Do Something

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my club have to be school based?
Not any more. If you have cause and five firends that share your passion you can start a Do Something Club anywhere you like- your living room, your church basement,- just as long as your club does something!

Do I need an older person to start a club?
Although Do Something doesn’t require an old person, your school might. If your school requires an old person (teacher or faculty member), pick someone you like. Choose someone who will understand that your club is really about the issues that YOU as students care about and the projects that you want to do. It’s not about the old people! You might need their advice in planning events or learning more about a topic, but they shouldn’t impose or take control.

What’s the best way to get our school administration excited about Do Something?
We have a sample letter that you can use and adapt just for this situation! You can just give it to your principal or the appropriate people in charge. It’ll let them know more about Do Something, the purpose of Do Something Clubs, and why a club will be a great contribution to the school community and more. You can also give them a BUILD magazine and direct them to our website: www.dosomething.org Also, the more passionate you are about the purpose of your club, the more likely it is that the old people will be swayed. You might want to get together with the other people who want to start the club to come up with some sort of proposal as to the projects you want to do. If you can present that clearly to the administration, they can’t help but take you seriously. If you have a mentor already, you can ask them to send a memo to the rest of the faculty explaining asking for their support.

We can’t find a teacher to be our advisor. What should we do?
We also have a letter that you can give to the teacher(s) whom you want to be your advisor. You should let them know in person that they won’t have to do a whole lot of work, since teachers tend to be pretty busy. Again, it’s supposed to be about you, the young people, so it’s not like they’ll need to plan the projects and so on. They just need to be there for you. You should also tell them that are great ways for your work to tie into their lessons in the classroom, if they’re interested. If all else fails, see if there are other old people at the school, such as a coach, who could be your advisor.

How often do I need to host meetings?
There’s no “required way” to organize a Do Something Club. It’s YOUR club, so YOU decide what works best. As long as you can successfully run your projects - you figure it out! But since you asked – weekly meetings are a good idea. They keep everyone engaged and excited about upcoming events.

What exactly do we need to do?
Your club needs to tackle at least 2 long-term projects over the course of the school year and create a profile on our website for each completed project. We’ll remind you about the deadlines throughout the year. Also, we’re creating club webpages just for you! Updating them and keeping in contact with other clubs isn’t required, but it’s a great way for you to take advantage of being a Do Something Club. That’s it! The rest is up to you. Be creative and spread the Do Something spirit of service in your own special way.

Can we work on more than 2 projects?
Sure! Just remember that it’s all about making a difference. If you want to work on some short-term projects along with your ongoing projects, just make sure that you have enough people in your club to successfully run the projects. If you only have 10 club members and you are working on 15 projects, you are probably not giving each project the proper attention it deserves. So be reasonable and don’t spread yourselves out too thin. Sometimes just working on one or two projects is better and more effective!

What do I need to put in my project posts for the Do Something website?
Here are a few questions that should help you post your projects in ways that will help other people understand how exactly your completed your awesome project. You can also check out the examples of project posts also included in this packet.
1. Which problems or needs in your community did your club decide to address with your project?

2. What steps did you take to plan your project? (For example: Did you create a timeline or list of tasks? How did you publicize it to others in the community? How did you collect needed materials? What information did you need, and how did you get it?)

3. Describe the actual project. (For example, if it was a one-day event, how many people attended? What did they do? If it was or is a long-term or ongoing project, who has gotten involved? What roles do different people have? )

4. What were the results of your project? What are the next steps that you will take?

What if our club needs or wants co-captains, co-presidents or more leadership positions? Is that ok?
Of course! Everyone in the club should have a leadership role of their own – so give them a title. Just make sure to keep it fair and give everyone a defined role so it doesn’t become a free-for-all!

What if a Do Something club already exists at my school? Can I start my own?
Depends on the situation. Do Something is all about young people changing our world by working TOGETHER and inspiring others. Two small clubs may both be effective, but one large club can become an unstoppable force! But if your clubs want to work on totally different things, and your school structure makes it difficult for you to work together (for example, if you go to a boarding school and you’re set up in different houses), then it might make sense to have different clubs that want to work on different causes. Just let us know what’s up!

We already have a community service club at our school. Can we be a Do Something Club without changing our name?
Sure! You can keep your name while still being a Do Something club and getting all the perks that a Do Something Club gets.