Clubs that do not have funding to spend on perks, must rely on their members’ motivation and involvement to achieve the club’s goals.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students who participate in most clubs have been limited to online methods of meeting. Although this is a significant change to the way clubs meet, for clubs that do not rely on funding, the operations of the club remain largely unchanged. Clubs are now not allowed to fundraise making the clubs that did not fundraise prior to the pandemic operate very similarly.

Robert Chase is a member of the Current Events Club at Burlingame High School. The club has 25 participants who discuss important issues trending in the news ranging from politics to cultural and scientific events.The Current Events Club did not fundraise before the pandemic, but Chase believes it does not significantly hinder the goals of the club.

“It doesn’t require money to have a friendly discussion between a group of people who share similar interests. We are lucky that the pandemic hasn’t hindered us like it has other clubs that rely on funds and fundraising to be able to carry out their function for their members,” Chase said.

Ava Fairlie, another Burlingame student, is a member of the Environmental Club, which also does not have funding. This club is operating similarly to the Current Events Club during distance learning in that it also relies on weekly discussions, via Zoom, to address important topics and issues affecting the environment. In addition to these weekly virtual meetings, the Environmental Club further organizes occasional coastal cleanups where members can visit various beaches to clean trash. These coastal clean-ups rely on the members volunteering their time and funding is not required for its success.

“The lack of funding doesn’t, and shouldn’t, keep volunteers from working to maintain the environment,” Fairlie said. “People that genuinely care about environmental causes and are willing to give their time to discuss environmental issues and participate in clean-ups is really all that’s necessary to join our club and make positive changes for the environment.” 

Although funding allows clubs to participate in more events and would enable a club to effect more change for their cause, the Burlingame High School Current Events Club and Environmental Club show that funding is not a necessary factor for the success of a club’s purpose. A club without funding can still function and prosper if members are willing to dedicate their time.