Fundraising is often at the forefront of nonprofit agendas since without funds the organization may not exist. Groups spend a lot of time, energy and resources working to become better fundraisers, by reading books, taking courses or even hiring an independent consultant to help them. What some nonprofits have discovered is that sometimes their best fundraisers haven’t even finished highschool, or even started it for that matter. Young people have been working for decades to raise funds for a variety of causes, and the organizations they help have nothing but good things to say about the involvement of youth in their fundraising efforts.

“I think people are very receptive to the idea,” says Srinka Wallia, national director for UNICEF‘s Halloween campaign, which each year sends millions of kids trick’or’treating with their UNICEF donation boxes. The program began 46 years ago as a small initiative that generated $15,000. Today, the familiar Halloween campaign raises $3 million annually for the organization, thanks to the participation of approximately 2 million children each year. Of course, raising funds is only one component of the program. “Our hope is that it helps to build a global citizen and gives children more of an understanding even from an early age,” says Wallia. “We are hoping that UNICEF helps them understand and appreciate other cultures and their neighbours around the world.”

Glenn Waterman, the national manager for World Vision‘s 30 Hour Famine, agrees that the benefits of involving youth in fundraising go far beyond the actual amounts raised. “We are educating youth about the need to look outside Canada at the world situation and at issues beyond what they see in everyday life,” he explains. “As a result of that, they will become more educated adults.” Last year the 30 Hour Famine, which gives young people an idea of what it means to go hungry for a day, raised $4.5 million in Canada and had 175,000 participants. “This is their one chance to make a difference immediately,” says Waterman. “They are making a tangible difference with their actions within 30 hours and that makes a huge difference to the way they look at the world.”

Giving young people a new perspective is also part of the MS Read-A-Thon program, which celebrated it’s 25th anniversary this year. “This is a threefold program,” says Darya Smolak, supervisor for the read-a-thon’s Ontario division. “Obviously fundraising is a key component; secondly, literacy and getting kids excited about reading; and thirdly, disability awareness and educating them about multiple sclerosis.” She says that fundraising programs in schools give children the sense that they are part of something larger than themselves and gives them early exposure to philanthropy. To date, 4.8 million children have been given that early exposure to philanthropy through the read-a-thon program, raising $35 million for the MS Society. “What’s really interesting is that we are now getting into the generation of teachers and young parents who took part in the program 25 years ago,” Smolak says. “As they come into the schools as parents and teachers, the legacy carries on.”

The Terry Fox Run also has a long tradition of youth involvement. Even while Terry was still running his Marathon of Hope, schools were commemorating his efforts. “From the very beginning it was young people that supported Terry,” says Bruna Raimondo, Ontario schools coordinator. “It was the youth, with their eternal optimism and boundless energy that kept the momentum going and set an example for so many others.” The children who participate in the runs today don’t have their own memories of Terry Fox; he is a history lesson. Nevertheless, in 2001 hundreds of thousands of students in more than 4,300 schools took part in Terry Fox fundraising events, raising close to $6 million. “This is one way that kids can get involved and make a difference in their communities in a very real and public way,” says Raimondo. “The future of the Terry Fox Run is in the schools and in children.”

Realizing that children are the future is something that all of these organizations have in common. Youth fundraising programs raise awareness about causes and introduce the concept of philanthropy at an early age, but as Srinka Wallia states, “it’s not like we are a marketing company that goes directly to a six-year-old. We are very mindful and diligent about the whole approach and the involvement of children, and needless to say, this is a voluntary program whether you are six or sixty.” Children are never forced to fundraise, and as Glenn Waterman points out, “we have never had anyone be concerned about us approaching this age group. We don’t see a risk because the program is not only educational, it’s fun and it supports good causes.” As any organization knows, these components make good fundraising sense no matter how old you are.

For more information about UNICEF’s Halloween program, visit: www.unicef.ca/eng/aide/halloween.html. Learn more about the 30 Hour Famine at www.worldvision.ca/30hourfamine. Information about the MS Read-A-Thon is available at: www.mssociety.ca/en/events/readathon/default.htm and for more information about the Terry Fox Run, visit: www.terryfoxrun.org.