All of the Divine Nine sororities pump out so much goodness into the world. We are out here fighting for social justice, supporting and encouraging education, mentoring youth, empowering and educating community members, and so much more.
While some of the goodness we provide can be given out for free, a lot of the services can’t. To gift scholarships to young aspiring students, we need the funds to begin with. To help teach fitness and nutrition classes, we need a venue to hold participants. To attend rallies and marches, we need to buy posters.
The author Zig Ziglar said that in life, money isn’t the most important thing, but it’s right up there with oxygen. And so it is with philanthropy. To be in a position to give so much, we have to bring in funds, too.
Fortunately, fundraising doesn’t have to be boring. Here are nine ideas that put the “fun” in fundraising for your Divine Nine Sorority.
1. Host a jazz brunch.
A popular fundraising choice among Divine Nine sororities is a jazz brunch. This event offers smooth jazz music and decadent cuisine while members and guests fellowship with one another. Your chapter can sell tickets to and procure sponsors for this upscale event.
2. Organize a silent auction.
Items may be donated by individuals or organizations. Individuals can take a look at everything and place bids on different pieces. At the end of a predetermined amount of time, whoever is the highest bidder walks away with the item. All proceeds will go to the sorority.
3. Set up a fashion show.
Partner with a local fashion chain to show off some of their newest styles. Some may have models to show off their garb; others may want chapter members to take the stage. After the fashion show, attendees can see the items on display and purchase their favorites.
4. Hold a bake sale.
Grab your aprons, ladies. If everyone donates baked goods to a bake sale, the money from the transactions can be pure profit. Hold a friendly competition amongst yourselves to see whose goods sell the fastest.
5. Organize a raffle.
Like a silent auction, items (or even just one large item) can be donated by individuals or businesses. You can sell tickets and select one lucky ticket at random for the grand prize.
6. Host a dinner dance.
Like the jazz brunch, a dinner dance makes its profit off of ticket sales. With a mouth-watering menu and a promise of good tunes and good times to follow, dinner dances are always a favorite.
7. Set up a scholarship luncheon.
Sell tickets to a luncheon that honors the recipients of your scholarship funds. You will be able to highlight the good the recipients are doing while raising money for next year’s scholarship winners.
8. Sell swag.
Find something you can mass-produce, such as t-shirts or etched tumblers, and sell it. Come up with some fun AKA, SGRho, ZPB, or DST gifts. You can set up physical stands to sell items, or you can utilize the internet to reach customers instead. Utilizing the internet will allow you to reach more people, and your sorors can all share the sale, but you will need to factor shipping into your bottom line.
9. Hold a car wash.
For the cost of some soap and water, the ladies in your chapter can put in some elbow grease to raise some funds. If everyone chips in, the work can be quick and fun. Pair up with another organization to offer interior detailing and help both of your organizations bring in more cars to wash.
Some of these fundraising ideas can even be combined to earn more with fewer events. For example, try holding a silent auction at a jazz brunch or selling raffle tickets at a dinner dance. You can also have a “Sweets and Swag” fundraiser, selling baked goods alongside Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta, or Delta Sigma Theta nalia to attract a broader audience for your sale.
Coordinating large brunches, luncheons, or other events can be a lot of work, but focusing on the goodness your funds will support makes it all worth it. Happy fundraising!
