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FAQ

Who is Oxfam America?
What are Oxfam America's current campaigns?
How can I start an Oxfam club on my campus?
What should we/can we name our club?
How should I conduct Oxfam Club meetings?
How should I plan out my Club's calendar for the year?
How do we plan a campaign?
What events can my Club do for our campaign?
How do I spread the word whether hosting an event or starting a Club?
How will our Club last if all the active members are graduating in May?
What do other Oxfam Clubs look like and do?
How do I order materials for events or Club meetings?
How can I get a representative of Oxfam America to speak at my school?
Can we fundraise for Oxfam America?
Does Oxfam America fund Clubs?
Can we fundraise for our Club?

 

Who is Oxfam America?

The tagline: Working together to end poverty and injustice.

The short version: Oxfam America is an international relief development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.

The medium version: Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 120 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty and fights for social justice.

The long version: Forty percent of the people on the planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization working to change that. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 120 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.

What are Oxfam America's current campaigns?

How can I start an Oxfam Club on my campus?

Steps to follow: (for more information check out our Clubs Toolkit):

  • Educate yourself on issues of social justice and on Oxfam America. A good source for information is the Oxfam America Web site.
  • Find other interested students. Recruit by advertising with fliers, posters, tables, newspaper press releases, announcements in classes, appearing at activity fairs, spread the word (Facebook!), hold informational meetings.
  • Follow up—gather email addresses of interested students and send out emails to keep them updated and involved.
  • Once you have some backing from students (and possibly a faculty member), work toward gaining official club recognition from your school—look on your school activities' website for further information about this process.
  • Try to get an advisor. Some schools require an adviser as part of the process to become recognized on campus. A faculty adviser, whether required or not, can be a useful resource to your club, to help you follow procedures and reserve rooms and also to help sustain the movement for years to come (Professors and staff stay on campus much longer than students).
  • Create a club mission statement or vision plan. Also, some schools require a written constitution for recognition, if your school does require one you can use the constitution we wrote.
  • Elect leaders. Most clubs operate with a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. As the club grows many clubs also elect campaign heads. You may also want to consider having a communications and public relations leader in charge of the listserv, Facebook group and events, press releases and other forms of promotion.

What should we/can we name our club?

According to our Club Constitution, clubs should be named as follows: Oxfam Club at [college or university or high school name] or [college or university or high school name] Oxfam Club. A club must specify that it is a club.

How should I conduct Oxfam Club meetings?

  • Designate a SET day, time and location for your club meetings (whether they are weekly, bi-weekly or monthly), this way everyone knows how to find you and get involved.
  • Create an agenda and stick to it.
  • Consider having a meeting with club leaders prior to general meetings to organize ideas and to create an agenda.
  • Take minutes at every meeting to help carry out plans that were discussed and keep those who could not attend informed.
  • Try to keep meetings under an hour; people tend to lose interest after an hour.
  • Keep everyone involved in each meeting—allow time for discussion of ideas and opinions.
  • Alternate the types of meetings you hold—some informational, some planning, some group building and some celebratory.

How should I plan out my club's calendar for the year?

  • Start with your basic framework: Look at your university calendar of holidays, breaks, and exams. Your club may also want to consider the universities athletic calendar (to avoid planning an event during the championship basketball game). If your club existed last year, consider what worked well.
  • Leave time at the beginning of the year for recruiting, strategizing and planning before your first big event. Leave time half way through the second half of the year for electing new officers (try to leave time after elections before summer break for a smooth transition of leadership, possibly even holding elections at the start of spring semester).
  • Consider Oxfam America's current campaigns and the interests of current club members, and then pick campaigns and events that match.
  • Plan events around fitting holidays (for example, a climate change event on World Water Day or Earth Day or an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet on World Food Day or during National Hunger and Homelessness Week).
  • Consider the size of your group and amount of resources when planning the number of events for a year—large groups may be able to accomplish several events per semester while smaller groups focus on one.
  • Create a club calendar with meetings, deadlines and event dates.

How do we plan a campaign?

  • Analysis:
    • What is it we want to change?
    • What task/activity will we undertake to address that concern?
    • Will that activity make a difference?
    • Who do we need to influence to reach our goal?
  • Planning:
    • hold a brainstorming session
    • decide what individual pieces of work will need to be done
    • create a timeline
    • estimate time and costs
    • prioritize
    • assess risks
    • keep going back to initial aims
  • Meetings:
    • Plan enough time for meetings (work back from proposed event date)
    • Use agenda effectively
    • Delegate tasks!

What events can my club do for our campaign?

The possibilities are endless and the more creative you are and more personalized you make the event the better, but if you need some ideas to get started check out our Event Ideas and Resources Guide.

How do I spread the word whether hosting an event or starting a club?

  • Advertise. Write a press release for the student newspaper; create Facebook events and groups; put up posters and fliers in the student union and major dorms; make announcements in your classes or in big lectures.
  • Table. Set up a table with information in high traffic areas of campus (student union, outside a cafeteria, in major dorms, etc). Also get a table at student activity fairs.
  • Word of mouth. Eighty percent of people who volunteer do so because someone asked them to!
  • Hold an informational meeting after some of these other forms of promotion to further generate interest.
  • Once you are established, make T-shirts and designate days for club members to wear them.

How will our club last if all the active members are graduating in May?

  • Recruit new members
    • Table in various high traffic areas
    • Wear club t-shirt
    • Attend other clubs meetings and events
    • Advertise: use email list servers, bulletin boards, newspaper, posters
  • Get people off the list serve and into the meetings
    • Have fun—meetings and events
    • Offer food and beverages, especially in beginning informational meetings
    • Build personal relationships with club members
    • Delegate tasks to get everyone involved and invested
    • Gear projects towards members passions and interests
  • Build a relationship with Professors or your Club adviser—they usually stay on campus more than four years.
  • Build a relationship with Student Union or Student Organizations Association.
  • Hold elections at the beginning of second semester or at least before the week of exams to allow more time for a smooth transition to new leadership.

What do other Oxfam clubs look like or do?

How do I order materials for events?

How can I get a representative of Oxfam America to speak at my school?

  • Oxfam isn't often able to send staff to speak at events but if you give us enough notice and your club or campus has funding to cover travel expenses, we will try to locate a speaker. Send an email it to fast@oxfamamerica.org.
  • Reminder: Requests should be submitted 4-6 weeks prior to an event.

Can we fundraise for Oxfam America?

Absolutely! Oxfam America needs donations to operate. If during an event you collect money, mail to Oxfam America Attn: Celeste Bettencourt, 226 Causeway St, 5th floor Boston, MA 02214.

Does Oxfam America fund clubs?

Unfortunately, Oxfam America cannot fund clubs. But look for funding from your school through the student activities organization or hold a fundraiser for your club. Turn to Oxfam America for small/basic materials like buttons, posters, fact sheets, etc.

Can we fundraise for our club?

Yes, but you must specify that the funds you are collecting are for your club and club activities and not for Oxfam America and its campaigns. For example, you can hold a bake sale to raise money to buy supplies for your clubs upcoming OxJam concert, but you must tell people that the funds raised are going towards the concert, not Oxfam America.

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