If you’ve got a school club or organization then it’s likely they’re gearing up for a community service project. There are many good choices. Even the simplest one can be difficult to operate without the proper preparation though. There are many ways to planning a service project. Consider the following:

4 Ways to Planning a Service Project:

Look at Your Budget

The first step is to always look at your budget first. You need to know how much your school club can afford. If the project is too expensive then school funds might not be enough. You’ll have to ask students and parents to give some cash to launch the project. That almost never works.

Look for free or low-cost projects. There are several of these such as Yuda Bands. This is a free project about selling bracelets to fund education. The charity foundation provides everything and unsold items can get sent back for free. Consider projects like this since it doesn’t need anything from the participants.

If you’re raising funds then you should also consider the cost of the items. Yuda Bands sell for only $7 a piece and some Girl Scout Cookies sell for $10 and under. If you’re selling tickets to a show or a fair then anything under $10 is ideal. Be careful with pricing because expensive items might not sell well.

Check Your Schedule

Another important aspect is to check when you’ll launch the project and how long it’ll run. You don’t want community service activities to coincide with exams and other major school events. You don’t want it to run alongside the school prom weekend or homecoming weekend. Those events could distract students from participating in the service project.

You should also check how long each project lasts. Yuda Bands only goes for two weeks so it is very easy to squeeze in. Recycling competitions often last only for a week or two as well. Some projects like Habitat for Humanity are only for a day or two. Those are all great projects because of their brevity.

Know Your Goals

What do you want to instill in your students? Do you want them to understand the value of education? You want them to learn leadership skills through service? Do you want the students to see the impact of pollution on the environment? Is it time for them to learn how poverty works?

Each service project has a different goal. Make sure you let the students understand each one during the preparation phase. Also, check what school clubs or organizations are around. Leo Club and Key Club both focus on cultivating future leaders through service. FFCLA does the same but it focuses more on agriculture and the environment. Always make sure the service project’s goals align with the goals of the clubs.

Set Leadership Roles

This is a crucial step. You need to give leadership roles to the students. Let someone be a team leader. Let another person handle the marketing. can take care of Public Relations. Others can be in charge of selling the product or organizing their schedule. By giving them responsibilities you’re training them to become future leaders.

Leadership roles will also motivate the students more. They’ll get more involved with the service project if they have a reason to get invested in it.