Student Projects
Students, Service Clubs and Schools - key allies in the fight against hunger …
Students throughout Canada have played vital roles in organizing school- and community-wide activities geared to raising money and awareness to fight African hunger.
Students collaborating with CADRA enjoy an educational and fulfilling experience that often lasts beyond the event they help organize. Relationships with CADRA allow for rewarding experiences in volunteering, working as a team, and leadership.
Successful Fundraising Ideas
CADRA has only stepped up it's efforts to increase it's involvement with schools across the country. Your school's efforts will only be multiplied as part of a wider national effort addressing the need for greater awareness and resources in the fight against hunger in Africa.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
- Coin Collection
- Run, Walk, Read or Dance Against Hunger
- Other Fund Raising Ideas
- Things To Keep In Mind
Saving Lives, Literally
Everyday, hundreds of children die as a result of poverty. CADRA programs do save lives, but we often lack the funding to expand or maintain them.
You can start to reverse that trend today by registering with CADRA and organizing a school fundraiser. It's simple and educational, and raising funds for Canadian Aid to Africa is unique - 91% of funds raised for CADRA go directly to our programs in Africa.
- Register your school today - Contact Us
- Participating schools will be acknowledged on CADRA's web site and in our bimonthly e-newsletter.
- Participating schools receive a CADRA Award Certificate
Coin Collection Drives
Coin Collection Drives allow students and communities to collect coins and bills towards a fundraising goal. Using colourful jars, classes often compete with each other to raise the most funds.
Elements of the Coin Drive:
- Each class designs beautiful and colourful jars
- Put jars in high traffic areas
- Choose amount to be raised and timeline for example, "we will help 10 malnourished children each semester."
- Encourage bills as well as coins
- Make good PR for your event with posters, brochures, flyers, and the PA system
- Select an official to keep accurate records
- Hold competition between classes
- Give rewards to those that raise the most
- Make it fun and educational, for example, choose a specific African country to help, learn about the country and create a map on the gym floor - fill the whole country with coins
Run, Walk, Read, or Dance Against Hunger
Organize a pledge-based event to solicit donations:
- Pledge based events are great because they give people the option of giving as much as they are comfortable with while seeing that students are committed to the issues for which they are raising money
- The more students run, walk, read, dance - the more funds they raise.
- Select the unit for the pledge - each 100 metres, book, 15 minutes danced
- Create sponsor sheets with room for names, addresses, unit and donation amounts
- Use publicity and word-of-mouth to get as many people to sign the sponsor sheets as possible
- Organize a time, place, and day to hold the event
Other Fundraising Ideas
We encourage students to research other fundraising ideas on the Internet. Check out the following site for more information:
Things to Keep in Mind …
For all fundraising events you need to be well managed and organized. The following are the most important aspects of a successful fundraiser:
Publicity
- Posters! Huge, colourful posters that are hung up around school are an eye-catching
- Flyers posted in bathrooms and classrooms are very effective.
- PA system announcements so that the whole school can hear about your program.
- An article in your school newspaper or magazine.
way to broadcast the event.
Press Coverage
Local press coverage helps to raise awareness and increase involvement in your fundraiser.
Goal Setting
Decide what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it. When feasible set the amount that you want to raise and quantify what you want to do with that amount, for example how many children can be immunized in a village.
Timeline
Fundraisers that take place in a set period of time help to keep students and teachers interested and active. Select a fundraiser that is best suited for your school and community.
Set up a meeting with the people that are helping you run the event.
Select Coordinators
A core group of about 6 main organizers makes for a very effective team for most fundraisers:
- Main coordinator - keeps track of what every other coordinator is doing, makes a timeline and hands out work to each coordinator to accomplish.
- Media and Publicity coordinator - head of publicizing the event throughout the school and in the community.
- Paperwork coordinator - compiles the list of participants, plans the registration process, and keeps track of all forms such as donor forms, permission slips and sponsorship forms that are turned in.
Some events require:
- Food coordinator - head of soliciting food donations
- Drink coordinator - head of soliciting drink donations
- Activities coordinator - head of planning events
Donation Recognition
Accurate records are needed for you and CADRA in order to give appropriate recognition and thanks to donors. CADRA will send a note personally to all donors. Please record all information on the donor sheet. The donor sheet is also a good way to recognize those who raise the most funds. Those students and individuals should receive a small token that makes them stand out. Paper crowns or medals are small items that are inexpensive but fun in honouring those that worked hard. Please also send thank you notes to all our supporters.
Donations to CADRA
Once all funds have been collected please send all cheques to:
Canada-Africa Development and Relief Agency
372 Rideau Street
Suite 216
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G7
