Your Fundraising Guide
How you raise the money for this program is your first real music industry project. Own it like one.
Your Fundraiser Is Your First Audition
Just about every Music Business professional working in the industry knows how to do one thing above everything else: make something happen with the resources in front of them. They throw events. They sell tickets. They hustle on social media. They find sponsors. They follow up. They get creative when the budget is tight and the timeline is short.
Sound familiar? It should, because that's exactly what fundraising for your tuition for a Future Hitmakers Academy program is going to replicate. And here's the thing: how you raise the money tells us, and everyone watching, exactly what you're made of and how bad you want to be here.
Our founder, Deanna Kenisell, has spent 25+ years in the music business doing exactly this, helping artists & celebrities raise funds, rally communities, and turn big ideas into real events that move people and raise millions for the causes that matter most to them. She knows firsthand how much heart, hustle, and creativity it takes. She also knows that the students who bring that same energy to their fundraising are the ones who are truly ready for what this industry demands. This isn't just a task to check off, it's your first real test, and she's rooting for you to knock it out of the park.
The student who designs a flyer, pre-sells tickets, runs a social media campaign, manages the money, and follows up with every donor? That student is already thinking like a music industry professional. Use this opportunity to prove you belong here before you even arrive.
3 Steps to Your Fundraising Goal
Set Your Goal
Start with the total cost of attending, tuition plus any travel expenses. Subtract what your family can contribute. What's left is your fundraising goal. Write it down. Make it real.
Build Your Plan
Choose your methods, set your timeline, and work backwards from your tuition deadline. Pick two or three ideas from this page and commit to them fully.
Execute & Follow Up
Launch your campaign, show up for your events, and keep your donors in the loop. When it's over, thank everyone. Every single person. A handwritten note goes further than you think.
Our Favorite Fundraiser, Kindness First
This one is special. It's not about selling anything. It's about who you are, and who you're choosing to be.
Fundraising Through Kindness
We love the idea behind Raise Craze, an online platform where instead of selling products, participants complete Acts of Kindness throughout a campaign to earn pledges. It's all about paying it forward, not getting paid to be kind. The music industry, at its best, is a community built on generosity and lifting each other up. Starting your journey to Future Hitmakers Academy by doing the same? That's the whole thing right there.
While individual students are not able to set up a Raise Craze campaign independently, we think the concept is genius, and something students can absolutely implement in similar ways within their own communities.
If there is enough interest among enrolled students, FHA can look at launching our own Raise Craze campaign for our students to raise funds to help cover their tuition. Interested? Reach out and let us know, if enough students are on board, we'll make it happen.
Produce an Event, Think Like a Promoter
Every great concert started with someone who decided to make it happen. These fundraising ideas will teach you more about the music business than you realize.
Talent Showcase Night
Open the stage to singers, instrumentalists, dancers, comedians, spoken word artists, DJs. Charge for tickets to watch. Add a donation jar at the door. You are the promoter. You are the talent buyer. You are the marketing team. You are the box office.
Pro tip from the music industry: Pre-sell every ticket. Know your audience size before the night arrives.
Sell Tickets in Advance
Use Eventbrite, Venmo, or cash pre-sales. Know your number before showtime.
Market Like a Pro
Flyers, Instagram Reels, TikTok, school announcements. Start 2–3 weeks out.
Add Revenue Streams
Door donations, a concession table, a raffle, a merch item. Every layer adds up.
Partner with a local fried chicken restaurant, sell tickets ahead of time, customers arrive and pick up their meal. The restaurant gives you a portion of the proceeds.
Sell plate tickets ahead of time, buy BBQ at a discount, plate into to-go boxes, run a drive-through pickup. You only buy what you've already sold.
Simple, scalable, and crowd-pleasing. Sell tickets in advance, dine in or drive-through. Ask a church hall or community center to donate the space.
Low overhead, high visibility. Set up at a church lot, school, or local business. Make a sign that tells your story, people give more when they know why.
Host a music-themed trivia night and sell tickets for entrance. Let teams form and compete. Charge per person or per team, add a prize for the winning table.
Music industry angle: Design a flyer. Print tickets. Set up a sound system. Run it like a show, this is event production experience in real time.
Gather original artwork from students in your co-op, school, or community and auction it off at a live or online event. Share the bidding link through email and social media so family and friends near and far can participate.
Make it special: Frame the pieces, title each one, and display them gallery-style. Sell tickets at the door for an opening night event.
Collect original artwork from co-op students or classmates and turn it into a printed calendar. Sell to family, community members, and local businesses via Shutterfly, Vistaprint, or Canva.
More Fundraising Ideas
These ideas take a little more planning but deliver strong results, especially combined with a solid social media push.
Sell Domino's discount cards through slicethepricecard.com. Buyers get future discounts; you keep a portion of every card sale. Easy to sell to anyone who eats pizza.
Collect donated items, gift certificates, experiences, handmade goods. Sell tickets at $1 each or $5 for 10, draw winners publicly online or in person.
Set up a GoFundMe page telling your story, who you are, what FHA is, why it matters. Share everywhere. Post updates as your goal gets closer.
Post a menu on social media, take pre-orders, bake in one batch, set a pickup day. Pre-orders mean you know your profit before you bake a single cookie.
Finding Sponsors & Individual Donors
Local businesses and community organizations often have funds set aside for exactly this kind of opportunity. All you have to do is ask, clearly, professionally, and with a specific amount in mind.
Your Inner Circle First
Family, family friends, former teachers, coaches, and employers. These people already believe in you and are most likely to say yes first.
Local Businesses
Supermarkets, banks, restaurants, salons, many small businesses have community sponsorship budgets. Visit in person when you can. Bring a one-pager about yourself and the program.
Community Organizations
Rotary Club, Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, religious organizations, and civic groups are known for supporting young people with educational opportunities.
Your School's Network
Academic departments, alumni associations, and your school's administration may have access to funds or know organizations that do.
Write a Sponsor Letter
A short professional letter with your story, a one-pager about FHA, and a specific dollar ask. Keep it simple. Be clear on the amount and how it will be used.
Always Say Thank You
Whether they say yes or no, thank them. Send a handwritten note. When you return from the program, tell them what you learned. You're building relationships that could last a lifetime.
Tips for Every Fundraiser
- Pre-sell everything possible.Money collected before the day means guaranteed profit and zero guesswork. This is exactly how real promoters operate.
- Start advertising early.Give yourself 2–3 weeks of promotion before any event. Consistent promotion builds anticipation and drives ticket sales.
- Tell your story everywhere.People don't just donate to causes, they donate to people. Share who you are, why FHA matters to you, and what you plan to do with the experience.
- Track every dollar.Keep a simple spreadsheet of what you raised, where it came from, and what you spent. This is the beginning of real financial literacy, and it's a skill the music business runs on.
- Combine methods.The strongest fundraisers use more than one approach, an online campaign running alongside a live event, plus sponsor letters going out in the mail.
- Ask for donations on supplies.Before you spend money on materials, ask if anyone will donate them. Many people are happy to contribute something tangible when they can't give cash.
Step 4, Always Follow Up
When your fundraising is done and you've secured your spot, go back to every single person who donated or sponsored you, and thank them properly. A handwritten note. A personal text. An email update as the program date gets closer.
And when you come home, tell them what happened. What you learned. Who you met. How the week changed you. Share the photos. Let them see that their investment in you meant something.
That's not just good manners. That's how relationships in the music industry work. Start practicing that today.
Ready to Secure Your Spot?
Enroll first, then fundraise. Your spot is only held once tuition is paid. Spots are limited so act fast!