Individual students can create a MIPA SponsorMe campaign to raise money to attend the MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop. MIPA also uses the SponsorMe platform to raise money for some of our scholarships and other projects. All funds raised are paid to the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Advisers and Media Programs: Learn how to start a SponsorMe campaign to pay for MIPA activities
Funds contributed to student campaigns to attend MIPA’s summer workshop should be used by the student in the same year they are donated; funds not used by the student may be transferred to MIPA’s general workshop scholarship fund to help other students in need, unless otherwise requested by the donor.
How to start your campaign
- Register on the SponsorMe site. Only registered users can create a campaign.
- Complete the Create a Campaign form. You will need to:
- Set a campaign goal for how much money you want to raise.
- Set a deadline for your campaign. (We recommend June 10, our early registration deadline, or July 10, our regular registration deadline.)
- Write a description for your campaign. This is so potential donors can learn more about you and what you hope to do. Share a little bit about yourself and why you want to attend the MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop. Do not include any personal contact information in your description, as this is published for everyone on the Internet to see!
- Write a one-sentence summary of your campaign, based on the description you just wrote.
- Upload a photo of yourself. This image will help donors find your campaign. Use a photo that clearly shows your face. Horizontal photos work best. Try to find the original, high-resolution version of a photo – not one pulled from social media.
- OPTIONAL: Create a video to include with your campaign. A video can be a great way for you to share your goals and ask for financial help. Keep your video to 2 minutes or shorter. Upload your video to a video service such as YouTube or Vimeo and submit the URL on the campaign form. Make sure your video is set to public.
- Submit your campaign for approval. We’ll review your campaign before publishing it on the SponsorMe site. You’ll receive a notification when that happens.
- Once your campaign is posted on SponsorMe, start to tell your friends, family, neighbors and others about it! Use social media to raise awareness about your campaign. The more people you can tell about your Pledge System campaign, the more likely you are to meet your fundraising goal! Here are six ways you can ensure the success of your campaign.
- Summer Workshop attendees: Don’t forget to complete the registration forms for the Summer Workshop! The form you’ve just filled out creates your SponsorMe campaign – it does not register you for the workshop. Go over to the Summer Workshop page at mipamsu.org to register. To avoid paying the registration fee at the time of registration, select “Purchase Order/Request an Invoice” as the payment type.
- The MIPA office will apply the funds you raise on SponsorMe to your workshop registration balance or other applicable MIPA activity. We’ll send you periodic updates about any balance remaining due.
- What happens to money students raise via SponsorMe if they don’t attend the workshop or if they raise more than needed?
If you do not attend this year’s workshop, or if you raise more money than you needs toward your registration, the money you raised may be transferred to MIPA’s general scholarship fund to help students who cannot afford to attend the program without financial assistance. MIPA will honor requests from donors to transfer such unused funds to another student attending the current year’s workshop. We are unable to hold funds for use next year.