APhAPOLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE:

FUNDRAISING IDEAS

  1. Straw Poll
  2. Political Quiz Game
  3. State of the Union Watch Party
  4. Bingo
  5. Raffle for Tickets to the APhA Political Leadership Breakfast
  6. Pharmacy Law Quiz Bowl
  7. Mock Debate
  8. Professional Dress Fashion Show
  1. Straw Poll

Give your members a chance express their opinions with a voluntary straw poll. Use an upcoming election or another current issue as the subject of your “vote.” Require a donation with each ballot.

  1. Political Quiz Game

Hosting a political quiz game is a great group activity to learn fun facts and to brush up on your civics knowledge. Consider asking participants to give a small donation to participate in the game. APhA has prepared a sample list of questions to choose from, found in the document “Sample Political Quiz Game.”

Here's how to play:

  1. The SPAN Coordinator will operate and serve as the official of the Quiz Game.
  2. Depending on the number of players, the group of participants should divide into 3 to 5 teams.
  3. The SPAN Coordinator will be responsible for asking questions. (It is recommended that the SPAN Coordinator write the questions on note cards to pick from randomly.
  4. One participant on the team will be asked a question. The participant can answer the question by themselves or the participant can ask their teammates for assistance.
  5. If the participant is able to answer the question without assistance, the team receives 5 points for each correct answer.
  6. If the participant has to consult with the team, the team receives 3 points for each correct answer.
  7. If the participant answers wrong, no points are given or deducted.
  8. The SPAN Coordinator has the authority to rule whether the answer is correct and the authority to give partial credit for answers.
  9. The use of electronic devices to answer questions should be prohibited.
  10. The questions should go from team to team, and the team member who takes the question must rotate among the team members so that everyone receives an equal number of questions.
  11. The team with the most points wins.
  1. Pharmacy Law Quiz Bowl

Another quiz game you could play is Pharmacy Law Quiz Bowl. Ask your law professor, a new practitioner, or a final-year student pharmacist to prepare the questions and answers.

This game is well-suited to categories, so divide the questions into thematic groups. You could also assign the questions different point values, so then the contestant could select, for example, “Controlled Substances Law for 100 points” instead of receiving questions at random.

  1. State of Union Watch Party

The annual State Union Address is an exciting opportunity to learn about hot issues in Washington and Congress’s legislative agenda for the next year. Consider asking attendees to contribute a small donation to attend. To find information about the State of the Union address, visit

Ideas to consider for the event:

  • Providing food and refreshments (at the expense of the Chapter)
  • Having a pre-State of the Union event
  • Adding a networking component
  • Combining it with the Political Quiz game, a presidential Straw Poll, or a game of Bingo
  1. Bingo

You can play “buzzword” bingo while watching any televised political debate or speech. The State of the Union Address is a good example, but you could adapt this game to any number of occasions. Sell the Bingo cards to the participants.

Prepare the cards before the event, using “buzzwords” that are appropriate for the occasion. For example, APhA prepared the attached blank “Sample Bingo Card” and the word list below for the State of the Union Address. Write one word/phrase in each square, making each board different.

PUBLICDEFICITPEOPLEWORK

AMERICANSAMERICATAXINVEST

SMALL BUSINESSCOMPETEAFGHANISTANWE

CONGRESSVOTERSWORLDREPUBLICIAN

BIPARTISANYEARFAST TRACKJOBS

NATIONHELPBUSINESSINNOVATE

FREEDOMRECOMMENDGOVERNMENTUNITED STATES

COUNTRYWARDEMOCRATECONOMY

INDEPENDENTBOEHNERPRESIDENTCHANGE

SPECIAL INTERESTPAKISTANDEFENSEEDUCATION

DEBTBILLMIDDLE CLASSBELIEVE

  1. Raffle for Tickets to the APhA Political Leadership Breakfast

You can raffle off tickets to the APhA Political Leadership Breakfast. Each ticket to the breakfast costs $40, so you could sell raffle tickets for $5 to $10 each. The winner of the random drawing gets to attend the breakfast. In order for this fundraiser to break even, you need to raise at least triple the cost of the prize (so, $120 for each Political Leadership Breakfast ticket). If you do not raise enough money, APhA-PAC will have to pay the cost of the overhead. So, consider carefully how many tickets you will be able to sell.

  1. Print out copies of the attached template, “Blank Raffle Tickets.”
  2. Write a number on each ticket, using the same number on each side of the ticket.
  3. Keep one side for yourself and one side for the purchaser.
  4. Once a winner is drawn, send the name, email, and contact information to APhA.
  5. The winner will be able to pick up their ticket at the registration booth at Annual Meeting.
  1. Mock Debate

Host a mock debate for an upcoming election or other current topic of interest. Find vocal chapter members to represent the different sides of the issue. Require a donation for admission or “pass the hat” during the event. You could also hold a straw poll (above) at the end of the debate. This is a great opportunity to educate your chapter members about current events that impact our profession!

  1. Professional Dress Fashion Show

Help your chapter members prepare for their future careers with a fashion show demonstrating professional dress appropriate for different settings and occasions. You could also combine this event with an “Etiquette Dinner” where student pharmacists can practice their table manners and conversational skills. Require a donation in exchange for admission to the event.

APhA-PAC Fundraising Ideas- Page 1 of 3