Organizing a fundraising activity
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Age group
Students ages 6 and 7
When
October
Time required
Varies
Broad area of learning (QEP 2011)
Citizenship and community life
Activity summary
Student will learn to estimate the cost of a project and will organize and hold a fundraising activity activity at their school. They can showcase their knowledge through the creation of a fundraising guide.
Financial and cooperative skills
- Making a budget
- Completing a project
- Understanding that money is earned by working
- Understanding members’ roles
Competencies
Subject-specific competencies taught
Subject | Competency | Progressions of learning |
|---|---|---|
Mathematics | To reason using mathematical concepts and processes. (QEP 2011) |
|
Subject-specific competencies targeted
- English Language Arts:
- To read and listen to literary, popular, and information-based texts (QEP 2011)
- To write self-expressive, narrative and information-based texts (QEP 2011)
Cross-curricular competencies (qep 2011)
- Cooperates with others (QEP 2011)
Preparation
Students calculate the amount needed to complete their shared project
Time required
30 minutes
Task 1
Draw up the budget for a shared project
Task 1 objective
By the end of this task, students will be able to identify the costs involved in completing a shared project in order to determine the amount they must raise as a group.
Instructions
- The goal of this activity is to find the funds necessary for different types of shared projects.
- With the students’ help, draw up a list of the steps for completing the project and estimate the cost of each (e.g., transportation, advertising, admission, materials). If the project has a set price, see the following step.
- Calculate the total amount needed for the project.
Development
Students hold a fundraising activity to finance their project.
Time required
Varies
Brainstorming and activity presentation: 60 minutes
Task 1
Hold a fundraising activity
Task 1 objective
By the end of this task, students will have collected money in terms in order to finance an activity.
Instructions
- Discuss with the students how people are stronger when they work in groups to carry out a project. Mention the advantages of working together to complete a shared project.
- Brainstorm with the students to find ways of collecting money throughout the year.
- Choose one fundraising method (or more based on your needs) and determine when the fundraising activity will take place.
- Determine the tasks to accomplish and assign the students roles.
- Keep a count of the money collected.
- At the end of each week, total the money collected and colour in the thermometer in the How to Plan a Cooperative Project guide.
Time required
Varies
Teaching Material
Task 2
Start learning about the concepts of work and compensation
Task 2 objective
By the end of the task, students will be familiar with the concept of working in exchange for compensation after having thought of possible financing methods for their shared project
Instructions
- Draw a parallel between planning fundraising activities and working to earn money.
- Explain how a budget works, including how all income and expenses must appear in a budget. Emphasize the importance of a positive balance. The budget model can help explain the calculation.
- Take the list of steps and estimated costs for the project and determine whether the students have collected enough money to complete it.
- If there is a surplus, decide with the students how the profits will be used.
Reinforcement
Students will be able to self-assess their fundraising approach and create a fundraising guide for students.
Time required
120 minutes
- Review the students’ fundraising experience with them:
- Did we have enough money?
- How much more would we liked to have collected?
- Of all the fundraising activities we held, which one raised the most money?
- What did we learn?
- What should we do next time?
- Suggest that the students write a short fundraising guide to help next year’s students organize their fundraising activity.
- Form teams of 3 or 4 students.
- Ask each team to write an information sheet for next year’s students.
- Bind the information sheets together to make a guide.