The Art of the Fundraiser

Fundraising is no stranger to Lincoln Charter. Every week there seems to be an endless supply of various goods for students to buy and subsequently support school clubs. The hallways are lined with posters with different dates and slogans—the school equivalent of billboard advertising.

Kaylyn pulling waffles fresh off the maker. Picture by Emery Courson

Despite the prevalence of fundraising in and of itself, few have actually mastered the art of fundraising. One club leader in particular however, is no stranger to the craft.

Kaylyn Cherry took over Helping Hands Club after its founder, Addison Dunn, graduated in 2024. Since then, she has headed and created multiple fundraisers from scratch including the famous Waffle Bar and the Candy Salad Bar. 

The assortment of toppings for the Waffle Bar. Picture by Emery Courson

For the last week, students entering the building prior to first period could smell the aroma of waffles wafting down the halls. Freshly made the day of with a myriad of toppings to choose from, the Waffle Bar has consistently been a hit among students. 

The Candy Bar is another of Kaylyn’s signature fundraisers, with students being able to pick from 15 different types of candy to make their own cup, similar to a frozen yogurt concept. 

Candy Bar setup.

Both of the aforementioned fundraisers are Kaylyn’s own original creations, and she pulls her club members together almost a month in advance in order to gather the supplies needed to make them possible. 

Other clubs such as Project Cinderella have also made original ideas such as "Float into Friday," an event where students can buy floats with different sodas the club has on hand.

Princess Cinderella's "Float into Friday" poster.

However, among these original ideas, there seems to be a lack of contrivance from other clubs.

In an effort to make quick, safe cash, clubs often lose their originality. Other students begin to not take inspiration from but rather down right copy other clubs’ fundraisers, resulting in an environment that promotes conformity rather than innovation. Kaylyn states, "The fundraisers need to be original and unique because that is what makes them special. For example, if there was a Waffle Bar every week then it would no longer be special and people would be less likely to buy it as they know they can get it whenever they want."

Additionally, many clubs recycle the same bake sale idea over and over again, selling many of the same goods and often at the same time as other clubs. A few other clubs have also taken the Candy Bar concept and attempted to make it their own. Kaylyn argues, "Having original fundraiser that are unique to each club increases the profits that can be earned and lets students look forward to the different fundraisers rather than having the same ones all the time."

Entrepreneurship and business are within the heart of the students at Lincoln Charter, but under this competitive environment only the original will survive. Clubs should begin to develop their own original ideas that become synonymous with their causes instead of trying to create run of the mill fundraisers that are quickly forgotten after the posters are replaced.