A successful community service project is the result of clear objectives, thoughtful planning and coordination, inventive use of resources, follow-through and reflection.
Use this guide to help your Betas develop a service project for our school and/or community!
Think about the most important needs of local neighborhoods, community or state. Which of these issues can you take action with your fellow Beta's to fill and which could you organize a solution for on your own?
Think about the size of our club and the ages of members - are there enough members to be involved and are members old enough to participate? What skills can our current Beta Club members bring to the table? what resources can our Beta families offer? How much time and commitment are we asking from our club?
Rank the activities in order of importance, interest and ability to complete based on the resources and skills determined in Step 2. Reach a consensus or use a vote by majority rule to determine the activity our club will complete or what you can complete on your own.
Give your project a name and determine a 1-2 sentence mission statement that defines your project's goal.
Make a chart to help you visualize information and your goal. Document your success with notes, pictures, videos, etc. Turn in artifacts and a record of hours to your Beta Club sponsor.
Following the project’s completion, meet with your group or complete a reflection to submit to your club sponsor to determine what worked well, what didn’t work well and improvements to make on the next project or whether this is a service project the LEHS Beta Club should do again!
Sponsor adoption fees for your local pet shelter or humane society
Sell awareness ribbons and donate the proceeds to a charity- Advertise through Facebook or other social media platforms and deliver to buyer’s’ front doors
Collect soda can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House and mail them in
Inspiration bracelets- Get crafty and create bracelets that bring awareness to causes close to you- Advertise via social media and mail or drop them off for the buyer
Write encouraging chalk messages on the sidewalks at nursing homes (if permitted)
Distribute leaf bags and oer to assist neighbors with raking their yards
Create a compilation of online videos to share on the school website or Facebook with encouraging words, quotes, or songs
Gather newspapers and give to a local animal shelter to line their crates
Make videos of reading books online for primary school students
Call local nonprofits to find out current needs in your community
Paint the window of a local small business to show love and support (if permitted)
Donate gently used clothing to a local charity in your community
Organize a songfest and perform outside the windows of a nursing home
Plant a community garden
Offer dog-walking services to those who cannot give their pets the proper amount of exercise
Decorate kindness rocks and leave inspiring messages in a garden or park
Organize a hike or nature walk (if you are able to in your area) and bring bags to collect trash along the trails
Host a coat drive for the homeless
Host a sock drive for your local homeless shelter
Host a bottled water drive for the homeless
Host a Thanksgiving food drive for a children’s home
Sponsor a school supply drive for a low-income school or families
Host a hat drive for an organization that gives hats and head coverings to children with cancer
Host a pet supply drive and collect items your local animal shelter needs
Host a supply drive for the Children’s Shelter—Collect donations of school supplies, gently used clothing and shoes, personal hygiene items, etc. Work with the shelter to determine their greatest needs
Host a toy drive for children in long-term hospital stays
Host a blanket drive for seniors or the homeless
Host a canned food drive for your local food pantry
Raise funds to donate to the local pregnancy center in your community
Create treat bags for the janitorial staff in your district
Collect change to donate to local organizations in your area
Create care packages of personal items for the homeless- Donate to your homeless shelter who can determine individuals with greatest need
Collect personal care items to give to United States Service men and women
Have students and teachers bring in gently used clothing items to donate or have a sale and donate the money to a charity
Have a push up-a-thon (or other type of workout/walk) to raise money for a local cause that is close to your club—Have supporters donate per pushup, mile, etc. that each member completes
Host Bingo at a Senior Center or Nursing Home complete with Dollar Store prizes. It makes their day!
Host a dodgeball, softball, volleyball, etc. tournament with an entry fee for spectators and participants, donate proceeds to a charitable organization
Host a craft day with elementary students in your district
Have a bake sale and donate the proceeds to a charitable organization
Host a blood drive at your school
Host a Lemonade Lollipops and Skittles (LLS) sale to benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Host an Alumni dinner- Invite graduates of your school and donate admission fees to a philanthropy your school partners with
Participate in Relay for Life
Write letters of encouragement to soldiers overseas
Write letters of encouragement to nursing home residents
Create colorful placements/name cards/centerpieces for nursing home residents’ Thanksgiving dinner or other holidays
Make fleece blankets for the homeless
Create Valentine’s Day cards for a children’s hospital
Create signs to put up in your school that invoke happiness and inspiration for everyone who sees them
Volunteer to clean the football field after games or the gym after basketball games
Head up a highway cleanup project!
