to social welfare. As a sorority or fraternity leader, you must ensure effective fundraising and donor retention strategies.

It might seem daunting to facilitate a fundraiser if you’re new to managing your sorority or fraternity and have never done it before. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. You’ll be set up for success with an understanding of fundraising fundamentals for sororities and fraternities.

Let’s explore how to elevate your philanthropic initiatives to make your chapter stand out and make a difference.

1. Why are fundraising and advocacy important?

As a sister or brotherhood member, you understand the power of collective action and community. Why not rally your chapter to help a worthy cause?

In addition to contributing to the greater good, here are some reasons why you should prioritize philanthropy:

• To fulfill your chapter’s responsibilities: Your national leadership likely has certain philanthropic requirements you must fulfill. Remember to double-check your specific requirements during the planning stage.
• To help your members develop skills and network: Many joined your chapter to learn new talents. Fundraising and advocacy skills are valuable for future charitable involvement after graduation.
• To enrich your members’ lives: Philanthropic activity has significant health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and depression while increasing self-esteem and life expectancy. Therefore, investing in charitable activity is investing in your brothers’ or sisters’ well-being.

If your chapter members have any questions about the implications of fundraising on their experience with your organization, answer them and highlight these advantages. Also, be sure that fundraising fundamentals are covered heavily in leadership training. This will excite your members about your philanthropic activities and jumpstart planning.

2. Who should we target?

Your chapter has the advantage of strength in numbers. You have hundreds of connections among your members who make a great audience for your fundraising initiatives, such as chapter alumni, parents, and other university students.

Leverage these relationships during fundraising campaigns by catering specifically to these stakeholders. Remember to segment your fundraising appeals to each group based on their connection to the chapter. For example, alums might want to pay forward the support they received while in the organization, but parents might want to donate to support their children. These groups have a solid connection to your chapter, so play to their giving motivations.

3. What fundraisers and advocacy events should we try?

You might be familiar with classic fundraising methods such as auctions, galas, and bake sales. If you’re looking for more variety in your fundraising and advocacy arsenal, consider these ideas specifically suited for sororities and fraternities:

• Themed fundraiser event: Every sorority or fraternity has a deep relationship with its primary nonprofit partner. Based on the nonprofit’s focus, plan a themed fundraiser event. For instance, you might host a potluck dinner to support a food bank.
• Peer-to-peer fundraiser: There’s nothing like friendly competition to excite your brothers or sisters about your campaign! Empower your chapter members to start their mini-campaigns and fundraise within their network. Encourage participation by rewarding the top earners with special prizes.
• Branded merchandise fundraiser: Raising money with branded merchandise sales is a natural fit for sororities and fraternities. Greek letters are a big part of your chapter’s identity, making them ideal imagery for your merchandise. Create multiple types of merchandise, such as water bottles, hats, and sweatshirts.
• Webinar with a nonprofit professional: A main part of advocacy is educating donors about your cause. Host an informational webinar featuring nonprofit influencers knowledgeable about your campaign’s focus. Remember to promote your fundraiser throughout the event and link to your online donation page.

While making your fundraising events enjoyable is important, don’t forget to educate your participants about your cause properly. Establishing the context of why your cause matters enhances the urgency of your campaign and motivates donors to tell their connections about it.

4. Where should we fundraise?

Thankfully, you no longer have to rely on in-person fundraising events. New fundraising technology has provided valuable opportunities for engagement and outreach.

Online giving has grown by over 40% over the past three years and shows no signs of slowing down. Accepting online donations is mutually beneficial for you and your donors: it’s convenient, fast, and easily shareable. Plus, there are online fundraising platforms for campaigns of all sizes and needs.

Your most useful tool for collecting online donations is your donation page. When creating your donation page, ensure that it has the following:

• Accessible features for users with disabilities
• Your organization’s branding
• Monthly donation options
• Impact metrics explaining what each donation provides
• Recommended donation amounts
• An embedded payment processor
• Mobile-friendly features

Also, over half of your prospective donors prefer using mobile devices.

The best way to target these prospects is with text-to-give. Your text-to-give provider provides a unique keyword that your donors text to a unique number, receiving a link to your mobile-optimized donation page. Text-to-give is especially popular with Millennials and younger generations, so your audience of chapter members and recent alums will appreciate it.

5. How can we make our fundraisers successful?

A thriving fundraising campaign requires continued attention and action from your leadership team. That can be overwhelming, but some strategies will keep you on track. Consider the following best practices:

• Recruit socially-minded members. As one of your chapter’s core values, keep philanthropy in mind during recruitment. Ask potential members about fundraising to gauge their enthusiasm for and experience with philanthropy.
• Set achievable goals. Work with your team to establish specific, measurable, and realistic objectives for your campaign.
• Educate donors about matching gifts. According to 360 MatchPro, billions in matching gift revenue go unclaimed every year, so remind your donors to leverage their employers’ matching policy.
• Monitor your data. Tracking your analytics is important for understanding what works for future campaigns.
• Host fundraising development sessions. Set your members up for success by teaching them basic fundraising strategies.
• Offer volunteer hours. If your chapter has volunteering requirements, offer service hours for staffing your fundraising events.

Essentially, your fundraisers must be a group effort to succeed. So, don’t forget to enlist interested chapter members to be in charge of each of the following objectives to alleviate the burden off of the leadership team.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know the essentials, it’s time to mobilize your chapter. But make sure you have the right software tools to boost your efficiency and bandwidth. According to OmegaFi, sorority, and fraternity software can streamline your fundraising efforts by organizing your brothers and sisters for your cause.

For instance, you might use a centralized messaging feature to keep members in the loop about the campaign. The proper tools, fundraising tactics, and philanthropic values will ultimately guide you to the right audience.

Guest Author Bio

Mathew Tooker is an expert in sales forecasting, analytics, goal-setting, client growth, and business development. With experience serving the Greek life community, nonprofits, and other member-based associations, Mathew is dedicated to providing tremendous value to his clients.

When he’s not moving organizations forward, you can find him on the golf course, spending time with his two dogs, Reagan and Teddy, running marathons, and watching the Atlanta Braves. He’s also a graduate of Auburn University and a part-time MBA student at Florida State University.