Student Organizations can raise funds in a number of ways. You are encouraged to look into funding sources both inside the University and out.
Registered student organizations can utilize membership dues, fundraising initiatives and funding grants to support the costs of organization events and activities. It is important that the organization adhere to Campus, City, State and Federal laws and policies regarding the collection of revenue.
Use of University facilities or grounds for fundraising must be the Office of Student Engagement.
Requests for approval must be submitted online. The Fundraising Request Form can be found here and on the RSO Registration page.
Fundraising as it pertains to student organizations is defined as any on-campus exchange of goods. This includes, but is not limited to bake sales, book drives, ticket sales, canned food drives, clothing drives, and similar activities. If you would like to pursue outside sources of funding, please talk with your RSO advisor before you approach any prospective donors. We will work with you to secure approval to contact your potential donors and to ensure that you have the greatest chance of success.
General Fundraising Considerations
- Define the organization’s goals. What does the organization want to accomplish this year?
- Develop the financial plans based on the organization’s goals.
- Map out methods to reach financial goals.
Fundraising Activities Conducted by Nonprofit Entities
Planning Tips
- Plan ahead – planning ahead will allow more options to be available. The choice of facilities, funding sources, speakers and entertainers will be more diverse.
- Learn from past experiences. What fundraisers have been most successful for the organization?
- Identify the constituency and target the audience. Who are the people most likely to support the activity?
- Evaluate the fundraiser. Write down the keys to the successes and keep records of everything. Organizations can pass the victories and failures on to future members and save them some time. When planning events and activities, new members will benefit from the legwork.
- Always thank contributors. Whether it is thanking an audience with a few words acknowledging the support of a contributor or send someone a note, it will be invaluable in the future. It is also a common courtesy.
Fundraising Activities That You Can Do On Your Own
- Sell program ads or ask local businesses for less than $500.
- Ask local businesses to make in-kind donations (food, supplies, etc.).
*Online sales??? third-party systems for eCommerce. This means you cannot collect funds through sites like Paypal, Venmo, Eventbrite, or Kickstarter, nor can you utilize any credit card transaction apps like Square
Contact your RSO advisor for advice on how to approach the companies.
Offer local businesses public recognition in exchange for their donation. Companies are more likely to make a gift if they receive recognition on posters, in programs, etc.
We strongly urge you to send thank you letters to the businesses that provide support to you. A thank you letter can go a long way to encourage businesses to donate in the future.
Fundraising Activities That Require University Approval
A few groups may also want to spend more time and effort to:
- Contact your group's alumni, friends, and parents and ask them for support.
- Ask a company for sponsorship over $500.
- Apply for grants from foundations.
These activities require explicit approval, and may take considerable time to arrange.
Your RSO advisor can help you with these fundraising efforts. Working closely with the University's Development Office, Alumni Association, the University, and the Office of Student Engagement your advisor can:
- Meet with you to discuss your fundraising goals and possible sources of donations.
- Identify opportunities for Alumni outreach.
- Coordinate required approvals processes to reach out to possible donors.
- Connect your group to resource guides which list foundational and corporate funding sources and provide information on the types of projects they fund with sample letters and proposals.
- Ensure that gifts to your organization are processed correctly so that the donor receives an ASU receipt for tax purposes.
Gambling/Gaming Policy
Gambling is illegal in the State of Georgia; these methods of raising money bring up serious legal issues. Events that violate state law may result in significant ramifications (e.g. student judicial procedures under the Student Code of Conduct, loss of University facility reservation privileges, arrest and/or monetary fines). The information below that will assist the organization with planning for successful and legal events.
The legal definition of gambling in Georgia has three components:
- Consideration- exchanging something of value for a chance to win (for example, paying/donating money in exchange for poker chips or a raffle ticket)
- Chance- taking a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome (for example, betting chips in a poker game)
- Prize- something of value received as a result of winning (even, for example, designating the charity to which donations will be given is considered a prize).
Take away any one of the above-listed three components and the activity does not constitute illegal gambling.
Casino Nights & Poker Tournaments
The nature of poker and other casino games makes it impossible to take away the element of chance. As such, groups wanting to hold legal poker/casino nights are left with removing either the element of consideration or prize. Since the prize is generally what makes potential participants want to participate, this element is probably not a practical one to remove. Therefore, the element of consideration is the one that can most realistically be removed while still allowing for a fun and successful fundraising event. To be more specific, the requirement of a “buy-in” amount in this case would not be allowed. A suggested donation may be requested but not required. Anyone wanting to play must be allowed to fully participate and the requested donation may not be “suggested” so strongly as to effectively comprise a requirement.
Raffles
In the case of raffles, there may be an exception to the prohibition against them as illegal gambling in Georgia in certain circumstances. RSOs would be responsible for seeking this inforomation from the local sheriff Department.