Affiliate Marketing Secrets

I’m not sure if we should ask for dues, since the group is starting out and I don’t want to turn off any potential members because we are demanding money from them. Perhaps we could have a fundraiser? What could be a cool, fun, possibly Pagan-themed fundraiser? Maybe we could do both?
We’re already planning to gain some revenue when we host community events (where we are open to the public and not just our students) where we will ask for a fee from non-college-affiliated people attending.
But the school does not support any groups financially, and if we decide to have a fundraising event, we have to submit a formal request and have it approved, which may take awhile and involves the hassle of paperwork.
What should we do?