Best FFA Fundraising Ideas

Future Farmers of America attempts to bring awareness of the agricultural world to members all over the country. This national association strives to provide students with the knowledge they need for a long career in agriculture. This will require outside funding and will require annual fundraising.

Anyone that is currently a member of a chapter will know just how difficult it can be to secure donations. The following FFA fundraising ideas should shed some light on how other chapters are able to keep donations flowing in all throughout the year.

Banquets

The community is more likely to be involved with an association that gives back to the community. Since the FFA fits into this criteria, a banquet will work perfectly. These banquets can be held inside or outside and will require an entry fee to cover food expenses as well as a donation.

Local Dues

Small local dues can be accepted from members. These dues are typically $5 and will only be used on bigger branches where there is enough people to make a difference. Most branches that have over 400 members will collect dues.

Fruit Sales

A weekly fruit stand that is tended to by members that donate their time is usually a big hit. Since this association deals with agriculture, it is easy to find others that are willing to sell produce. This will obviously have to be extras that are sold off and can earn a branch a hefty amount of donations.

Product Sales

Fruit is not the only item that can be sold. Cheeses, meats and even baked goods or candy can be sold by a branch. There will be regulations against selling milk and every branch will need to check with their local laws.

Dunking Booth

Would you pay to visit a fair or festival where you can dunk one of your old teachers? Most people would jump at the opportunity to be able to dunk a principal, police chief or various other members of the community. The more prestigious of a position that they hold, the better the turnout will be.

The goal will be one of two things.
1. People pay for the right to dunk the person and have their chance immediately.
2. A raffle can be taken wherein one person is allowed to do the honorary dunking.

An auction can also be put in place wherein the person will be dunked based on the highest bidder. This is a great way to drive up the overall donations and has worked well for many chapters.

Pie Eating Contest

Everyone has seen pie eating contests on television or in the movies. These contests are held locally and will require an entry fee, or donation. Now, the person that eats the most pies the fastest will win the ultimate competition.

This is a great way to get free community press and an ideal situation for smaller towns. This should only take place when the pies have been donated. Otherwise, a lot of participants will be needed to cover the costs of food.

Basketball Tournament

Teams can be entered into a tournament that takes place at a public school. Every team must pay a fee to be entered into the tournament and a prize must be given. This prize can be anything from free pizza coupons to a trophy. The latter choice is a good idea if you want to make the tournament an annual event.

By turning the tournament into an annual occurrence, chapters will find that they are able to make news headlines and draw in new participants on a regular basis.

Alumni Fundraiser

Throwing a party in favor of alumni will surely bring in donations. Not only will a chapter’s alumni donate to the chapter, but so will their friends and family. This is the ideal choice as it not only shows appreciation for past members, but it also allows members to see the great benefit that the FFA has to offer.

Tractor Rides

Many local residents will likely be interested in tractor rides. These rides will require a fee and will allow kids and adults alike to ride on a big tractor. This can be setup every weekend or on a monthly basis to bring in continual donations.

Being creative is of the utmost importance with tractor rides. There can even be tractor races that take place wherein the community can watch and enjoy the fun.

If a race is chosen, remember to set up concession stands and sell food and drinks. This will allow the chapter to make more money off of a single event.

FFA fundraising ideas should be brainstormed every 6 months. This allows new ways to maximize the overall funds that a chapter has. By utilizing concession stands at most events, extra money can be made without much effort.