3 Ways To Improve Your School Fundraiser

Let's face it, with many school districts facing massive budget shortfalls and layoffs, fundraisers are more important than ever to teachers, PTA members, and students to get the equipment, programs and facilities they need. Whether students are selling cookie dough or items from a fall catalog, these items can add up to a lot of cash for your school. To run the most successful and beneficial fundraiser for your school, follow these 3 easy steps.

Start Earlier
Today, the trend is to start fundraising late. Don't do it. This is one of the best steps you can take to ensure success. Starting your main school fundraiser the second or third week of school will maximize your profits. You will experience less competition from sports team fundraisers, and it will be far enough from the holiday season so you won't have to compete with major retailers and their sales as well. There will also be a much less chance of delivery issues such as backordered or out of stock items and delays due to holiday schedules. Starting earlier almost always guarantees that parents and the community around your school will be energized and excited coming off of a long summer break, so they will be ready to get started on your fundraising efforts.

Involve Your Principal
Principals are influential! If they get behind the fundraiser, the students, parents, and community will be sure to as well. Involving the principal in your fundraiser, can make or break it. The best way to promote a fundraiser is with the help of the principal's email list, so utilize it. An email that comes with the heading "from the desk of the Principal" will get people's attention. They will recognize it as coming from a credible source and parents will know it means business. Make sure you promote before, during, and after the fundraiser to ensure success. A great way to get the principal involved with the students participating in the fundraiser is to have a reward for the students. Something as easy as a Principal for the Day reward, Lunch with the Principal, or a Principal dunking booth will really get your students motivated about the fundraiser and ensure participation and ultimately success! For more great ideas on principal incentive programs, you can visit believejay.blogspot.com


Incentive Programs
Use student prize program incentives and drawings to enhance your sale. A combination of immediate and long term rewards for selling will keep your students motivated and excited about the fundraiser. A cumulative prize program, top-seller raffle, or pizza party for the class are examples of long term incentives that really work. Daily incentives like drawings for the kids or daily prizes such as the Believe Charm Necklace promotion are great for boosting morale. The point is, these incentives are rewards for kids who are working hard on selling and ultimately raising money for important school needs. They are important because it keeps the kids excited about what's going on, which in turn makes your fundraiser much more successful.