It seems obvious why fundraising is important: to raise funds for needed items, services and programs. Yet, raising funds has so many other benefits besides the obvious.
Often, budgets get cut, or less than ideal family situations mean that children have to go without things or activities that their classmates receive, and later life opportunities may be diminished because of it. There are, unfortunately, needs of great variety all around us, and fundraising will most likely be an aspect of our lives for generations to come. But raising funds for a cause has a lot more benefits than taking care of an obvious monetary need.
Unexpected Benefits
Fundraising is important for a variety of other reasons as well. For example, it allows the children or other recipients of the funds (or what they purchase) to feel some pride of ownership. In many cases, the beneficiaries of funds that are raised are able to feel not as if they have received ‘charity,’ but as if they have actually earned the item or experience that the funds have provided. What better way to help a person to feel empowered than to allow them to help raise the funds needed for a cause that will benefit them? (Read about persistence in fundraising.)
Fundraising Can Make a Huge Impact
In the growing pressure from government to “do more with less,” it is unfortunately true that the way that many schools and communities are doing this is to cut out the programs that they deem as not being essential. This often means that many childhood experiences will be lost as well. Field trips to see the capital, to perhaps stand for the first time inside a museum, or to attend their first play or concert, would be lost without many fundraising programs. On top of that art programs at the schools themselves, like music, theater and visual arts, are often the first area where cuts are made.
This has a much greater impact on society than one might realize at the time. For example, it’s been tested and proven many times, that children who receive music instruction have better academic skills than children who don’t. And what about the sense of accomplishment and raised self esteem that being creative can bring?
Learn to Help Others
Fundraising is one aspect of engaging children in civic minded activities from a young age. It creates awareness in a young person that they are part of a community, and that this position entails a certain amount of responsibility and also self empowerment. When they are raising funds for other segments of society, it teaches them to appreciate what they have and to understand that they have the ability, even from a young age, to help others.
It is a fact that children who participate in civic or public service from a young age are more likely to carry on with that type of work into adulthood. On the other hand, if young people are being helped by others who are doing fundraising for a cause that affects them, they understand that there are people who care about them outside of their immediate circle. This can help them to have a greater sense of self-esteem and self-worth, which can lead to better life choices overall.
As hard and frustrating as raising funds can be at times, let’s not forget the huge impact it can make for generations to come!
On that note, we wish you great success and good luck with your next fundraising campaign!
To help you plan for your next fundraiser, start by setting clear goals, and read about tips for choosing the right fundraiser.
This article has been updated from a previous version.