Fundraiser Participation...

Fundraiser Participation...

Participation In School Fundraisers is Critical!

The most important attribute of a successful fundraiser is the number of active participants in it!

If you just increase the number of people participating by just a few, your school fundraising outcome can be dramatically improved.

So, how can you most easily improve the participation in your fundraisers?  Ask for help. 

• Principal
• Office Staff
• Teachers
• Parents
• Community

Start with the Principal!  The principal can offer the biggest jump in participation of anyone!  If the principal will host a challenge or contest, the school wins!

Otherwise, rally staff and teachers to participate.  They have a lot of pull in the school so if they make it important, it will be important.

Encouraging parents and the community is your last refuge.  If you can get parents to act instead of opt-out, you win. 

Remember, even though it seems like an outrageous task, you only need to improve the participation a little bit to make a big impact!

Ok, until next time!

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school fundraisers

School Fundraising Disparities...

Disparities between fundraising results is an interesting one. 

Ask yourself if schools with higher income parents fundraise better?  Are schools with more low income parents at a disadvantage?  Regardless of how you answer, when differences in fundraising outcomes comes up, disparities in parental incomes is the first suspect. 
 
So, while everyone seems to think that it's the parental income is the deciding factor on fundraising outcome, there's an entirely different reality to consider - a reality where both schools have exactly the same possibity of raising funds.

What I can tell you from experience is that anyone can fail at raising money for their school if they have no goal, no plan, no reason for fundraising and no ambition.  The reciprocal is true as well.  Any school can raise money if they have a reason to fundraise and go after it with solidarity.

Here's the article that spurred this post:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/01/30/leschi-pta-featured-in-article-on-school-fundraising

Ok, until next time

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Keep the conversation going at twitter.com/believekids
High-profit elementary school fundraising

Market Your Elementary School Fundraiser!

If I could put this in all caps, I would.  Oh, wait.  This is my blog and I can do whatever I want...

MARKET YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUNDRAISER!

There.  I've gone and done it.  I've broken several cardinal blogging rules such as tacky use of over-sized text, bad use of color and ALL CAPS!

There's no way school fundraising will have the type of performance it had in the past so if you don't get the word out succinctly, you will under-perform.  The parents at your school absolutely need to know that your fundraiser is critical and they need to know they are expected to participate.

Ok, until next time!

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fundraising blog

How Does Your Elementary School Ask for Support? 10 Triggers to Get Parents to Act.

When your school has an event, fundraiser, activity, homework or a form that needs to be filled in, how do you ask for action?

I think we could all use a bit of insight as far as what makes people act and it's not always obvious.  What's clear is that in today's day and age, if we want a response we have to go after it.

First off, there are triggers.  Triggers that peak our interest - triggers that make us act.  In order to better understand what makes us tick, we've got to understand what triggers us to take action.

I am not suggesting that schools need to be ruthless marketers, and some of these triggers can backfire or produce negative perceptions in the mind of a parent, but I offer you these none-the-less.  Now, you can understand what will get a parents attention.

So, instead of asking for something from parents and assuming they will want to get involved, use a technique instead.  Appeal to one of the triggers below.  For instance, put the words, 'takes only 2 minutes to complete' on the next form you send home and watch them come back the next day instead of taking a week or more.

Anyway, here ya go!

10 Common--and Effective--Emotional Triggers

 

Please comment below and keep the conversation going on Facebook or Twitter

__________________________

Category: #edtech
Keep the conversation going on twitter - twitter.com/believekids
school fundraising companies
school fundraising blog

 

Principal Involvement in Spirit Nights

Does your principal attend your school spirit nights?

Well, someone who is exciting and supportive of your fundraising efforts should be there to represent the school and add some excitement and credibility to the event. 

Most schools have amazing teachers, and although they have a lot going on, having teachers at spirit nights encourages relationships and can be fun as well.  Have each class compete for the most attendees or the most money raised from the events, and you'll be amazed at how effective it is to involve the teachers in the event.

