College fundraising ideas must be able to attract attention. This is how a college fundraiser succeeds — by catching the interest of the students. But this is easier said than done, especially if the main market or audience of the fundraiser is the students themselves. Students are always preoccupied, and trying to snatch a moment of their time is very difficult. Hence, college fundraisers must appeal to their concerns and their interests.

College fundraising activities must be able to give something back to the students so they will be enticed to participate and, in turn, donate a portion of their valuable money. But what type of college fundraising ideas appeal or interest the students? According to various resources on fundraising, as well as the past experiences of the schools, the plan for university fundraisers must be youthful and innovative. Here are some college fundraising ideas which can definitely attention of the school population.

Date Auction – An Exciting and Popular Idea

One of the most common ideas for a college fundraiser is the date auction. While commonly used, this idea rarely fails because to appeals to the student population without fail and, most importantly, it does not require a substantial amount of funds to organize.

The idea here is to auction dates with popular campus figures — team captain of popular sports team, the president of the student council, or whoever is popular among the student populace. The organizers should ask local restaurants, cafes, and theaters for gift certificates or sponsorship for a few free dinners and movie tickets, then talk to the students they are planning to “auction.” The college fundraiser marketing committee should be able to work out a deal with these establishments and students. The auction should be done in a public area within the university.

The key to success here to choosing the right students to be “auctioned,” although the dinners and activities that come with the date is also an important consideration. This works because using popular student personalities in itself is already a huge promotion tool. Of course, it works if the organizers of the college fundraiser the activity properly as well.

Athletic Auctions – More Practical But Just as Profitable

If the date auction does not sit well with the organizers — for example, if they are not able to find willing students – the athletic auction is a great alternative. This college fundraising idea uses the appeal of the school's sports teams, which are always popular among the student population. The organizers in cooperation with the sports team of their liking, of course, can sell or auction out various athletic memorabilia such as jerseys, team uniforms, posters, and prime seats during the game season for the auction winners.

Of course, college fundraising ideas are not limited to these. There are several ways to collect the needed funds for organizations and causes. These are just some of the more popular ideas that schools have been using ever since. In essence, any college fundraising idea that is remotely interesting can work as long as the organizers are sincere with their intention to collect funds for noble and worthy causes.