Over a thousand colleges, institutes and universities celebrate #DaanUtsav! Students, student clubs, NSS or faculty drive the initiative in most cases. Some youth groups and nonprofits run campaigns across campuses too. Students pick up invaluable leadership skills, while developing empathy and doing their bit for society.
Check out this video to see examples of how youth have celebrated #DaanUtsav.
For any queries or more ideas on how to organise an event in a college, get in touch!
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Why should colleges celebrate #DaanUtsav?
What kind of events work for colleges?
For reference, a list of event ideas for colleges is here, starting from collection drives and fashion shows for a cause, to Seva Mela.
But the best way to figure out what events work is to leave it to the students, giving them space and support where required. Students are extremely resourceful, and come up with amazing ideas.
What can one do if there are exams or vacations during DaanUtsav?
#DaanUtsav during exams: Can organize simple events. Events such as collection drives (clothes, books, stationery, etc.) can be conducted during the week, with the majority of the preparation done well in advance. Other ideas include having students take quirky exam selfies (with fun messages about exams) by donating a small amount (say, Rs.50) for a cause.
#DaanUtsav during vacations: Day scholars can organize simple initiatives, such as clean-up drives, in the community. If promoted before the vacations and registrations are completed, WhatsApp groups can take over the co-ordination even during holidays.
#DaanUtsav during vacations: Hostel students who return home can organize giving events in their respective communities. TalentQuest of India has done this exceedingly well over the years, engaging 25,000+ students each year.
Who can one approach for permissions to do this in colleges?
The head of the institution is always a good person to speak to and get permission in place before you organize an event in a college. The best way to do this is to go through either one of the student councils or student body. There are many clubs, associations, and societies in most of the colleges, as well as faculty members who are in charge of the extra-curricular activities in the college. You can reach out to any of these people and once they are on board, they can help you reach the institution and get the permissions in place.
How does one get all students to participate in their #DaanUtsav event?
What are some of the objections/questions raised?
Two of the most objections are if there are exams or vacations during #DaanUtsav. This is addressed in a separate question.
Some of their other responses/concerns might be:
What are the resources and support available for event owners?
The #DaanUtsav website has many resources that are available for event owners, including, but not limited to:
How important is social media for college events?
Absolutely critical! It also allows the students to comfortably share their thoughts and ideas. They can leverage it in creative ways to spread the word about their #DaanUtsav celebrations – thus encouraging more people to do the same.
Here is a YouTube playlist which you can use to get more ideas and examples for organising your #DaanUtsav activity.
Click onicon to browse the playlist.
Say Thanks
Send gratitude cards or recorded messages to frontline workers.
Hello Senior!
Talk to senior citizens at elderly care homes.
Soulful Stories
Record a story in your native language and share it with children and the elderly.
Karaoke Idol Kaun?
Organise a karaoke fundraiser night with friends and family. People pay for the event and vote for the best performance of the night. The raised sum goes to the winner’s charity.
Game Game Mein
Organise online game-o-thons. Participants pay a minimal fee for each round and the final sum goes to the winner’s charity.
Khari Kamai – Earn & Give
Students “earn” through everyday chores like washing cars and bikes, running errands, etc. and donate their earnings to a charity.
One sign saves multiple lives
Sign up for organ donation and encourage your friends to do the same.
Donate a skill
Virtually share a skill (drawing, singing, cooking, playing an instrument, etc) with the underprivileged. Alternatively, you could also organise a fundraising event where you hold a workshop. The funds from this will go to a charity of your choice.
E-garage sale
Get together with your friends and family, and set up a digital garage sale on Instagram, Facebook or any other online platform. The money raised can go to a charity of your choice.
Solve Ninja
Each student thinks of and comes up with solutions for a social problem in their city / area / country – like excessive plastic in societies, potholes or garbage collected or lack of lighting or dividers on streets, etc.
It’s important. Period.
College students conduct digital awareness drives on menstrual health and hygiene in partnership with a local organisation. Issues like menstruation woes during lockdown and access to resources can be spotlighted. Students can also add a fundraiser to raise funds for menstrual hygiene resources for the organisation.
You e-wish!
