Not as involved on campus as you would like to be? Got a spare night for another club meeting, but you can’t seem to find an organization or club that interests you? No matter how many clubs your school has, each one of them had to start from scratch. Although it may sound intimidating at first, you can easily start your own club if nothing captures your interest just yet. Here are 6 different ideas for you to take charge of (and 5 tips on on how to do that!).
1. She’s the First
As a nonprofit, She’s the First sponsors and supports the education of girls in developing countries. The goal is to help these girls be the first in their families to graduate, says She’s the First’s mission statement. If you want to get involved, you can start your own campus chapter by recruiting a Dream Team to play an integral role in planning a fundraiser per semester and spreading the word about She’s the First on campus.
Find out more here.
2. Colleges Against Cancer
Colleges Against Cancer is the collegiate branch of the American Cancer Society, known for bringing Relay for Life to college campuses. The overnight event includes a survivors’ lap, luminaria ceremony and a Fight Back ceremony. To join the fight against cancer, bring Relay for Life to your campus and host fundraisers for cancer research and awareness by starting your own chapter of Colleges Against Cancer.
Find out more here.
3. Strong Women, Strong Girls
Join Strong Women, Strong Girls to make an impact on young girls’ lives to help them become strong women. This organization is all about positive, social change. SWSG looks to college women to step in as mentors with elementary school girls in the area. SWSG has started expanding their list of partnerships with institutions of higher learning, but if you don’t see your school listed, check out their website to learn how to start your own.
4. Circle K International
Circle K is an organization dedicated to all types of community service. Its motto is “Live to Serve, Love to Serve.” Circle K is all about giving back to the community, in whichever way you choose, but the official service partners are Better World Books, March of Dimes, Students Team Up to Fight Hunger and UNICEF. Members can also serve at local food pantries and shelters. If you need more reasons to start Circle K on your campus, visit their website to be convinced in no time.
5. TOMS
You already wear TOMS all the time, but if you support what TOMS stands for, take it a step further and start a TOMS Campus Club. Those involved are students “who are working together to raise awareness and share the TOMS story at their school by hosting events and activities,” according to its website. An active member receives experience in a variety of fields, including marketing and event planning. If you love what TOMS stands for in helping put shoes on less fortunate kids, start your own campus club.
6. Her Campus
If you love journalism, media, marketing, or communications, starting your school’s own “My Campus” chapter of Her Campus may be what’s right for you. You would become part of the Her Campus network as you run your own online magazine. With a team of strong girls who love to write and publicize on campus, you can keep your site updated on a weekly basis and watch as your hard work flourishes and grows. If that interests you, check out how to start your own “My Campus” chapter!
So now you know what club you want to start, but how exactly do you go about doing that? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are five tips on how to start a club on campus.
1. Know what already exists.
When student organizations are not formally recognized, a common reason is because a similar group already exists. Being aware of what already exists on campus can prevent your hard work from going to waste. Check your school’s website for the full list of student organizations at your school to see if it’s there. If it says it’s there but you know it isn’t active on campus, contact whoever is listed about getting involved and rejuvenating the club.
2. Know about your school’s process.
This is where every school varies. Typically, your student government is the body that chooses to recognize a student organization or club. Sydney, a collegiette, is involved with her school’s student government and said it is important to know as much as possible about the process.
“Know who’s responsible for chartering new clubs or organizations (like student government), what they want to see from new clubs or organizations, and if there are any existing clubs that are fairly similar to the ones you’re starting,” says Sydney.
By being aware of your school’s process, you can get a sense for how much work is ahead of you. Alexa J., campus correspondent of Her Campus James Madison, had to submit an application for a new club to her school three times before being picked because of its lottery system.
3. Know what is expected of you as a recognized student organization.
Becoming an actual student club is one thing, but once you get past those steps, what else do you need to do?
“We had to go to these special leadership workshops where we learned things like event planning on campus, how to get money, and writing our constitution and other important documents,” said Alexa.
4. Be persistent.
Starting a club and becoming recognized on campus by your school can be a tedious process. Making sure all of your new team members have the same goals in mind can be tiresome. It’s important to remember you can’t just give up.
Alexa from JMU finally received the recognition she wanted for her club after the third time. “It was easy for us since we already had a club with people in it and it was functioning – we just needed the recognition so we could get access to advertising on campus!” shared Alexa.
5. Be patient.
Hillary C., campus correspondent of Her Campus Bryant, started a club on campus in spring 2012. One of the biggest lessons she has learned has been about patience.
“The biggest thing to remember is to be patient,” said Hillary. “It takes a while to get people on the same page as you.”
Starting a club takes a lot of work, but take it from Hillary’s own experiences that it’s worth it.
“Things are going to get tough and you may have to nag people to get what you want done,” said Campus Correspondent Hillary, “but the end result is incredibly rewarding.”