Welcome to the GLA Fundraising Page!
This page is a collection of ideas and resources to help you raise funds towards your GLA program. Check it out and get inspired.
Meet our Featured Fundraiser: Caitlin von Garrel
Caitlin von Garrel used a variety of methods to cover the cost of her GLA program and was even able to fundraise her airfare! First, she applied and got a scholarship from GLA, which she admits helped a lot. (The maximum that a GLA scholarship will cover is 30% of the tuition cost, so even with that, Caitlin still needed quite a bit of money.) She started a gofundme page and did different fundraisers. One of her most successful fundraisers was a Paint Night. Step by step painting studios are popular in many cities, so Caitlin approached a family friend who ran her own business. She started planning the event 6 weeks in advance so she would have plenty of time to spread the word. She used a Facebook event to get the word out and told others to feel free to invite their friends. Everyone who attended paid a registration fee that went to Caitlin’s fundraising. From the paint night alone, Caitlin was able to raise $750. Caitlin says “I didn't expect this to raise that much money! I also had a ‘donation jar’ sitting out that people could donate to as well and I think that helped a bunch too.”
Caitlin started raising money in December, as soon as she found out she had been accepted on a program. By the time she was done she didn’t need to put in any additional money. Her tuition and airfare were covered! To anyone who is thinking of or currently fundraising, Caitlin would say “Keep in mind how awesome the trip will be and how worth all this fundraising will be, and to not give up!
Need some inspiration?
Check out this video of Matt and Coleman talking about their experience fundraising.
Here is a video recording of a fundraising webinar, hosted by a GLA staff member.
Have a creative fundraising idea of your own? Share it on the GLA Fundraising Community Facebook page.
The sooner you start fundraising, the better! Here are some fundraising ideas that are perfect for the Winter.
Winter Fundraising Ideas
Super Bowl Squares- This is a pretty popular game to play and if you are unsure how to get started here is a website with step by step instructions. Essentially you make a 10x10 grid and assign each column a number 0-9 and each row a number 0-9. Columns represent one team in the superbowl and rows represent the other. Then you recruit people to buy a square and write their name in it. The winner is determined by looking at the last number in each team's score and matching those numbers on the grid and seeing which square intersects those numbers. The name of the person in that square is the winner! You can choose a winner at the end of each quarter and a grand prize winner at the end of the game. The way you earn funds is that you use 50% of the cost of the squares as prize money and the other 50% goes towards your GLA program. For example, if you charge $10 per square and sell all 100 squares, you have $1000. You can award up to $100 to the winner after each quarter and $200 to the winner with the final score. If you don't think you will sell all the squares, make sure you set your prize amounts lower. This is even more fun if you invite everyone to watch the game together.
Valentine Delivery- Make valentines and sell them leading up to Feb 14th. A valentine can be anything, a nicely decorated card, a heart shaped cookie, red lolipops with w note attached. Search 'homemade valentines' on pintrest for more ideas. You can even offer to deliver the valentine's during and after school for an additional fee.
Shovel Snow- Keep your eye on the forecast and when a snow storm is predicted, talk to your neighbors and family friends and ask if you can shovel their driveway in exchange for a donation. You can even hang up fliers in local businesses or drop them in mailboxes in you neighborhood. Want to make it more fun? Ask your friends to join you! Go door to door after a big snowfall and ask if you can shovel. See how many driveways you can clear in a day!
Snow Day Babysitter- Just because schools are closed doesn't necessarily mean offices are closed. Often times parents will need to take a vacation day to stay home with small children when schools close for inclement weather. Let all your neighbors know you are willing to walk over to their house and spend the day with their children so that both parents can go to work.
Our 21-day Flagship programs provide the ideal amount of time to satisfy every dimension of the GLA Experience.