New Global Citizens - Fundraising Design Challenge

Design an innovative way to fundraise for your global project that will have the most impact!

Figure out how to make people both pay attention AND contribute.  Explore the following ways to research what will make an impact:

• What are the most important facts about the global issue and global project you’ve chosen?

• If you can combine fundraising with an activity that people like, you can attract more contributions! Interview classmates and other members of your school and larger community about what they like to spend their time doing:

  • What are your favorite out-of-school activities?

  • What do you spend your free time doing?

  • What has been your favorite event you’ve gone to?

• List popular in school and out-of-school events that lots of students attend (e.g. dances, sporting events, concerts).

• List events where people in your school or community already spend money (For example, does everyone buy tickets to certain dances? Does everyone already pay to get in to the school play?).

• Team Talent group activity:  On a poster, ask everyone to write down something that he/she does both inside and outside of school (an activity, work, or hobby), or something they do well (e.g. cook, sing, play an instrument, speak Spanish, etc.).  

• Research other fundraising campaigns. How have others successfully raised money?

  • NGC example projects

  • http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/take-action/

  • https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2015/11/23/high-school-fundraisers-share-secrets-to-success

  • http://oasc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/100-Fundraising-Ideas.pdf

Upload a list of key information that you gathered from each category that you think can inspire your campaign.

Review all of the information you collected in the previous section.  Think about…

• What facts about your chosen issue would make the most impact on people? What would make them stop and think?

• Can you connect the act of giving to the need itself? (For instance, on one single day, ask everyone at your school to not buy a drink at lunch and instead donate the dollar to support a clean water project in Guatemala. It’s no big deal to have lunch without a drink; it is a huge deal for a community to be able to have clean drinking water.)

• How can you involve as many groups of people as possible (e.g. students, teachers, parents?)

Try the following activity as a group to generate a whole bunch of different ideas! 

1. Start with a design question such as “How might we raise money and awareness for _____ project in our school and community?”

2. Set a time limit for the brainstorm. This forces everyone to just say their ideas more!

3. Then, have everyone shout out ideas one by one, and write or sketch each idea on a separate post-it.

Or, use the Team Talent poster to spark your brainstorm For example: You read an entry that says "I'm on the swim team." How can that be used to the advantage of your team? Set up an NGC Team information booth and sell snacks at the next swim meet, etc. 

Use the following rules from IDEO to guide the activity!

• Defer judgement. You never know where a good idea is going to come from. The key is make everyone feel like they can say the idea on their mind and allow others to build on it.

• Encourage wild ideas. Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps. In thinking about ideas that are wacky or out there we tend to think about what we really want without the constraints of technology or materials.

• Build on the ideas of others. Being positive and building on the ideas of others take some skill. In conversation, we try to use “and” instead of “but.”

• Stay focused on the topic. Try to keep the discussion on target, otherwise you can diverge beyond the scope of what you're trying to design for.

• One conversation at a time. Your team is far more likely to build on an idea and make a creative leap if everyone is paying full attention to whoever is sharing a new idea.

• Be visual. In live brainstorms we write down on Post-its and then put them on a wall. Nothing gets an idea across faster than drawing it. Doesn't matter if you're not Rembrandt!

• Go for quantity. Aim for as many new ideas as possible. In a good session, up to 100 ideas are generated in 60 minutes. Crank the ideas out quickly and build on the best ones.

Upload a list of the top 10-12 ideas.

Now it’s helpful to make quick prototypes. Prototypes are models of an idea, created quickly in order to get feedback on the design from others.

Small groups or individuals can begin to create prototypes of the top ideas. A prototype can be anything: a list, a storyboard, a sketch, an outline, a cardboard mock-up, a collage, etc. Tip: It's a good idea to set a fairly short amount of time to make a prototype, so that groups or individuals don't spend too much time making it perfect.

Have groups share their prototypes for feedback from the group. Here are some questions you can ask to get feedback.

• What stands out to you about the prototype?

• What do you like about it?

• What questions do you have about it?

• What things do you think should be changed?

• Who do you think this would appeal to?

Upload your prototype or a photo of it, along with the feedback you received from at least one other person.

Upload a description or photo of the final design that you will present to the group!