Help NGOs set up creative e-wish trees for raising funds and resources.
The Singing Teachers’ Society
Ticketed fundraiser karaoke event where teachers perform. Students pay to attend and vote the best performance. The funds raised go to the winning teacher’s charity.
Game, Set, Go!
Ticketed virtual game week / event where students pay a minimal fee to play each round. The final amount raised goes to a charity nominated by the winner.
Volunteer from home
Students volunteer to help NGOs with any work for a week (virtually in most cases) — set up or manage their website, create marketing and communication assets, manage social media, co-ordinate for any existing campaigns, etc. Locate volunteer opportunities through online platforms like BuildTheWorld, ConnectFor, iVolunteer, etc.
Human chain
Start a virtual kindness challenge – do a simple act of giving and tag your friends and faculty and ask them to do the same and grow the chain.
7 Days 7 Givings
Pick 7 different acts of giving, one for each day of the #DaanUtsav week and get students/ residents/employees/members to contribute. The 7 acts could simply be 7 different items to be given (books on 1 day, clothes on another, etc.) or 7 types of activities (money, material, time, blood, skills, etc.).
Date Auction
In colleges, offices, clubs, gyms, a virtual date with the popular members/staff members/seniors or teachers is auctioned and proceeds go to the charity of their choice.
Change Festival
In colleges, clubs, theatres, large corporates, large apartments, a TEDx/ Litfest type format featuring social enterprises, ticket donations to charity.
Khari Kamai- Earn & Give
Students “earn” through everyday chores like washing cars and bikes, running errands, etc. and donate their earnings to a charity
Menstrual awareness drive
College students conduct awareness drives on menstrual health and hygiene in nearby slum/village areas, in partnership with a local organisation.
Road Safety Campaign
College students conduct road safety campaigns at traffic signals with activities including, but not limited to, appreciation badges for law-abiding/helmet-wearing motorists.
Street Plays
College students perform street plays on socially-relevant topics to raise awareness.
Joyfest
College students conduct a festival for residents of a nearby orphanage or old age home, including a cultural show, games, and food.
Fistful of joy
Encourage members to donate a fistful of grain/ sugar which is collected and given to an NGO.
Clean up drive
Organise an event to clean up public spaces like beaches, lakes, bus stands, stations, parks, govt hospitals, etc.
Gandhi For Gram
Identify a village nearby and get students/employees/members to visit and volunteer there for a day, to promote greater understanding of the challenges of rural life in modern times.
Gandhi 150 festival
Organise a festival in your school, college, office, club, group, association or apartment to celebrate Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The festival can include debates, essay contests, Khadi shows, films and other activities that represent Gandhi’s values. Audience/ participants donate to take part and the proceeds go to Gandhian charities.
DaanDe March
Organise a march/walk involving your students/employees/members and also other organisations near your institution, raising awareness about causes and inviting the public to contribute in cash and kind.
Tree plantation
Carry out tree plantation campaigns in nearby school/college campuses and grounds, parks, office campuses or in nearby plantation areas identified by environmental NGOs. Plantation can also be done in nearby rural areas.
Beautification Drive
Organise an event to beautify public spaces like compound walls, bus stands, stations, parks and gardens, govt schools & hospitals, shelter homes, etc
Plog Run
Get participants to go on a run and collect all the plastic they encounter on the run, from the streets. The collected plastic is given to a recycler.
Collection Drive
A drive to collect and donate new or old books, toys, bags, stationery, uniform, newspapers, shoes, clothes and other stuff and donate them to NGOs.
Run/Walk for a cause
A walk/ run for a cause, where participants donate and fundraise to support the chosen cause.
Seva Mela- NGO stalls
In a school, college, corporate, club or large apartment complex, NGOs put up stalls showcasing their cause and selling their products.
Seva Mela- Fun for a Cause
In a school, college, corporate, club or large apartment complex, NGOs put up stalls with food and games, and all proceeds go to charity.
Jail & Bail
Leaders (CXOs, Principals, Directors, Trustees, Office bearers) are “jailed for doing good” and others have to “bail them out” by donating to a charity of their choice.
