"How much is this going to cost me?"

In theory, NOTHING! Dancers raise $120 dollars each through securing donations and pledges in advance. Your $15 dollar registration fee counts toward this amount, so you can fundraise that $15 dollars right back to yourself if you don't want it to be your contribution. We know it sounds like a lot of money, BUT with a little hard work and creativity, you can raise it in no time. Ask friends, families, and RSOs. And don't forget, the DM committee will be here to help you every step of the way. REMINDER: Please make all checks payable to the University of Chicago, NOT Dance Marathon!

Fundraising Tips & Hints

• Start early! You can raise the money in a week, but starting sooner is easier.
• Go canning in your house/dorm.
  Leave out a can labeled "Change for Pediatric AIDS/Dance Marathon" (or something along those lines) in front of your dorm door. Also periodically ask people in your house for spare change. Rachel Austin raised $140 that way last year. Lilly Connett also "canned" her house, going door-to-door with baked goods she made. Give someone a cookie and then ask for money, and odds are he/she will be feeling friendly toward you and more likely to donate.
• Ask your family/relatives.
  Start out with your parents. With other relatives, send a nice e-mail or letter, maybe with pictures of you dancing, or call them up.
• Hit up your friends when you go home for spring break.
  They love you, they miss you, and they don't go to the U of C, so they won't be getting asked by tons of people for DM donations.
• Ask people in your RSOs to sponsor you.
  If you can collect a couple dollars from every member of your organization, that's a great start.
• Explain what you're doing on your Facebook/blog/myspace any other online communities you belong to.
  The dancer who raised the most money last year, Jose (he came up with a whopping $1800), was active in blog communities. He set up a Paypal account and e-mailed everyone he knew asking for donations. Which brings me to my next point...
• E-mail/ask everyone you know.
  I asked my professors and TAs for donations, for example, and they were surprisingly generous.
• Have a bake sale.
  Suzanne Kim raised $120 in one day (not even a full day) by holding a bake sale in her dorm. You can also reserve a table in the Reynolds Club or Cobb and rotate shifts with friends - especially if you're part of a group.
• Throw a DM benefit party.
  Invite friends, RSO members, etc., and charge a couple dollars at the door. You might advertise that there'll be alcohol, smoothies, fondue, and/or finger food at the party. I know someone who threw an '80s-themed party in her apartment (not for DM, but for another good cause) and raised a lot of money.
• Hold a silent auction with your friends.
  Auction off items you feel like you can part with - old clothes, books, Girl Scout cookies, etc.
• Use any special skills you have.
  Charge for giving massages, cutting hair, teaching salsa, doing a portrait/caricature of someone, giving manicures, tutoring/editing papers, delivering a singing telegram, making homemade cards, etc. You've seen the woman's rugby team giving massages in the Reynolds Club, right? $2 for a short massage.
• Trade services for pledges.
  Offer to clean people's bathrooms, make them dinner, vacuum their rooms, carry their books to class, etc. in exchange for money.
• Hold a charity poker tournament.
  Or basketball/Ping Pong/video game/DDR tournament. Any competition where people pay an entry fee and part of that money goes to the winner, but the rest goes to DM.

These deadlines were made to help you raise the funds in a timely fashion. It is much easier to raise the funds in small increments over a long period of time, rather than having to raise all the money at once, a week before Dance Marathon. While we strongly encourage you to follow these deadlines, failure to raise funds by the half deadline will not disqualify you from participating in Dance Marathon. However, it is important that we have your full $120 amount by the day of the event. We want to make the fundraising process as easy, fun and stress free as possible. So watch out for the deadlines and let us know if you are having any trouble fundraising. We are all here to help.

Good luck, and happy fundraising!