How can you raise more funds for a debate team?

go to this link:

We have done the following at Whitman College to increase our budget:

1. requested more money through the budget process; we have rationales that explain what we won't be able to do if we don't have the additional money

2. reached out to alumni who we know have money and contacted them about donating large sums of money

3. we send out a newsletter twice a year to alumni who did speech and debate; it costs money to do this but it has dramatically increased alumni giving to our team (we include a note in the newsletter thanking and encouraging donations)

4. we have sought to position ourselves as useful to the college's objectives; examples:

president wanted intramural debate--we did it and got a budget for it

school wants smart kids--we attract bright kids who communicate well in classes

hs tournament--brings in a lot of kids to look at the campus and maybe attend; that's good

etc.

mentoring/recruiting:

1. talk with admission office; have them include a checkoff box for people with experience or interest in speech/debate; get their addresses and then mail them and encourage them to join your squad. be sure to explain in the letter to meet at certain time early in the year and get them together--we usually have a picnic dinner where we get to eat together and meet new students who get to see what they could do on our speech team

2. email all students on your campus and encourage them to join the team

3. have each person on your team look for people who would be good for your team and encourage them to join/give it a try

4. put up posters encouraging students to join the program

5. talk to influential profs and others on campus and talk to them about what the debate/speech team can do for students

Jim