Compiled by two ex-Chapter Presidents-turned-MEDLIFE staff. Emma from New York and Sophia from London. This list of student fundraiser ideas is guaranteed to earn you the big bucks or pounds! With our Moving Mountains campaign in full swing, we decided to put our linguistic differences aside for the good of the Movement. We give you 15 student fundraiser ideas that work on both sides of the pond!
1. Power Hour
We borrowed this idea from the amazing Indiana University Chapter. Check out their MED Week Fundraiser here! Get your Chapter or Society to dedicate one intense hour to calling anyone and everyone they can think of to try to raise as much money as possible.
Set up as if you were a trading floor, and play upbeat music. Get someone to emcee the hour to create an electric atmosphere. Indiana had a screen with everyone’s fundraising totals to get members competing for the most donations!
2. Water Pong Tournament
Encourage your Chapter or Society members to partake in some friendly competition. Stay hydrated with a water pong tournament. Set up a bracket and have teams pay to enter. The winning team receives a prize of your choice. Get creative! You know your universities better than we do!
3. Puppy Kissing Booth
Enlist the help of your furry friends. Set up a kissing booth in a public area of your university. Charge students to get some puppy love and destress from a hectic week!
4. Sports Tournament
Use your student fundraiser to get competitive! Take advantage of your University’s sports facilities to organize a tournament of your choice. This can be a standard 5-a-side football tournament. Go for the full Dodgeball-esque experience.
Get people to enter their teams. Each team pays a fee to enter! Organize a prize for the champions and a participation prize for the teams who actually believe that it’s just the taking part that counts, also known as Losers.
5. Gaming for Good
Hold a gaming night at your university where students can enter to play their favourite (go UK) video games for charity. Whether you do it in the form of a 24-hour marathon or a tournament is completely up to you. This is a great way to get more people involved in your fundraising!
6. Casino Royale
Host a Casino themed night. Either a whole night of black-tie in true Daniel Craig style or a simple poker tournament where a portion or all of the winnings go to MEDLIFE.
7. Dine & Donate
Partner with a local restaurant for a delicious fundraiser! Encourage your students and their friends to eat at your chosen restaurant. Collect a portion of the profit. Eating good food for charity. Where do we sign up?
8. 5K Fun Run
A little less creative student fundraiser idea but a tried and tested way to raise some money! Consider doing it as a Chapter for force in numbers. Encourage more members to get involved! Use your My Movement campaign page to receive donations from friends and family.
9. Krispy Kreme Sale
Krispy Kreme sells glazed donuts at a special price for fundraisers! Pre-order your donuts. Work out how much profit you want to make per donut. Start selling on campus! Students cramming for deadlines love donuts, especially if the proceeds go to charity.
10. Pub Quiz
Get your students to come down to a local bar or diner for a night of trivia! Students pay to enter in teams and answer the rounds of questions you set. Make sure you have a charismatic quiz master to keep teams engaged. Coordinate with the pub to see if they offer the winning team a free round of drinks!
11. Late Night Food Stand Delivery
Post-night-out food is a given, whichever continent you may be on. Set up a stand or offer delivery to students to satisfy those late-night cravings! Pizza, chips, and grilled cheese all work well!
12. Spin-a-Thon
Get your sweat on in a spin-a-thon! Ask your University gym to donate some spin bikes for the day so that teams can take on a Tour-de-MEDLIFE. Doing it in a public place on campus draws more attention. People can donate on their way to class!
13. Raffles
Ask local businesses to donate a prize for your raffle, charge $1/£1 for a ticket. Winners receive a prize. Make sure you vary the items so you have a range of smaller and larger prizes!
14. Charity Fashion Show
Raise some money, but make it fashionable by hosting a charity fashion show at your university! Charge an entrance fee. Enlist the help of different cultural student organizations interested in showcasing traditional clothing.
Introduce fun categories to really get the party started. Regardless of the type of fashion, this is both a great way to raise money and an opportunity to interact and recruit students from all over campus.
15. Late Night Shuttle Service
Fill your tank with gas or petrol and crank the tunes. It’s time to be the best-designated driver your university has ever seen. Offer rides to and from parties or bars for your friends.
Charge them a fee for your generosity. For an extra fee, maybe you can even stop at the drive-thru to satisfy those late-night cravings.
We hope this compilation of student fundraiser ideas is useful and helps you put the FUN into fundraising! Remember that you have an entire Movement of world-changers here to support you. As always, please share your events with MEDLIFE (@medlifemovement). We can brag about all the good stuff our Chapters and Societies do. Every fundraiser makes a difference no matter how big or small!
Inspired to Make a Difference?
Reading through these fantastic student fundraiser ideas probably has you buzzing with excitement and ready to make a change. You’ve seen how creativity can bridge two continents, inspire action, and drive meaningful change. Now, it’s your turn!
Don’t just stand by the sidelines, watching as other passionate individuals work towards building a brighter future. Be a part of that change! If you’re eager to be part of something bigger than yourself, to truly make an impact in communities around the world, then MEDLIFE beckons you.
🌍 Start or Join a MEDLIFE Chapter Today! 🌍
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