The challenge with spirit nights is just keeping the number of events that demand parental involvement to just the most important ones.  In other words, limit your spirit nights so parents really want to be a part of it and are glad to come and proud that they supported the event.

So, make sure your events are exciting and make sure the principal shows their support.  If an event is important enough for the principal to attend, it's important enough for the parents to as well.

Until next time.

_______________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at believejay.blogspot.com.

I can be found on twitter as well where we can continue the conversation - twitter.com/believekids

For more information on school fundraising companies visit believekids.com

Fundraising Companies are NOT the Enemy When it Comes to Education Innovation

We're hearing a lot of bad news on the school front.  Lower performance, shrinking budgets, schools closing, teacher layoffs.  While schools are getting less, they are also on the verge of sweeping educational reform.

Schools are embracing technology in new and exciting ways allowing teachers to improve their relationships with parents.  We're really only seeing the very beginning.  Student's are using devices, computers, social media and technology at home.  The challenge is bringing schools up to speed with new and collaborative ways of learning.

There are many companies in support of improving education.  Some relationships based on profit, some on supplying commodities and some based on education innovation.

Many see schools as a business segment where a good is sold to a school at a profit.  Some see education as just any other business that buys cleaning supplies, paper and other commodity type products.  Even fewer see schools as dynamic, changing systems that need improvement.  This last category brings innovation and change to the market.

I see fundraising as the latter. 

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In my next post, I'll explore just how fundraising will be a part of educational reform and the technological changes on the horizon.

Elementary School Fundraising Inspiration - Increasing Excitement and Importance

"Do not wait for your
ship to come in - swim
out to meet it."

-Author Unknown

Today, an inspirational post for you.  

I enjoy days where I am fired up to get something done.  Those days generally, are also the days that creating a short list of just a few priorities helps focus me and keep me on task.  I'm having one of those days and hope you are too.  I'm going to be fast and furious and taking things head-on.

So, we talk a lot about elementary school fundraising here on this blog and also of course on my company's school fundraising website and corporate fundraising ideas pln blog and even the corporate wordpress Believe school fundraising blog. 

The consistent thread that runs through everything that we do is that we can create more fundraising success by increasing participation in our school fundraisers.  

So, we discuss many areas of fundraising in order to excite students, inform parents and involve the community in the school fundraisers.  A lot of what will improve fundraising for every school and every fundraising company is educating the community on the importance of participating in school fundraisers in combination with creating excitement surrounding the fundraiser.

Here's my hope for today.

If you are a PTA or PTO member, school administrator or elementary school principal, my hope is that you will not wait for your fundraising ship to come in, but rather swim out to meet it.  

To me, this means that you will be open to investing time and energy into fundraising less but more effectively.  To absorb any information that will help you increase the excitement surrounding your fundraisers and make them more important in the eyes of the community.

This is my hope for today.

______________________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs daily here at believejay.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing and commenting as I get the word out on my personal blog.  If you enjoy what you read here, please do your part and share the good word :)  Thanks so much!

 

Don't Make Your Parents do ALL the Fundraising!

Repeat after me...

I pledge to bring my school fundraiser to the masses.

I will no longer accept fundraisers that only ask the parents of our students to help.

I will work hard to encourage others besides the most supportive parents at the school to help.

I fully and completely understand that I can take my fundraising sale or event to the community, nation and perhaps even the world.

 _________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and can be found blogging here regularly.  Please leave a comment for me here below.  Although, I'm poking a bit of fun here, it's really important that people realize that the vast majority of funds raised for your school or group come from a very small percentage of the people involved with the school or group. That number can go up if the sale goes nationwide.  thanks for looking and sharing and commenting!  Love ya!

Summer Fun - Can you squeeze anything in before it's too late?

For most parents out there, school is just around the corner.  Can you squeeze in any summer activities before it's too late. 

http://www.education.com/seasonal/summer-fun/

Take a look and see if you can have some fun before the real fun starts :)

Pledge Donation Drive for New School

I'm a little freaked out by what I said on the PTOToday.com messageboard today.  I know that I am supposed to support fundraisers but sometimes, I just can't.

