Top Elementary School Fundraising Products - Best School Fundraisers!

Here's the low down. 

The best elementary school fundraiser is Fall gift and wrap catalog. 

A Fall catalog generally includes gift wrap, chocolates, magazines and a bunch of other gifts, kitchen items, jewelry etc.  The reason they outsell other fundraisers is a combination of factors including the bells and whistles that are offered alongside the catalog as well as the diversity of the items themselves.  Everything is placed in combination to increase participation.

Cookie dough is a standard nowadays in instances where a school wants to raise significant funds in a short period of time.  The results can be downright amazing.  The upside is a food item is in demand.  The potential downside is that the delivery can be a bit of a challenge.  Handling heavy items school-wide requires some volunteers.

A classic fundraiser is a magazine drive.  They continue to perform even with the technological improvements today has ushered in.  What most people appreciate about a magazine fundraiser is that customers receive the same exact magazines that they already buy at the same price they would buy the subscription for elsewhere.

Chocolate bars seem to have had a resurgence in the last year or two despite health concerns about childhood obesity.  Chocolate bars are perhaps the only product-in-hand fundraiser that performs.  It seems that schools with a successful history of selling chocolate bars are able to earn significant dollars without concern.  The only downside is that despite attempts to hold parents accountable for all chocolate distributed, some parents may not pay.

The last category is events.  Large organized ones.  The type that take consistency and planning and are followed up with professional execution.  Walk-a-thons, auctions and carnivals all earn a spot on the list for their ability to raise significant funds while being fun.  There are certainly some challenges here, including a ton of planning and the need for schools to purchase supplies and rentals up front.  Because large-scale events can be complex, perhaps the biggest challenge is in finding and organizing volunteers.

So, there you have it.

Fall Gift & Wrap Catalog
Frozen Cookie Dough Fundraisers
Magazine Drive
Chocolate Bar Fundraiser
Large Organized Events (walk-a-thon, read-a-thon, carnival, auction, fundraising dinner)

Ok, until next time!

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Fall Gift & Wrap Catalog

Why Frozen Cookie Dough Fundraisers?

Frozen cookie dough fundraisers are one of the most successful fundraisers in existence.  There's a few reasons for that.  Here's the skinny...


1) The product is popular because it's super tasty.
2) The product is popular because it's a bit naughty.

So, there you have it.  My top 2 purely scientific reasons why cookie dough is one of the most successful fundraiser items EVER!

Ok, until next time!

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Keep the conversation going on twitter - twitter.com/believekids
Frozen cookie dough fundraisers

Fundraising Ideas - Understanding School Auction Fundraisers

So, yesterday I talked a bit about Fall gift and wrap fundraising catalogs.  I  believe them to be the easiest fundraisers to host that raise significant funds in a short amount of time. But there are a number of top fundraisers out there that schools succeed at regularly and with some consistency.  A type of fundraiser with a proven track record is a school auction.

An auction is a great way to raise a significant amount of money.  Classes and businesses provide the items to be auctioned off and then an event is held that includes an auction of those items.  Most of the time when it comes to elementary schools, theme baskets are put together.  For instance, a 'Chocolate Dream' basket may include a gift certificate to a candy store, some chocolate bars, a chocolate fountain and perhaps a gift certificate to a fondue restaurant that ends every meal off with a chocolate fondue.  This is just an example, however, there are many themes from hollywood to travel which makes the items being offered fun and exciting.

There are, of course, many variations on how to throw and auction from silent auction styles to live auctioneers and combinations of many other fun things that can be integrated to earn more money.  Being good at an auction is somewhat of an art but first-timers can have success as well.  I believe that a first-time event does get traction because it's new.  If the schools pulls of the auction the first year, it should be repeatable with similar returns.

The pros - on the upside, a very significant amount of money can be earned and parents will enjoy a great night out.  A successful school auction can be an annual gala offering proven success over and over again.

The cons - hosting an auction is a very big deal and requires many, many hours of work to organize.  Volunteers are needed throughout the process as well both on auction day and during the organizational process.  If baskets are paid for with cash, it is possible that the income does not exceed the value of the item.  This means that it is best to arrange donations from parents or businesses instead of paying full price for auction items.

Alrighty... So, today is school auctions and tomorrow we'll discuss cookie dough fundraisers!  Until then!

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School Fundraiser Ideas
Fundraising PLN Blog

Cookie Dough Fundraisers - Why Schools Choose Them.

Sample Cookie Dough Fundraiser

There really is a lot going on when it comes to cookie dough fundraisers.  Here's just a simplified take on it to answer the question...

Why do schools choose cookie dough fundraisers?

Three things immediately come to mind:

1) They are a commodity: food.
2) They are a tempting treat.
3) Everyone gets it.

So, how in the world does this make any sense at all?

In order to succeed at school fundraising, you have to have donors.  But because asking people for money directly isn't enough enticement, cookie dough fits the bill.

It's a commodity, meaning that it is a food product which is always in demand. Yep, insert cheesy catch phrase here:  After all, everybody eats!  So, when it's a tempting treat, that's even better.

Lastly, everyone gets it.  Kids understand how to sell it, parents understand the value they receive by buying it and the school knows that other than needing just a bit of help on delivery day, it's a well-developed school fundraiser with a proven track record.

Cookie dough fundraising is not for everyone.  If you are a small group or have a hard time selling anything to parents and the community you may want to look elsewhere.  Shipping frozen product is expensive so there are usually minimum sales numbers you need in order to get free shipping.  Your profitability depends on your ability to sell above this minimum number.

In summary, a larger group with just decent sales ability can have higher sales over other fundraisers when switching to a frozen cookie dough fundraiser.  

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Thanks for looking!  Here is an example of quality frozen food fundraisers - I encourage comments here or on twitter.com/believekids  Thanks!