So, I have been asked to write a story on fundraising trends for elementary school fundraisers for
greatschools.net. Since the economy is so questionable, I wonder how to accomplish this without sounding trivial and even desperate.
The fact is, I believe that schools will actually have to work pretty hard on their fundraisers if the economy continues to tank. I can't speak for other fundraising companies but I know that my company is working very hard to make sure sales don't drop. It's just not all that easy to predict and how it will pan out in the end so, if anyone were out there and willing to comment on my blog, I would appreciate it. The fact remains that if the same number of students sell less, fundraisers will be less successful.
As a pto or pta member, how would you feel if the experts were telling that your success with your fundraisers this year may hinge on your ability to get more students than ever involved? Don't hate the messenger but I do think that for the first time in a while, a high level of teamwork between schools and fundraising companies will be required to succeed.
Perhaps we operate on the assumption that no matter what, there will be obligation to purchase and that will raise the money needed. There will always be a grandma willing to support the cause. And really, I like that ideology. It looks like grandma will buy less and that's the problem. Tried and true fundraising programs and a plea to family members that their support is needed more than ever may just be the first defense against not hitting fundraising goals.
Ok, well that is the struggle I am facing while contemplating my news story. I think the trends are using high-profit, high-gross fundraisers and leaving nothing to chance. After all, schools have a number in mind that they need to hit for a fundraising goal. It's going to come down to picking a program that has taken into consideration the economic situation and has a plan for how to get everyone involved.
At a certain point, schools will either make that extra effort to succeed and be a partner with a fundraising company or they will choose to accept where the economy takes the fundraising results. Ok, without ranting or being confusing I will leave it there while I develop my thoughts. I think that schools can be wildly successful in any economy at raising their much needed funds but in a bad economy I am not convinced it will happen on it's own.