Clean up the roads around your district’s schools
Volunteer at the soup kitchen in your city
Collect and deliver snacks to your fire or police departments
Do yard work for an elderly neighbor
Sponsor a high school student to attend prom
Tutor students in your school on subjects that might be challenging to them
Read books to kindergarteners in your district
Create a community library- Have students and teachers donate gently used books for members of the community to read and trade
Head up a recycling program in your school- have students and teachers bring plastic and aluminum from home to recycle
Work with a local organization to provide Christmas gifts to children who might not otherwise get anything for Christmas
Adopt a senior and help them with grocery shopping, house chores, yard work, anything they may need help with
Develop a Clothes Closet for your school and community- accept gently used items for anyone in need to take
Sponsor a child to make their wish come true
Create happy grams- write notes of encouragement and kindness to students and teachers in your school to lift their spirits and create a positive environment *Could also send these via email if your school is virtual
Volunteer at a local college’s sporting events- run concessions, hand out programs, clean up after the game, etc.
Host a pantry drive for your local hospice center
Planning a fundraiser shares many steps in common with planning a service project. The key difference is the collection of money. Any funds collected by the club have to be strictly recorded. We are a non-profit organization and all our proceeds must be used to benefit the community.
Concession stands at school sporting events — have parents/teachers/your community members donate food and drinks to sell with profits going to your club!
Have a movie night in your school gym/cafeteria/outside with access to a projector—Charge an entry fee and sell donated pizza, snacks, drinks during the movie, have students bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on *Can make this holiday themed — Christmas movie, Halloween, etc.
Host a school dance
Have a bake sale
Have a dodgeball (or other sport) tournament with faculty vs. students. Charge each person to participate. Sell donated snacks during the event.
Sell t-shirts or other items with school name/logo — Helpful hint: Pre-order these so you don’t have leftovers!
Host a yard sale with students/teachers/sta donating items to be sold- Don’t forget to advertise on your club’s/school’s social media platforms!
Create an escape room fun day — Have your Beta Club create a few escape room scenarios for other students and school sta to complete. Charge an entrance fee.
Dessert/cakes/pies auction — have the bakers in your school/community donate a delicious homemade cake, pie, or dessert to be auctioned o with proceeds going to the Beta Club
Have a school talent show with ticket sales going to the Beta Club
Hat days on Friday — Charge students $1 to wear their favorite (school appropriate) hat
Talk to your principal about having jean days for your teachers with proceeds going to the Beta Club. Charge a fee for teachers to wear jeans on a given day.
Host a “Painting night with Betas” — Anyone who wants to participate can pay a fee to paint a pre-drawn picture
Host a pancake supper
Host a teacher lip sync battle with entrance fees going to the Beta Club
Have a fun run/walk with proceeds going to the Beta Club
Have a spaghetti dinner
Have Spirit Week where each day is a different theme. Have students dress for the theme and pay a small fee to participate.
Sell Spirit links — cut strips of construction paper and sell each for a dollar. Have homerooms or specific classes of students compete to see which classroom has the most school spirit!
Milk jug competition — Beta members decorate a milk jug, have friends and family vote for them by putting change inside their favorite decorated jug.
Host Trunk or Treat for Halloween on the football field
Host Trivia night and charge an entry fee to participate
Sell roses at Valentine’s Day
Sell orange crush sodas for Valentine’s Day — Have students buy these throughout the week before Valentine’s Day, then have your Beta Club deliver them on the actual day
Sell candy grams at Valentine’s Day
Sell candy cane grams at Christmas
Sell turkey grams at Thanksgiving
Plan a Fall Festival, Haunted House, or Halloween Carnival
Plant sale in the spring — have parents, teachers, community members donate seeds for your Beta Club to plant and sell the seedlings
Sell lollipops or other seasonal candy
Sell fall mums starting in September
Have a basket filling contest — Each home room comes up with a theme for students to bring in donated items for. Auction off the baskets and the proceeds go to your Beta Club.
Sell doughnuts through your local doughnut shop fundraiser
Sell chocolate bars
Sell popcorn
Ask local businesses to sponsor your Beta Club. Hang their business banners/posters at sporting events, etc.
Peel to save cards or mobile coupon app (on your phone) for restaurants in your area
Coupon books — Ask restaurants, stores, etc. in your community if they are interested in putting a coupon to their establishment in a coupon book. Beta members sell the books.
Have a car wash one Saturday morning at a local business with lots of trac
Have Bingo Night at your school or community center — Charge per Bingo card, have prizes donated for the Bingo winners
Partner with a local restaurant to have Beta Night, a percentage of the night’s profits go to your club
Rae o a TV, headphones, etc. donated by the community/local businesses
Sell ads for businesses to be included in the football program or any sport/club’s program
National Beta fundraiser: Tumblers for Tomorrow.
Ask for donations from local businesses/parents/teachers/etc. (can be done over the phone, by letter or email)
Host a silent auction with donations from the community (can be done in person or by posting photos of auction items on a Facebook group or other platform)