Sorority Fundraising: Greek Calendar

A Money Making Way to Count Down the Days

Creating a Greek calendar can be a fun way to keep track of the date, but it can also be a fundraiser that promotes Greek unity. Selling Greek calendars to raise money for your philanthropy or takes planning and research. Yet once it is put together it is a nice keepsake for the years to come.

When planning your calendar, you will need to decide first on what type of calendar you want to sell. Do you want to sell a wall calendar or a date book? Do you just want pictures at the top or throughout the calendar? These are questions you need to ask beforehand, because these are questions you will need to answer when you are talking to publishers and other calendar making professionals. Things like size, colors, type of paper, binding methods, and more all go into making a calendar. It may help you to start with your ideal calendar, then get quotes to see what each component will cost.

When looking to get quotes on your calendar, you will need to do some research. There are a number of printing firms and calendar publishers that will be willing to give you quotes on your calendar. You need to look into several of these firms, as you will see a wide disparity of price ranges. However, also look at several samples of their work to see which firm is able to do what you want for the least amount of money.

Once you have an idea of which printing company you will use, you will be able to get your parameters for your calendar. If you have a sister in your chapter that is studying graphic design, ask if they will give a discount if you provide the design for them. Find out how many pictures you can use, and what type of pictures they will need. The representative at the company you are working with should be able to tell you exactly what they will need from you to print up the calendars. They should also give you a discount based upon the number of calendars you order.

Now that you have your parameters, you will then need to decide who will be posing for your calendar. Remember, the more inclusive your calendars are, the more you will sell. You may decide to choose the “Hot Guys on Campus” or even the “Hottest Greeks” which can include both sorority girls and guys. This gives you twelve months of pictures of some of the best looking Greeks on campus. Then you need to decide on a theme for each month and an overall theme. You can make your calendar amusing, placing your fraternity and sorority members in outrageous clothes or situations, or you can just put them in fun poses. Remember that you want your calendar to have broad appeal, so you may want to avoid anything vulgar.

A good idea when deciding on pictures is to have the people being photographed wear fraternity and sorority apparel and gifts. This way each member of the Greek system will be at least identified by their Greek letters. You can also give the photos some uniformity by having them wear similar fraternity and sorority apparel and gifts. If you do decide to have them wear the fraternity and sorority apparel and gifts, make sure you order them at least four to six weeks prior to the photography session.

Besides ordering your sorority apparel and gifts, you will also need to hire someone to take the photographs of the people you are going to put in the calendar. If you have a member of your sorority that is good at photography, then you are in luck. However, you will want to be sure that your photography is of a professional grade, so you may want to hire someone outside of your chapter. This will need to be done early, as many photographers get booked up rather quickly. Make sure you see samples of their work and get references, too.

Once you have ordered your sorority gifts and apparel along with hiring your photographer, then you can decide who you are going to be putting in your calendar. The simplest way to decide is to have a chapter meeting where you elect members of each sorority and/or fraternity that will be pictured. Have your sisters make nominations and then take a vote. Remember that it is okay to put two or three people in one picture, so if you have more than twelve chapters, you may just need to double up on the photos.

After you have your people chosen, you will need to approach each person to see if they are willing to have their picture taken for your calendar. Since it will be sold, you may want them to sign a release for use of the photos. Also, let them know what they will be wearing and any other details. Make sure they know about the photography session’s date and time. It is also a good idea to call each person the night before the photo session to remind them that their presence will be required. Make sure you have a couple of your sisters present for the photo session to make everyone feel comfortable and to address any issues.

After the photo session, you will then be sent proofs by the photographer, where you can then pick out your favorite photos. It can be a fun in-house event to have voting for each month’s photos. Then all photos and designs need to go to the printing house for your calendars to be made. The printer should tell you when they will have a proof ready for your review, and you need to be sure you go over it with a fine-tooth comb to prevent any errors.

While you are waiting for your calendars, you will then need to take orders. Send around flyers to each chapter, along with a price and a due date, so that you can obtain bulk orders. Make sure when you are pricing your calendars that your price covers all costs plus the donation. If you do not have all your forms back by your due date, then you can call each chapter. Double check the numbers of calendars ordered to the number of calendars you requested. Be sure you have enough coming plus extras. There are always non-Greek members that will buy your calendars plus outside individuals that will want one.

When the calendars are delivered, you will need to go through them to make sure that they are exactly what you signed off on. Then be sure to deliver your calendars of your Greek members dressed in their fraternity and sorority apparel and gifts to each chapter house. Advertise the calendars in the paper and put up flyers to take outside orders. Then enjoy counting down the school days on your Greek calendar.