The ABC’s of School Fundraising

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These days, schools need a helping hand more than ever.  Teacher wish lists run the gamut from school supplies and band uniforms to out-of-town trips and homecoming dance decor.  Whether you’re a parent, aunt, uncle or just an interested member of the community, you can make a difference by pitching in and showing your team spirit by helping organize a fundraiser.

Photo credit: PhotoStock, www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For the last three years, I’ve been working with a CH designer who’s making an impressive impact with an elementary school where helped was needed to help kids purchase their yearbooks for free.  Now, $25 for a yearbook may not seem like a big deal to many of us but this school’s in a low-income area and until the time our designer rolled her sleeves up to help, only 15-20 percent of students were able to afford their yearbook.

So our designer and yearbook coordinator put on their thinking caps. They crafted a fundraising program in which profits would be credited toward each student, not just the school as a whole.  If a student sold only five items, he/she would get their yearbook for free.  If less than five items were sold, the credit would help defray the student’s yearbook purchase price.

 Want to help your school?  It’s as easy as A,B, C to get the ball rolling…

 A–Meet with a teacher (or school principal if a school-wide need exists) to outline their “wish list”, financial goals and fundraising timeline.  Given how tight school budgets are these days, there may be multiple funding needs which can lend themselves to an ongoing fund-raising effort spread over the school year and split between several student groups.

 B–Select products students can get excited about (different products may appeal to different age groups), then work with your school contact to create a “pitch” for kids to use when approaching potential customers.  Remember to keep the pitch short, to-the-point and in kid-friendly verbage.

C–Stay involved!  Check with with your school contact periodically to gauge progress. Help brainstorm ways to keep kids motivated toward reaching their goal.  Something as simple as a daily PA announcement that spotlights top sellers can do a lot to keep kids competitively engaged.  Teachers are usually great sources of imagination so tap into yours for the good of the fundraiser.

Photo credit: Photostock, www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With a bit of imagination, organization and motivation, you can help your local school and teach kids a valuable lesson about teamwork they’ll long remember!