Fundraiser ideas?

[HopefulInterest]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Well, my dictionary says fund-raising is "the act or process of raising funds, as for nonprofit organizations or for a political cause." Regardless of what your dictionary says, I suspect others are correct that the vast majority of people would not think of making money to pay for your orientation fee as "fund-raising"; they'd just think of it as you earning money.

You say that you're required to do this by the sorority. If that's the case, then that's the case. Just know that the responses you've gotten are based on the complete foreignness of that idea to others here. Given that the idea is so foreign to just about everyone here, your best bet is to go with ideas the recruitment chair or others in the sorority might have.

I gave not one, but two definitions. Neither says it has to be for nonprofit organizations or a political cause. While that may be the traditional meaning of the word, I personally believe that any activity that is done to raise money for anything is fundraising. You guys have never heard of holding a fundraiser so a Girl Scout troop can do X, Y or Z? (As in, you've never heard of selling Girl Scout cookies)?? Or what about cheerleaders who hold a car wash to support getting new uniforms? That's not a fundraiser?? I guess I live in a different world than you do.

Originally Posted by justgo_withit

^^makes me think the point of these activities is not to raise any sort of impressive amount of money, but to demonstrate organization/planning skills. It very well be that her group is fine with her keeping the money instead of donating it to charity, that's their prerogative. Can any NMGC GCers weigh in? I think us NPC ladies are a bit confused by this, it's kind of a foreign concept.

ETA: Ah, MC beat me to it (and put what I was thinking a bit more succinctly)

Exactly. The point is to demonstrate organizational/planning skills and to be able to execute something you plan. There is no amount of money I need to raise (so if I only got $1 from collecting cans, that would be okay).

Originally Posted by 33girl

If your organization-to-be is honestly telling you to hold an event that is open to the public and call it a fundraiser and keep all the money for yourself to subsequently give to THEM, you are pledging one shady ass organization.

It's not shady. It's a NMGC org. Perfectly legit.

And they aren't telling me to hold an event that's open to the public, it's just an idea.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

I gave not one, but two definitions. Neither says it has to be for nonprofit organizations or a political cause. While that may be the traditional meaning of the word, I personally believe that any activity that is done to raise money for anything is fundraising. You guys have never heard of holding a fundraiser so a Girl Scout troop can do X, Y or Z? (As in, you've never heard of selling Girl Scout cookies)?? Or what about cheerleaders who hold a car wash to support getting new uniforms? That's not a fundraiser?? I guess I live in a different world than you

I'd really let this go. You're in college, so I assume you understand that words have denotations -- dictionary meanings -- and connotations -- what people associate with them. What you personally believe about what constitutes fund-raising is irrelevant to what the vast majority of people consider fund-raising.

Girl Scouts and cheerleaders are not apt comparisons; they are raising money for the group, not for themselves individually. People who support them are supporting the group as a whole. They don't think they're giving money to the individual members. You on the other hand and based on what you have said, are raising money to pay for your own personal obligations, not support the sorority or any other group. It's reasonable to expect that to raise some eyebrows.

Again, if it's what the practice in the sorority is, then that's what it is.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by HopefulInterest

It's not shady. It's a NMGC org. Perfectly legit.

And they aren't telling me to hold an event that's open to the public, it's just an idea.

Probably because they assumed you would be bright enough not to do something so foolish as hold a public fundraiser with all of the money going into your wallet and then into their coffers. Just out of curiousity, say you raise more than you need. What are you going to do with it?

Anytime I go to a - to use one of your examples - car wash that the cheerleaders are holding to raise money for new uniforms, they are holding big honking signs that say "Benefits Peyton Place High School Cheerleaders." Are you going to have a big sign that says "Benefits HopefulInterest"?