The way I see it, it is a school's responsibility to create an environment where parents and the community want to help and assist in any way possible.

When a brand new school launches, the last thing they should do is ask for money up front.

My thought in a nut-shell: If a district doesn't have money to fund year one, don't open a new school.  Build something special then ask for help when you need it.  Don't ask for help before you've created something worth giving to because people just don't like it.


Take a look and see if I'm nuts:
http://www.ptotoday.com/boards/17-fundraising/154269-pledgedonation-drive

Thanks for looking!  Please comment below or on the PTOtoday.com website if you feel I'm in the clear or wrong as can be :)

Elementary School Fundraising - FoCUs

So, if you're tracking with my multiple blog posts here, I'm walking folks through how to determine what fundraisers are best for your school or group. 

My first post was about tracking the successes and failures of your school fundraisers over time.  This allows for you to get a better idea what works and what doesn't.

Your school should keep records on fundraising trends.

Secondly, I posted a number of questions that could put into perspective some of the traits to look out for.  If you see something that is not working for whatever reason from reviewing these questions, you may want to think twice about those fundaisers.

Less is More - Get Rid of School Fundraisers that Don't Perform...

Here is a summary of a few thoughts I have on the matter.  When it comes to elementary school fundraising I believe that schools do too much fundraising.  I further believe that too few schools look critically at their fundraising efforts to determine how to maximize fundraising revenue while being considerate to parents.

If you have a solid main fundraiser, regardless of if that is a school-wide event, catalog sale, cookie dough or some other heavy-hitting fundraiser, you can earn more with that fundraiser than you can by adding smaller ones.

It just takes focus.

Focus on the large high-profit fundraiser.  Remove any distraction or noise from any lesser producers and then create teamwork and unity between children, parents, parent groups, administration and principals.

Actually get rid of fundraisers that earn less than a thousand dollars a year!  Yes, you can and here's how:  Increase participation in your main fundraiser and you should be able to more than compensate.  It only takes a few additional sellers and by making your main fundraiser more important to faculty, parents and the community, you will attract more attention.

It's easy for me to say.  The reality is, the involvement of the school in the fundraiser is the single most important aspect of the school fundraising process.  Without the help of principals and administrators, you send the info home and blindly see what comes back. This method of fundraising generally takes a larger number of fundraisers because the same parents are supporting the fundraiser instead of more parents supporting fewer efforts.

Yep, you may want to read that paragraph again.  It's not easy to grasp in a way but here's an example.  Would you rather hold one fundraising band concert with 1,000 different people attending or have the same 100 people go to 10 concerts?

Focus your efforts on what works best and get behind it!  That's the way to increase fundraising returns.  It's a teamwork that only comes when there are deliberate choices being made. 

Choose the proper main fundraiser and then stop at nothing to succeed.

_________________________

I encourage comments here on my blog - please leave a comment good or bad below  :)

Visit the link to see what types of Elementary School Fundraisers my company offers but regardless of who you use for your fundraisers, if you can learn from the past and focus on the future, you will succeed!  Thanks!!

Your PTO Should Have Some Fun!

If you're in a PTO and you're not having fun - STOP!

You owe it to yourself, your fellow PTO members and your school to stop, take a step back and re-evaluate. 

You and your PTO group should be having fun!

So, instead of being passive and behind or whatever else may be impacting your collective happiness, start the year off with these helpful hints:

1) Survey parents.  Ask parents what fun events they would like to attend and what theme they would like for the events.  Parents who have 'bought in' so to speak will be happier and more supportive of the events.

2) Outline your year.  Provide an outline to administration and the principal that has the event titles and descriptions, cost and manpower estimates and any outcomes you would anticipate.  With everyone 'in the know', you will have little or no resistance to creating successful and fun events under the terms you outlined!

3) Don't take on too much.  If possible, focus your efforts on fewer overall items but be determined to do each of these efforts with vigor and excellence.  If you can achieve high marks on fewer efforts, you will have not only have more success but you will have more fun!

