Fundraising Strategies Developed by MBA students in Project-Based Learning Courses

Abstract

The ability to raise funds is a skill that most modern project managers need.  While a good deal of literature exists on the strategies NGOs employ to raise funds for their operations, less attention has been paid to the strategies used by students involved in Project-Based Learning courses that often partner with NGOs. Fundraising is an important skill that not only provides students with opportunities for creativity, but also helps them develop the communication skills they will need in the work they do after they graduate.In this paper, we discuss the fundraising strategies developed by MBA students in 204 social projects completed between 2002 and 2014. The projects were done in partnership with 39 community partners in Sao Paulo, Brazil (NGOs and Public Institutions). In our study, we followed quantitative and qualitative research methods, analyzing data and documents from the projects’ databases.  We identified six different fundraising strategies: organizing raffles, soliciting donations from private corporations, organizing paying events,  utilizing online social networks developing crowdfunding, and soliciting individual donations.