How To: All Saints Day Cleanup Fundraiser

So, it's that time of year - Halloween!  

Here are instructions on an easy and inexpensive fundraiser for small groups. It's the All Saints Day Cleanup, otherwise known as cleaning up smashed pumpkins from your driveway day!  It takes place on the day after Halloween.  But really, it's just a yard cleanup - like putting bark or rocks back where they belong, raking and picking up any trash in the yard.

It does take some organization and follow through and is not a big dollar fundraiser by any means but it may make sense for your small group.  It's easy to operate and performs a community service.  If you do this fundraiser, make sure to chime back in and let me know how things went.

All Saints Day Cleanup

Difficulty: Easy-medium

Prep time: 2-3 weeks

Fundraiser Duration: 1 day

Serves: Small groups

Startup cost: Low

Profit potential: Low


What you need:

Time sheet
1 volunteer per 3 kids
Work gloves
Trash bags
Ladder
Outdoor cleaning supplies
Rakes
Flyers
Optional yard equipment (blowers, hoses)

Method:

1. Advertise in school and around the community up to a month before Halloween that students will be available to clean up yards the day after Halloween. Charge $5 per student with a maximum of 3 students cleaning each yard. Assign an adult volunteer to answer and schedule responses from the ads and record every persons name, phone number, address, how big their yard is, and a time students will be available to clean up their yard.  If you have the capability, using the web and email can make setting up and confirming appointments a snap!

2. Set a deadline of the day before Halloween that people will be able to have students clean their yards. Then contact all the students and assign them times, yards, and a volunteer that will go with their group to clean. There will be one adult volunteer for every 3 children.

Notes:

1. Depending on what area you are in and how big or small the yards are, you can change the specifics of price and how many people there are in a team.  Make sure it's a fair price for the work being done. You want to offer a valueable service!

2. Make sure the adults leading teams know how to keep students safe and train students on how to accomplish the tasks involved safely.  This fundraiser is not worth doing if children can be injured in any way so this may be best for older groups.


3. Have someone who is 'that yard guy (or gal)' explain what you will offer and have them help to see things through. You know the one with the greenest grass in the neighborhood.  Ask them to help as they very likely have expertise that will help you. 

PROS: Easy to run with no overhead.
CONS: Low profit potential plus manual labor is involved.

Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising - The Low Down...

This blog has never been self-serving. I didn't intend for the information here to ever be about my company and certainly not about me. It's time though, given some feedback I have received to give a quick summary about me and my company. I think it will give some valuable insight as to why I spend my time writing about how to improve funding in schools.

First off, I believe my personal mission is to speak up for children that won't speak up on their own. I have two kids and have found that they are very resilient. If they lack something, they find a way to cope and they move on. I believe adults in our society need to intervene any way they can to better provide for children when they wouldn't say otherwise. In my case, I believe good teachers are the key to recognizing when children lack a learning tool.

I believe in good teachers.

A good example of this is my belief in, and commitment to quality teaching. I believe that teachers should make every student feel like they are the teachers favorite. I believe there should be enough teaching styles to reach out to the future artist and the engineer and the zoologist and I don't believe reciting facts is the way to reach these very different personalities.

I believe in technology.

I believe that schools should commit to being ahead of the technology curve and not behind it. Technology has changed the way we teach but I'm not convinced we know that yet. All the research tools and resources needed to create a new and collaborative learning experience already exists in handheld devices and computers already on the market.

I expect a technological revolution in schools within the next 10 years whereby paper is largely replaced with hand-held devices.

I would like to be at the forefront of financing this revolution.

Professionally, Believe Kids Fundraising is about excellence. We pay attention to detail in every product and service so that we not only raise money for schools but maximize the fundraisers profitability so schools can fundraise less. Fundraising less means improving relations with parents and we think having a hand out too often creates resentment. We want parents and schools to work together because after all, both parents and schools need each other.

So, while we raise the bar with our elementary school fundraising programs, we will continue to set our sights on improving relationships and enhancing education with good teaching and technology.

One thing we know about the future of education, is that we are honored to be a part of it!

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of the Believe Group and blogs here and at the School Fundraising PLN. If you enjoyed the article, please comment or share the link to this blog: www.believejay.blogspot.com or hit me up on twitter: www.twitter.com/believekids

Thanks so much!