___________________________

Thank you for looking!  If you enjoyed the content here, please share the link www.believejay.blogspot.com with friends and co-workers.  I'd appreciate any comments or feedback below as well.  Believe Kids is a school fundraising company with the philosophy that we can change the way school funding and school fundraising work through education and hard work.  Thanks so much!!!

For Schools with Declining School Fundraising Revenue

Are you having trouble getting participation out of your school fundraising efforts? Are you always considering adding new and exciting school fundraising options to make up for lost money? Does your school always seem to have a hand out for more and more donations?

Today is challenging. Financially, schools have it bad and there's just no denying it. Chances are the school is taking in less and leaning on a PTO, PTA, PTSO or PTSA to raise more money than ever. Raising more in today's economy can be a daunting task.

In the face of declining school fundraising, how will schools manage?

If you are in a PTO, PTA, PTSO or PTSA and your school fundraising efforts are in decline or you just can't offer enough options to raise funds, you've got some choices to make. Here's the facts, you can increase the number of fundraisers or you can do what may seem counter-intuitive and ditch the ones that don't add to your bottom line.

Unfortunately, school funding is a business.

Yes, and generally funding at schools is determined by volunteers. That's not a bad thing necessarily. It just puts some pressure on the PTA, PTO, PTSA or PTSO to think outside the box in order to truly determine what is the right course of action for their school fundraising.

I just ran across a quote and it's fitting:

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe. -Abraham Lincoln

To me this resonates. School fundraising should be less frequent and more focused. We should spend the majority of our time figuring out how to improve the results of one heavy-hitting fundraiser. This would amount to less time spent fundraising.

The social aspect of school fundraising.

People want interaction and encouragement. The more a school fundraiser becomes an event, the more it will succeed. On the flip side, when things are important, if there is a social component between schools and parents, the parents will rally around a cause.

There is unsurmountable evidence that school fundraising can be effected positively by creating a sense of community. Take the Cupertino Union School District for example. They recently held a fundraising drive to save the jobs of 107 teachers that received pink slips.

They did it raising over 2 million dollars in just a few weeks. link

So then, how can they achieve that when other schools are losing ground? The answer is surprisingly simple. They got people involved and together created a groundswell, a flurry of activity followed that the news media latched on to and further promoted.

To be fair though, there is another element at play. The school set a goal per family of $375 each. By setting such a goal and making it the standard, the majority of the donors contributed this amount. They figured that by giving the amount of $375 they would hit their goal - and they did!

It really is amazing what setting that expectation can do.

So, in the face of declining school fundraising efforts, take your school fundraising seriously and treat it like a business. Look critically at what you are going to offer and when. Plan! Prepare ahead so you don't have to have so many hum drum school fundraising drives. Build excitement around the fundraiser and you will succeed beyond your expectations!

School Fundraisers that Flop! How to Avoid Fundrasing Efforts that Don't Perform..

Have you been involved with a failed endeavor?

Have you thrown a great party only to be disappointed at the turnout? Have you had a garage sale only to make just a few dollars? Have you wasted your money on a purchase of a product that you didn't particularly want or need? As a child did you play an instrument or sport that you didn't excel at and your interest just fizzled? Have you thrown away perfectly good food because it sat too long unopened?

Yes, we've pretty much all done a number of these things. All these examples, even though they are quite varied, all have a common thread:

We've all done things that don't quite turn out.

So, as a school administrator, PTA or PTO member, coach or group leader, you're responsible for offering fundraisers for your group. But it's not as easy as it seems. It is actually quite easy to take on school fundraising efforts that flop!

After all, you've got to manage the interests of students, parents, administrators and the community. You've got to educate or have fun or make money depending on a particular goal. You've also got to consider ego and politics and manage volunteers. The thing is, you can't make everyone happy and you and your group needs to arrive at a goal that is best for the group, not every special interest in that group.

What's more is that everyone tends to complain about what is working and demand things that are new and different. It's hard to make everyone happy!

OMG! How do you do it?

How do you go about hosting effective fundraising efforts without creating confusion, a burden for parents or too much work for the PTA, PTO or parent volunteers?

