The perks of school fundraising are largely obvious. It affords all the extras you can't imagine going without like field trips, new computers, reading essentials, or the luxury of Spring Formal. But fundraising also affords less obvious perks that are hugely educational, like life lessons on personal commitment, responsibility to others, goal setting, communication, planning, and so on. Without realizing it, students who fundraise are banking practical experience with essential skills needed for their futures. For today's post, let's delve a little deeper into goal setting.

Goal-setting is a critical skill for students to master for a variety of different reasons. Students who set their owns goals in fundraising learn the value of getting involved, long-term planning, self-discipline, follow-through, and fulfilling commitments to others.

Naturally, guidance is essential for all young fundraisers, but once the the success tips have been imparted and the pep talks have been had, letting them decide how much they will sell and ultimately, how they will go about their selling can yield some amazing results. In being allowed to formulate their own plan and to devise their personal selling strategies, they'll quickly learn that plotting a course of action and sticking to it is the only way to feel the thrill of realizing a goal. They'll learn that reaching outside of themselves something that can often feel intimidating actually bolsters their self-confidence. Further, they'll fully grasp the concept that individual actions directly impact others, for better or for worse.

ADDITIONAL PERKS OF GOAL SETTING:

Focus: Students given the room to assign numbers and deadlines to a task learn focus. Being told they are needed to 'help raise money' is vague, but being told they have to earn (for example) $200 by month's end, is a detailed request that forces an attention to detail and some critical thought.

Motivation: As we all know, success in achieving goals brings personal pride and satisfaction. Conversely, failure to meet our goals creates embarrassment and personal dissatisfaction. Either outcome however, positive or negative, fosters motivation.

Time Management: Being clear on goals allows for careful planning, careful planning allows for undue confusion, and the absence of confusion means that time is managed efficiently. Better than expected, often quicker results are achieved when time is put to good use.

Common Sense: Formulating one's own plan makes it much easier (and far less stressful) to make the necessary decisions to move things forward. Young fundraisers given the autonomy to set their goals will spend less time wondering if they're 'doing it right' or 'meeting expectations' and instead, feel empowered and encouraged to act confidently from an innate, 'common sense' perspective.

How have your students or children dealt with setting their own goals? We'd love for you to leave your comments below.