Fundraising

The ideas listed below are merely suggestions you can use to raise money to fight global hunger. Any of them can be adapted to meet your school or community's needs, and we encourage to employ your own creativity to make your fundraiser the best it can be!

Our only requisite for fundraising for Action Against Hunger is that you contact us and inform us of your project or event. We would love to help you in the ways we can -- through materials, resources, speakers, or others -- so that you can successfully spread awareness in your school and community about the grave issue of hunger in the world. We would also like to be informed of your efforts so we can acknowledge your work on our website!

Thus, when you have an idea in mind, keep us in the loop. Contact the Student Outreach Coordinator, Mai Truong, via email or by phone at (212) 967-7800 ext. 113.

Download a Student Fundraising Kit

Tips for planning a fundraiser

FAQ's about fundraising for Action Against Hunger

Race Against Hunger

(Level: middle school)
Host a Race Against Hunger event at your school! This exciting nationwide event is perfect for middle school students and offers an exciting introduction to the complexity and reality of global hunger. Get your students or peers excited about the international issues of humanitarian relief and development and how they can help support Action Against Hunger's solutions to global hunger.

Learn more about the Race and enroll today.

Fast for Awareness 

(Level: middle & high school; college)
Learn what it is like to experience hunger. Host a "Fast for Awareness" in your school or community group.

The “Fast for Awareness” is a school or community event that seeks to raise awareness about and money for world hunger. It can be a 4-hour, 8-hour, 12-hour or 24-hour fast with no food allowed, that encourages participants to solicit sponsorships for fasting while experiencing something similar to what many in the world feel on a regular basis. These guidelines are malleable to your event, location, and participants’ needs. There are many different ways to plan this event, from an all-nighter lock-in to fast ending with a fundraising banquet.

Download a Fast for Awareness guide. 

Film Screening: Heart of the Congo

A story of courage, hope, perseverance, and how humanitarian aid can save lives and make a lasting difference.

Heart of the Congo, a documentary by Tom Weidlinger, chronicles how a handful of Action Against Hunger aid workers try to help Congolese refugees who have lost everything at the end of a war. Amid violence from roving militia, systemic corruption and a legacy of colonial dependence, international and Congolese aid workers struggle to help villagers build a self-sufficient future. Heart of the Congo is a story of courage, hope, perseverance, and how humanitarian aid can save lives and make a lasting difference.

Hold a film screening of "Heart of the Congo" in your school or community to raise awareness and/or money to fight global hunger. Learn more.

Other Great Fundraising Ideas

Give-it-Up to Fight Global Hunger  (Level: elementary, middle & high school; college)
Initiate a campaign at your school where teachers and students give up an indulgence they enjoy but don't need. Instead, encourage them to donate the unspent money to fight global hunger. For example, giving up a morning latte would make a $5 contribution, making lunch instead of buying lunch would allow a $7 contribution, and watching a pre-owned movie at home instead of the theaters would save $12 for a contribution. Throughout this one- or two-week campaign, educate your school about global hunger. Raising funds by giving something up for global hunger will engage your school community to think about how much they have to be grateful for and what they can live without so that others may simply live.

Concert or Talent Show  (Level: middle & high school; college)
If you are part of a band, choir, orchestra or dance group, approach your group and ask them if they would be willing to hold a benefit concert/show at your school or in your community for Action Against Hunger. Or, you can put together a Talent Show at your school, encouraging your peers to display their unique talents to help end world hunger. During the show, raise awareness about global hunger by presenting the issue between acts and placing posters around your event venue. Charge a small admission fee, ask local businesses to provide food for you to sell, and donate your proceeds to support Action Against Hunger's work.

Student Theater  (Level: middle & high school; college)
Do you enjoy acting or theater? Learn about why hunger exists around the world and how it affects the world's poor; then write a play about hunger. Find actors and perform your play at your school or in your community. Charge a small admission fee and solicit donations from your audience to raise money to help fight global hunger.

Learn more about the causes and effects of hunger from our "Understanding Hunger" page (coming soon).