• Have a goal!

Simplify the process by discussing amongst the group what the motive is. If it's the most money you can raise in a short amount of time, air it out. If it's to entertain kids or educate parents on safety or to create a re-occuring event or consistent income stream, you're better off knowing what your main objective is before you go much further.

You may want to draw a diagram that estimates the financial reward of the activities the group is considering and see how many fundraisers you will actually need to reach your goal. If your goal is to have one fundraiser per semester, then work within that constraint to make that one fundraiser the best it can be!

• Keep it simple!

The overall goal is to create a sense of community and inclusion amongst parents. Your calling here is to not overwhelm parents or the community with offers or requests. If parents at the school feel hit up for money too often, they will rebel and skip out on fundraisers. I've noticed this quite a bit as schools try to do more and more to make up for missing money. It backfires and schools get less support overall including volunteer hours in the classroom as a result. Consider balance here and keep it simple!

• Consider your reputation!

Yes, you are likely a group of volunteers. No, you don't have to be organized as one. Keep your reputation intact by picking simple projects and then working hard to support each individual area of that simple project. Try to avoid picking complicated endeavors unless you are positive you can tackle each individual action area with excellence.

• The devil's in the details!

Once you have decided on one primary goal or mission, work out the details. If, for instance, your goal is to have an amazingly effective fall gift catalog, calendar and organize your thoughts around marketing that particular fundraiser to the students, parents, faculty and community. Make sure you have areas of promotion covered. You will want to create copy for the newsletter and principal's email list for example. These two areas just mentioned could improve your fundraiser substantially so don't get to the end of the fundraiser and think to yourself, boy I really should have mentioned the fundraiser in the school newsletter.

So, to wrap this thing up, let me just say that I believe PTA's, PTO's and other groups have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Schools really need a simple parent group that can handle just a few things with excellence.

School fundraising is one of those things a parent group can excel at. If a parent group can maximize revenue on just a few fundraisers that work and not take huge chances on fundraisers that will flop, everyone wins!

Have a plan, keep it simple, consider your reputation, calendar your promotions and pay close attention to the details. Consulting a professional is also a good idea but you can read a lot of information online these days that will give you helpful hints.

If you have a simple fundraiser and you get the word out effectively you will have a streamlined and effective process that will create fundraising successes over and over again.

______________________________

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising. I encourage comments of any kind here on my blog and I can also be reached via twitter - twitter.com/BelieveKids Thanks so much for looking and if you found the information valueable, please forward on a link to a friend!

Encouraging Parental Involvement at Your School

There is an interesting symbiotic relationship with schools. Parents and schools need each other. Sounds so cheesy, but, it's true:

Schools need help

A school can't help youngsters develop without the support of parents. On the flip side...

Parents heed help

Parents can't raise a successful child without the insights offered by schools.

Seems obvious.

At the same time there is an adversarial relationship inherent in the school system. Parents are often quick to blame schools and there are many instances where schools make poor decisions that negatively affect parents.

Here's the point.

Schools should do everything in their power to involve parents. It's the communication and understanding between the two that makes all the difference. Parents who are involved help in the classroom and with numerous other duties know what the school stands for. They know what the kids are learning and how they relate. Not only that but parents who are involved with their child's education make a direct impact on the entire class and even the entire school.

Don't forget to get parents involved with school fundraising efforts as well. If the parents get involved, fundraising efforts will be more profitable. When there is an active and involved parent community at the school, everyone wins!

Swine Flu School Closings in TX, CA, OH, NY - Information for Parents

Swine Flu - Update on School Closures
and Information for Concerned Parents.
Updated Monday, April 27, 2009 2:21 MST

On Monday, President Barack Obama said that the treat of swine flu is not cause for alarm. Still, the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a national heath emergency. Americans should be aware that the problem could become more severe.

Government officials are closely tracking the spread of disease and border security has tightened. Experts do not believe borders can contain the spread of the flu, however, antiviral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu do seem to be effective against the Swine Flu (also known as Influenza A H1N1). Of particular interest to experts is why the disease is more 'mild' in U.S. cases in comparison to the 1,600+ infections and reported 100+ deaths in Mexico.

