Fundraising for Clubs

As human beings, we all pine for a sense of belonging. It’s in our DNA to want to feel like a part of a group, to share a set of values with a group of people.

Evidence of this is all around us, and perhaps one of the best examples is clubs. No matter the reason for its existence, whether it be social, athletic, religious, etc., a club is typically defined as an association of people united by a common interest or goal.

And as is the case with many organizations, clubs depend on funding to operate. Membership dues, contributions from community members, proceeds earned from hosting events, and other revenue streams are critical to the daily operation and sustained growth of clubs. Never to be lost in this shuffle are fundraising efforts.

The ability to raise money is vital to the sheer existence of clubs, but with myriad options available, what are some of the best fundraising ideas for your specific club?

A raffle? How about a car wash, bake sale, obstacle course, scavenger hunt, or talent show? A concert featuring local artists?

Ever consider brick fundraising?

What is Brick Fundraising?

Brick fundraising is a unique and engaging way to raise funds for your club. Unlike some other forms of fundraising, using engraved bricks fosters a strong sense of involvement and inclusion for each of those donating. More than just money being thrown into a coffer, an engraved brick offers something tangible to both the club and its donators.

Brick fundraising works by asking those both inside and outside of the club to buy a brick, which is then engraved with their name and the date of the donation. This brick is then prepped to be displayed in a wall, paved walkway, or another type of installation.
And the result is a cost-effective way of raising money for your club while producing a memorial that can be incorporated into the fabric of the local community for years to come.

The Benefits of Brick Fundraising

Each type of fundraising effort has its own benefits, but the advantages of brick fundraising cannot be understated or oversold.

Visual Appeal

Outside of the typical T-shirts that are used to achieve many fundraising goals, those who are gracious enough to donate to a good cause are not provided with much tangible appreciation of their generosity. This not the case with brick fundraising.

Depending upon the overall number of contributions, engraved bricks could be used to construct visually striking installations of many sizes, from small retaining walls or entryways to entire structures.

Attracts Sponsors

Local businesses rarely turn down opportunities to donate to a good cause, and why would they? Playing an active role in the community establishes trust, and trust leads to more customers. However, keep in mind that asking local businesses to donate to your club’s fundraising campaign can be tricky. Like individual donors, businesses want to know that their contributions were put to sufficient use.

Using engraved bricks provides them with this evidence.

Used Indoors & Out

Bricks are among the most versatile building materials available.

Inside, you can create an intricate wall display that members of your club or local community will enjoy for years to come. Outside, imagine a walkway that leads to your club’s parking lot or a paver patio that allows your members and people within the local community to relax and enjoy nature.

Proven Success

Commonplace fundraising events, such as raffle tickets, golf tournaments, sporting events, silent auctions, or trivia nights, do not typically excel at generating large volumes of donations. As a result, you often see them held at various points during the year.

Conversely, if your club can sell an engraved brick for over $40 at a time, you will have the capability of raising a lot of money in a shorter period of time.

Not Limited To A Single Event

You may think that brick fundraising best fits a one-time event, but this is not the case. This type of fundraising campaign can work year after year.

After all, that walkway or patio you are able to construct with your first fundraising event can always be extended to include more bricks down the road!

Examples of Clubs That Can Benefit From Brick Fundraising

Of course, we think engraved bricks can be used in fundraising efforts for any club, but here are some specific examples:

High School Clubs

Clubs have always been prevalent within public and private schools alike, particularly at the high school level. From groups that form to share niche interests, like an AV club, to those like a chess club or other sports teams, which might actually compete against nearby schools, there’s never a shortage of interest in raising a few extra dollars.

Garden Clubs

There is perhaps no other type of club that’s more naturally suited to utilize bricks. A big part of maintaining a garden that appeals to the senses is the right hardscaping, and one of the best materials to be used in this application is brick.

A garden club could throw a fundraiser that allows attendees to buy bricks that are then used to build a beautiful paver patio that surrounds a bed of flowers and grasses — or even a retaining wall that could be used for climbing plants like ivy.

Rotary Clubs

Rotary International, the international organization that provides humanitarian services by connecting business and professional leaders from around the world, claims more than 35,000 clubs around the globe, comprised of more than 1.2 million members.

One of Rotary International’s main goals is to grow local economies. Imagine the power a brick fundraising campaign could have with this type of effort. Bricks purchased by donors could be used to literally rebuild local economies around the world.

Sororities & Fraternities

On college campuses across the country, fraternities and sororities are highly encouraged to maintain a high degree of interaction with the local community. In fact, according to statistics, the Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the U.S., with members donating more than 10 million hours annually.

This interaction can be leveraged to produce a wide range of creative fundraising ideas that showcase engraved bricks, including but not limited to: yard sales, social media contests, haunted houses, and more.

Fraternities and sororities also tend to be very close-knit clubs, and this type of connectivity tends to be reflective of the overall student body, making any fundraiser held by a student group an excellent example of the impact of peer-to-peer fundraising, in which people from a large group interact with each other to serve the common good.

Fundraising efforts such as these can be highly successful and executed at different times during an academic year.

Church Groups

Unfortunately, no structure lasts forever, and at one time or another churches across the country will require repairs or a complete remodel. For the next event at your church, why not approach congregation members about helping fund a critical renovation to the structural integrity of the building?

To them, the benefit could be twofold: They’re responsible for improving the actual church building and their contribution will be immortalized through engraved brick.

Final Thoughts

Brick fundraising is an incredibly effective method of raising extra money for your club, no matter its orientation or goals. At Fundraising Brick, we provide you with beautifully engraved brick, but we can also help you launch your fundraising efforts. Call one of our expert staff members today to discuss how we can take your club’s fundraising campaign to the next level.