Multicultural Fair  (Level: middle & high school; college)
Organize a Multicultural Fair at your school where students bring food from their cultural background to sell. Have a separate booth for each country represented. At each country booth, provide cultural information as well as information about the relative level of poverty and hunger that exists in that country. Try to have a diverse number of countries represented (at least 15-20). Decorate the Fair venue with multicultural posters and information about global hunger. Donate proceeds to help Action Against Hunger's operations around the world.

Garage, Yard or Stoop Sale  (Level: middle & high school)
One person's junk can be another person's treasure. Hold a drive at your school where students can donate their families' old "junk". Organize a garage, yard, or stoop sale in your community or at your school to sell the newfound "junk" and raise money for Action Against Hunger. Don't forget to provide resources to inform your customers of what proceeds from the sale will be supporting and to educate them about the issue of global hunger.

Dance, Skate or Swim-a-thon  (Level: middle & high school; college)
Organize a dancing, skating or swimming event at your school where students seek sponsorships for the time or distance they engage in the activity. For example, a dance-a-thon can be held all night in a school auditorium. Participants raise money to fight global hunger by collecting pledges from sponsors for the time they dance throughout the night. Be sure to spread awareness about global hunger and Action Against Hunger during your event.

Photography or Art Exhibit  (Level: middle & high school; college)
If you are in a photography or art class, ask your class to contribute their best artwork for an exhibit. Or create a class art project with a theme relating to world poverty and/or hunger. Organize the exhibit at your school or in your community and invite family and friends to attend. Sell the artwork and donate proceeds to support Action Against Hunger.

Poetry Slam  (Level: middle & high school; college)
If you enjoy reading and writing poetry, encourage your class or friends to write their own poems about the issues of world poverty and hunger. Organize a benefit poetry slam at your local cafe. Invite the public to attend to raise funds for Action Against Hunger. You can ask the cafe if a portion of the evening's proceeds from food and drink sales can be donated to your cause.

Used Book Sale (Level: elementary, middle & high school; college)
Collect used books from your family and neighbors. Conduct a used book sale to raise money to fight global hunger. During your book sale, have information about hunger and Action Against Hunger available to spread awareness to your customers.

Student Farmer's Market  (Level: middle & high school; college)
Ask your school if your class or student organization can grow a vegetable garden on your school grounds. Seek a teacher or faculty member who would be interested in being involved in your garden project and to provide you guidance (preferably a teacher who knows about gardening!). Grow a variety of vegetables organically, if possible, and hold a Farmer's Market after your vegetables are harvested to raise money to fight global hunger.

At your vegetable stand, have resources available to educate your customers about the underlying causes of world hunger. Focus on the issue of unfair agricultural trade laws that inhibit farmers in developing countries from growing food to feed their families. Learn more about this issue here (coming soon).

Penny Drive  (Level: elementary & middle school)
Organize a friendly competition between classes at your school to see which class can raise the most money to fight global hunger in a Penny Drive. Coordinate with different teachers to have them discuss the issues of poverty and hunger during class. Then have each class make and decorate a large piggy bank from an old box. During a two-week, one-month or two-month period (however long you choose), see which class can raise the most money in their piggy banks by contributing all the loose change they can find at home. At the end of the competition, count the amount of money each class raised for Action Against Hunger to determine a winner!

Organic Fair Trade Bake Sale  (Level: elementary, middle & high school; college)
Get together with your friends and bake your favorite goodies to sell. Use wholesome organic ingredients (whole wheat, oats, fair trade chocolate, etc.) and advertise that your goodies are both healthy for the body and healthy for the world! Make a poster that gives details about Action Against Hunger so your customers can learn about what their money is supporting. Set up a stand anywhere -- outside your home, in your community park, during lunch period at school -- and sell your baked foods while educating your customers about world hunger.

Get started on your bake sale with an Organic Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate-Chip Cookie recipe!

Auction  (Level: middle & high school; college)
Solicit businesses in your community to donate valuable items or packages -- spa days, restaurants gift certificates, tickets to football games, artwork, jewelry, paid vacation packages, ane more -- for your benefit auction to fight global hunger. Advertise your auction in your community and indicate that all proceeds would support Action Against Hunger's life-saving programs.

Create your own fundraiser
Be creative and come up with an idea on your own! The sky's the limit when it comes to your imagination.