Accompanying the news of the discovery of a rapid disease spread of any new strain of virus is the term 'pandemic'. According to Time Magazines Douglas A. McIntyre there are a some reasons that a Pandemic is not likely:

1) Sophisticated monitoring by the CDC and WHO can help isolate the areas of infection.
2) Flu vaccines lessen the spread rate of the disease
3) The particular strain does not seem overly virulent outside of Mexico.

(source Time.com - http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1894052,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-health-related)

Needless to say, schools have been closing and parents are worried all across the nation. It is too early to predict but if this flu is easily transmitted and if we have no immunity - pandemic is possible. Some believe we have already met conditions for phase 4 pandemic alert and that may be raised to level 5 alert soon. (see Reuters news: WHO may raise pandemic threat level over swine flu http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE53Q4YR20090427 )

Most Recent U.S. Summary of Infection:

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 27, 2009 1:00 PM ET)

California - 7 cases
Kansas - 2 cases
New York City - 28 cases
Ohio - 1 case
Texas - 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT - 40 cases

Most Recent Swine Flu School Closures:

St. Francis Preparatory High School - Queens, NY
http://www.sfponline.org/
Closed Monday April, 27 & Tuesday April 28

14 schools in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District - Schertz, TX
http://www.scuc.txed.net/
Closed Monday April 27 through Friday May 1

St. Mel School, a small Catholic school - Fair Oaks, CA
http://stmelschool.ca.campusgrid.net/home
Closed Until Thursday April 30th

Ely Elementary School - Elyria, OH
http://www.elyriaschools.org/ely/
Closed Monday April 27 through Friday May 1

How is flu transmitted?

Flu is transmitted in droplets that become airborne when coughing or sneezing. These airborne droplets can be inhaled or can contaminate surfaces. Contaminated surfaces can then be touched and brought to ones mouth, nose or eyes.

Simple Ways to Best Protect Yourself and Your Family:

1) Wash hands frequently with soap and water (alcohol based hand cleaners work too).
2) Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (throw in trash after use).
3) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as germs are spread that way.
4) Remain distant to anyone coughing or sneezing wherever possible.
5) Keep immune system in good shape with proper excersize, rest and nutrition.
6) Limit exposure to large groups.

What To Do if You Feel Sick?

1) Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (throw in trash after use).
2) Wash hands frequently especially after coughing into hands or touching tissues.
3) Stay home from work or school and limit contact with others.
4) Keep any areas contaminated by bodily fluids clean by washing thoroughly with disinfectants.
5) Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.
6) See a health care provider when necessary.

Symptoms of Swine Flu (from the CDC website):

Swine influenza A virus infection (swine flu) can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. People with swine flu also can have vomiting and diarrhea. Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe.Severe disease with pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death is possible with swine flu infection. Certain groups might be more likely to develop a severe illness from swine flu infection, such as persons with chronic medical conditions. Sometimes bacterial infections may occur at the same time as or after infection with influenza viruses and lead to pneumonias, ear infections, or sinus infections.

Anyone infected with flu symptoms should stay home for 7 days after the first day of fever or at least 24-48 hours after all symptoms resolve, whichever is longer.

For more up-to-date information visit: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

NYC Health Department Information sheet (distributed via St. Francis Preparatory School):
http://www.sfponline.org/Uploads/swineinfluenzaSFP.pdf

We generally reserve this blog for school fundraising news but it seems parents (such as myself) wanted a summary of the situation especially as it relates to schools and some simple As with all of my posts, if you find the information helpful, please subscribe to my blog, forward the URL, leave a comment or promote on twitter (@BelieveKids) or other sites. Please contact me for more information or visit http://www.BelieveKids.com


Recommendations as to keeping healthy were sourced from Government Sites and are not my sole opinion. I am not a professional medical practitioner - As with any medical advice, please consult a professional. Furthermore, I believe this information will be outdated very soon. Look for updates here or through other sources.