Charity Raffle / Housie
A raffle, housie or “tambola” where members donate items as prizes (spare new phones, crockery, travel accessories, bags, watches, etc.), and everyone buys tickets with the proceeds going to charity.
Card Carrying Membership
Poker, rummy, bridge or other card games where everyone “buys in” and nominates a charity, money goes to the winners’ nominated charities.
Visits to NGOs
Visits to nearby shelter, old age home, orphanage, special needs org, etc.
Who’s the MasterChef? (MasterChef Kaun?)
in schools, offices, clubs, apartments, a Masterchef contest, where each participant creates, others “buy” food coupons, proceeds go to charity. The winner’s charity gets a special prize. Can focus on men cooking to change stereotypes.
Date Auction
In colleges, offices, clubs, gyms, a lunch or safe dinner date with the popular members is auctioned and proceeds go to the charity of their choice.
Memories on Sale
Students auction their favourite college possessions and memorablia and donate proceeds to a charity. The auction can also use “hours volunteered in DaanUtsav” as a currency.
Blood donation camps
In association with nearby blood banks and hospitals or groups like Lions that conduct such camps.
Kara-OK Action (Kuch Achha Karao-ke)
Sing for a cause on karaoke, the audience buys tickets to listen, proceeds go to charity.
Food drive
Preparing, collecting and distributing food to those in need on the streets or at shelter and care homes, or even to auto drivers at a stand, etc.
Seva Sandwich
Individuals in a group contribute various ingredients of a sandwich, get together and make sandwiches and distribute them to those in need.
Kindness Fridge
Set up a “kindness fridge” in a public place like an apartment, school, college, hospital and create groups of people who will ensure the fridge is stocked.
Thank’Em
Thank class 4 staff of school, college, corp, club, apt, etc. – serve them, have fun WITH them, treat them as equals.
Record Audio Books
Everyone records an audio book for the blind.
Change Festival
In colleges, clubs, theatres, large corporates, large apartments, a TEDx/ Litfest type format featuring social enterprises, ticket donations to charity.
Bake Sale/ Art Sale
People exhibit their talents in baking/ other arts and sell their products, proceeds go to charity.
Adopt an Institution
Help a govt school, bus shelter, night shelter, newspaper stand, park get a complete makeover and take care of it through the year.
The Tiny Flea Garage Sale
Flea market within school, college, corp, apartment, club etc. where members bring items and others buy them, all proceeds go to charity.
Cycle/ Bike/Car Rally for a cause
A rally for a cause, where participants donate and fundraise to support the chosen cause.
7 Days 7 Givings
Pick 7 different acts of giving, one for each day of the #DaanUtsav week and get students/ residents/employees/members to contribute. The 7 acts could simply be 7 different items to be given (books on 1 day, clothes on another, etc.) or 7 types of activities (money, material, time, blood, skills, etc.).
Street Store
Organise a collection drive for items in good condition, clean, mend and pack the donated items nicely and set up a “store” on a street nearby. Offer “coupons” to potential beneficiaries which they can use to “buy” the items that THEY choose from the street store, instead of being handed over something that someone else chose for them.
Wish Tree
Set up a “Wish Tree” and allow members to fulfill wishes sourced from a local nonprofit that you wish to support.
#DaanUtsav Booths
Pop-up #DaanUtsav booths in public spaces provide opportunities to donate for a particular NGO/cause.
Whats App?
Spread awareness about the festival and ideas to celebrate on Whats App / Facebook groups. These groups can also be used to raise funds for a cause.
Hello senior!
Visit an old-age home and interact with senior citizens: play games, dance and organise fun activities to brighten their day.
Love volunteering?
Locate volunteering opportunities through online platforms like BuildTheWorld, ConnectFor, iVolunteer, etc.
Game, Set, Go!
Organise game-o-thons among with your classmates and teachers. Participants pay a minimal fee for each round and the final sum goes to the winner’s charity.
Human chain
Start a virtual kindness challenge – do a simple act of giving and tag your friends and ask them to do the same. Create kindness chain.
Date Auction
In colleges, offices, clubs, gyms, a lunch or safe dinner date with the popular members is auctioned and proceeds go to the charity of their choice.