Fundraising & Recruitment Strategies

The following list presents a set of strategies that have been successfully implemented by several PDP Inns. This list is not intended to be comprehensive and the items listed may be implemented in isolation or in combination.

1) Create a fundraising position on your Inn’s executive board. Pick someone highly reliable,
 preferably with experience.

2) Increase local dues. Currently the initiation fee at the international level is $75.00 US, with due consideration by the Council for international exchange rates. Your Inn can charge local dues.
 
3) Sell stuff (e.g. fleece blankets w/ school logo, t-shirts, beer mugs, business cards).

a. Coordinate with your Alumni office to see if they have "leftovers" from past mailings or events that you could sell. You might also agree on a product that you both could use, to take advantage of economies of scale.

i. Ask the alumni office if they will "front" you the cash and dispose of "extras" that you don’t sell. (In a sense, you are asking them if you can share their inventory. What they "get" out of the arrangement is a chance to offload some product that might otherwise crowd up their shelves.)

ii. Your Alumni office will also have tips on which items provide the best profit margin (clothing isn’t that profitable).

b. Advantages of selling pre-made products like fleece blankets are fabulous. No one has to bake anything. Volunteers only have to show up at the table and smile.

4) Email and mail to incoming students to inform them about PDP’s activities at your law school.

a. Coordinate with your school’s Admissions Office and Alumni Offices. Do this early in the semester, preferably in the summer before the Fall rush begins.

5) Request funds from your SBA office and/or local firms, alumni, businesses, or other interested individuals.

a. See "tools" for a sample letter to send to your SBA.

b. Your Inn is strongly encouraged to ask the SBA for funding your travel and convention costs. Convention delegates passed a resolution to this effect.

6) Host events that you can charge for (and make a profit from). Suggested events especially include a CLE (continuing legal education) courses on ethics. (IMPORTANT: Beware of special events as solely a fundraising activity. While they are fun and flashy, special events tend to be expensive, time-consuming, labor intensive...and can easily end you up in the red.)

o Silent Auction
o Chili Cook-Off
o Christmas Caroling.

§ Target professors and administration big wigs. Go to their homes and keep singing until they pay you to leave. Wait until they pay you a lot.

o Fun Run

§ "Legal Res"
§ Or Combine w/ Local Med School for "Ambulance Chase" (run after an actual ambulance!)
§ Aids/Cancer Walk

o Ethics Symposium

§ Cost of Admission

· Reduce Fees for Phi Delta Phi Members

o Founder’s Day Social
o Sports Tournament

§ 3 on 3 Basketball
§ Golf Outing
§ PDP v. PAD Softball

o Large Social Event

§ Wine/ Micro-Brew Beer/Liquor Tasting
§ "The Bar Review"

· Pub Crawl
· Happy Hour Events
· Ask for percentage of sales

§ Banquets/Formals

· Local Law Firms can Sponsor Tables

o Political Debates

§ Local Candidates

·Senatorial/Gubernatorial
· Local Councils
· Local/Municipal Judges

o Volunteering with Local Businesses

§ One Night Volunteer Valet for Local Event or Restaurant
§ Advertise in Exchange for a Percentage of Profits

o Get active with the charity that the local firms support.

§ (e.g. The Attorney’s Campaign Against Hunger is a statewide effort in Maryland that a bunch of big firms and lots of smaller ones support. Paca Inn got a seat on the Executive Board and helps with publicity, event set-up, etc. This affiliation provides us networking opportunities and access to events that someone else planned and funded!!)

7) Identify avenues within your school for advertising your Inn and Inn activities (such as admissions materials, website space on the school server, student organization night during orientation week).

o PUBLIC RELATIONS

§ Columns in Law School and Local Newspaper

· Define Legal Terms
· Point Counterpoint Debates
· Legal Ramifications of Current Events

§ School-wide Announcements Through Administration E-Mail
§ Communicate with Administration to Set Up a Phi Delta Phi Link on the School Website
§ TWEN Page
§ Promote Phi Delta Phi Accomplishments in Conjunction with Administration
§ Provide Resumes of Phi Delta Phi Members to Local Law Firms
§ Campus Visibility

o CAMPUS VISIBILITY

o Outline Bank

§ Immediately Available to Pledges

o Exam Writing Seminar

§ Involve Teachers
§ 3L’s, upper class students
§ Lexis/Westlaw

o Provide Orientation / Exam Time Treats

§ Candy, Fruit, Snacks
§ Host Career Day for Non-Legal Jobs

o Seminars

§ Ethics Seminars
§ Non-Legal Seminars

o Professor/Student Awards
o Ethics Awards
o "Canned Immunity" Day

§ Student/Professor Match-Off

o Literacy Programs
o Hospital Volunteering
o Special Olympics Volunteering 

8) Identify avenues outside of school for advertising your Inn and Inn activities (such as international magazines and state bar newsletters).

    o Newspaper Articles in your local paper

9) Enhance communication among the Inns, especially within Provinces. (e.g. this could be achieved in part by creating or expanding a PDP listserv.)

10) Work with local attorneys as guest speakers, career consultants, and as consultants on how to break into the local legal social circles for PDP networking events.

a. The Committee on Fraternity Revenue passed a resolution recommending that a committee be formed at the next conference to look at creating Barrister memberships for individuals who did not become members while in law school.

11) Observe general "how to" recommendations, provided below:

How To: Helpful Resources

· Delegate!!!

o Appoint members of your Inn as their strengths dictate.

§ Use all the Talent at Your Disposal
§ If you don’t know what talent is at your disposal, poll your Inn members.

· Get to know Administration and Faculty

o (This means Administrative Assistants. If you think the Dean has power, talk to the Dean’s secretary, and educate yourself.)
o Use the Law School Admissions Office to Reach Incoming Students Before They Arrive at Orientation
o Coordinate and Utilize Faculty to Encourage Students to Attend Events

§ e.g. Cancelled Classes, Class Immunity for Attendance

· Appoint a Fundraising Chair from Within your Inn
· Call Local Firms for Sponsorship and Support

o Find Local Alumni to Get Your Foot in the Door. This also Works When You’re Looking for a Job, and You’ll Already be in Contact w/ Them.

· Train Your Officers and Document the Training.

o This Way, Future Officers will not need to Re-invent the Wheel Every Year.

· Local Historical Societies, Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity

o Play on Phi Delta Phi’s Historical Reputation to Develop a Presence at Events Sponsored by These Organizations.

· Work With Other Organizations and Inns to Promote Phi Delta Phi’s Presence in the Community

· Plan and Publicize Well Ahead of Time

· Don’t Forget to Send out Reminders Shortly Before your Events.