Texas State University won the 2012 Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) Chapter of the Year Award this past November at the CEO National Conference in Chicago, Illinois. CEO chapters start businesses, enter competitions, practice fundraising, network with entrepreneurs, host speakers, and more. One of the reasons that their chapter was successful is due to their excellence in fundraising, which can be very tough for student organizations on campus.
This article looks at how Texas State has been able to raise money for their chapter and help serve the community at the same time.
Fundraising Events
Campus clubs, including fraternities and sororities, often have to raise money to support activities. Entrepreneurship clubs on campuses often host fundraising events, start a chapter business, and/or obtain funding from their school. Texas State’s CEO Chapter hosts a variety of unique and interesting fundraising events to not only earn money for the chapter, but to donate to charities, including giving to St. Jude’s Hospital for cancer research.
Here are a few of their fundraising efforts:
Chapter Business
Through their T-shirt business, Boko Tees, Texas State’s CEO Chapter has been able to market their club while raising money to support their activities. Boko Tees is a student-run business that designs, produces, and sells customized T-shirts for the student body. Since the establishment of Boko Tees in the spring of 2011, their Chapter has raised over $5000 in revenue. Not only do these T-shirts generate revenue, but are all stamped with their CEO logo to establish brand awareness on campus.
Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Texas State Hot Dog Eating Contest has been going strong for 13 years. The event is held each year at the Homecoming tailgate in partnership with Johnny Rockets and Wienerschnitzel. Last year, there were over fifteen contestants eating as many hot dogs as possible to win the grand prize of $100. It is a fun and productive experience for CEO. Members learn how to seek out sponsorships and prize donations from local businesses as well as recruit contestants for the competition. This fundraiser has raised over $1,300, established partnerships with the two businesses mentioned above, taught members how to respectfully request donations, and established one of the longest standing annual fundraisers on the Texas State campus.
Other Fundraising Events
-CEO-sponsored Golf Tournament
The Texas State CEO Chapter hosts a yearly golf tournament that helps raise money for the chapter so they can attend the CEO National Conference and support yearly operations.
-Selling BobcatOpoly, a Texas State version of the popular Monopoly board game
The Chapter has been able to sell hundreds of BobcatOpoly’s to students and parents of Texas State students.
In addition to the fundraising efforts listed above, they have also hosted a costume party for adults with disabilities, a Thanksgiving lunch for senior citizens, and the “Sight’s and Sounds” holiday carnival.
Summary
This entrepreneurship chapter has done an amazing job of using their entrepreneurial skills to raise money for their chapter, host events on campus, and help the community by giving back to local charities.
When running a student organization on campus, not all events should be focused on fundraising, as hosting events to help the less fortunate benefits others and provides a service to the community. Doing activities outside of just self-fundraising will help raise visibility for a group and compel others to donate to your cause. The Texas State CEO Chapter should be commended for their ability to raise money, but also the spirits of those they have helped.
*All information came from the Texas State University CEO Chapter
