Fundraising Idea: Charity Drag Show

Campus Pride utilizes the time, talent and skills of students, faculty, staff and educators to fulfill our mission of creating safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.

Volunteers help our organization continue to grow in supporting the needs of LGBTQ and Ally student leaders and campus groups. One principal method volunteers support Campus Pride is through fundraising.

How might one setup a volunteer fundraising campaign? Here’s a great idea to check out:

Plan a charity drag show

A great (and entertaining) way to raise money while celebrating various gender expressions is to host a charity drag show! This idea, depending on the details of your event, may require a budget to be established beforehand, so plan accordingly. Here are some quick tips on how to start planning:

1.) First a foremost, you’ll need to locate a space to host the event. An auditorium or theatre-space would work best if you plan to host an all-ages show. You’ll want to locate a space that has a good sound system already built-in. This way, you won’t have to pay for a DJ or for extra sound equipment rentals.

2.) Dedicate a date and time for your event. Typical drag shows last about 60-90 minutes, but be sure to have space available at least two hours prior for the performers to prepare, and so that your committee can make sure everything is running smoothly!

3.) Of course, you’ll need performers! Try to solicit some local professionals who would be willing to help out, perform a few numbers, or even host! Note: many professionals may require some sort of payment, so again, plan accordingly.

Another idea is to solicit amateur performers who will participate for a smaller fee. Look into finding a student host as well! This will cut back the cost of a drag show significantly. If a lot of performers are interested, you might consider hosting auditions at least a month prior to the event.

4.) In order to raise money, you’ll need to sell tickets for the event. Depending on the size of your show and the size of budget you had, specify an amount of the proceeds to go towards Campus Pride.

5.) To help in ticket sales, make sure to promote as much as you can! Have someone who is keen in graphic design whip up a poster design that you can hang around town/campus. Create an event on Facebook as a great way to share and promote your event to a large network of people.

6.) Create an outline for the night will be scheduled. Make sure you have volunteers working the night of the event to help make sure everything is running smoothly. You’ll want someone to inform the performers as to when their stage time is approaching.

7.) Throughout the event, designate a spot where you can encourage attendees to visit and donate to the cause. Make it fun! Think about having a giveaway of some sort to encourage people to donate!

8.) When the event has concluded, congratulate yourself on a job well done! Your efforts directly impact Campus Pride in a huge way. With more fundraising campaigns, Campus Pride is able to further advance the tools, programs, and resources provided to LGBTQ college students.

If you’re looking for more fundraising ideas, consider some of these other opportunities:

• Plan a fundraising event (talent show, spoken word night, etc) to collect donations.
• Consider current philanthropic planned events and adding Campus Pride to the donations list.
• Share this post with a link for donations. Tell everyone why it is important to stand together for LGBT collegiate youth!