Community Support

Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is a great way to increase awareness about The Dictionary Project and provide a means to obtain financial resources to start or continue a project. Fundraising also provides an opportunity for you and members of your organization to become engaged and build stronger relationships with people in your community.

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Community Involvement Events:

Bring people together around literacy.

These real examples show how civic organizations combine fundraising, fellowship, and local service.

Runners participating in a community festival

Festivals

Build a signature community event.

The La Plata Rotary Club holds an annual Lobsterfest to support their scholarships, donations and community service activities. The event also features live music, a silent auction, and of course, games for children.

The Rotary Club of San Antonio, FL manages the Rattlesnake Festival and Run, which brings in around 5000 visitors each year. Participants of the Rattlesnake run enjoy a challenging course through the countryside of the Pasco Hills. Attendees can also watch an educational snake show, where a trained and licensed professional explains how the snakes are milked for their venom. That might get you running!

Holiday Sales

Create a seasonal tradition.

The Kiwanis Club of the South Lyon Area sells Christmas trees at a local city park to raise money for their service projects.

Adult Spelling Bee

Make literacy the event.

The Rotary Club of St. Bernard, LA, hold an annual adult spelling to help provide funds for their various education projects, which include providing dictionaries for all third grade students in St. Bernard Parish and supporting adult education. “The spelling bee brings the community together for a night of fun and fellowship” Rotary President Doris Stogner said. “There is always good spirited competition among the various teams.“

Host Dinners

Turn fellowship into recurring support.

Members of the Burns Grange # 160, MI, host a monthly jamboree and dinner at their Grange hall. They have a different menu each month and normally charge between $5-$7 dollars for the meal. Over the years dinners have included: homemade soups, chili suppers, meatloaf, ham and scalloped potatoes, goulash, spaghetti, lasagna, and corned beef and cabbage. The jamboree consists of men and women from the local area who donate their time by coming to the Grange hall to play music and sing. Donations are collected at the door and a 50/50 drawing is held during the evening.

Students and supporters benefiting from project grants

National Grants

Look for matching support.

There are countless foundations and community investment programs across the country that are willing to help fund charitable projects. Additionally, many civic organizations at a national or state level provide grants and scholarships through their foundation or an endowment.

To help fund The Dictionary Project in Hidalgo County, the New Mexico Elks Association matches the donation made by Lordsburg Elks Lodge #1813.

Local Sponsorship

Invite businesses to invest locally.

By sponsoring projects in the community, local businesses and corporate sponsors are able to build goodwill and invest in future generations, not to mention generate positive publicity.

Gordon Geiger of the Rotary Club of Paterson, NJ, sends out over 200 letters requesting sponsor participation from members in his community.

Your Community, Your Project

Choose an idea that fits your organization.

A successful fundraiser can do more than cover the cost of books. It can introduce new people to the mission, strengthen local partnerships, and turn a dictionary distribution into a community-wide investment in students.

Plan Your Project →