Fundraising Ideas

We've assembled some fundraising ideas that you can consider whether raising for an alternative break trip or other service project.

Any fundraising done on the Cal Lutheran campus must be approved by the Community Service Center three weeks prior to beginning any activities to ensure you are following procedure and have a green light with the University! Please include all final copies of any print materials to get approval.

1. Door-to-Door
   Go door-to-door to the Cal Lutheran community and ask for donations for your cause or trip
   • Do your homework and be able to talk about why you are raising money, they will ask questions
   • Bring a handout with basic information about your trip, include costs, location, CSC contacts, CLU log (if applicable), your phone # and email, and have a tax ID # if needed
   • Emphasize that whatever they can give will be beneficial, every little bit helps
   • Dress nicely, smile, and be polite
   • Don’t be discouraged, be prepared for rejection because some people will not respond well, no matter how prepared you are
   • Send thank you cards
2. Church Sponsorship
   Ask local churches or your home church for donations
   • Send pictures/powerpoint or go in person and tell the congregation about the trip or event
   • Send a thank you to the church with pictures from you trip or event
3. Car Wash
   Organize a car wash or go door-to-door and ask if people would like their cars washed
   • Consider selling homemade snacks or refreshments
   • **On-campus car washes are not permitted per the student handbook
4. Bake Sale
   • Set up a stand or sell the items door-to-door
   • Be creative with what you are selling, anything that will make what you are selling stand out will be advantageous (ex. Cookies in the shape of the country to which you will be going, cupcakes with a design related to what you will be doing)
5. Airport Ride Share
   Set up a ride service to the airport during finals week
   • Charge a fee for each person, enough to make a profit for your fundraiser and to cover gas costs (consider offering a discount if they get 2 or more people at the same time)
   • Encourage riders to make a donation if they can
6. Bell Ringing
   Set up a bucket outside of a supermarket or mall
   • It is very important to ALWAYS get permission from the store(s)
   • Don’t block entrances or pester people
   • Be pleasant and conversational
   • Make signs and or handouts about the cause
7. Direct Soliciation
   Send out letters to family, friends, and businesses
   • Explain what you are doing and ask for their support
   • Keep the letter to 1 page
   • If the letter recipient is someone you know well, add a personal note
   • Send out a lot of letters, the more you send out, the more will be likely to get a response
   • For alternative break trips, the Community Service Center and Campus Ministries have developed a fundraising letter that you are welcome to copy and distribute along with your personalized version. Check your trip page for information.
8. Christmas Tree Pick-ups
   • You will need a pick-up truck
   • Could charge $5-15 per tree
   • Send out a letter beforehand and ask people to sign up for a tree pick-up day
   • Check with the city to know where to drop-off trees
9. Textbook Buy Back
   • Sell your old, unwanted textbooks and use the cash for your trip