Keep Your Fundraising Short!

Keep your fundraising short and to the point!

Nothing is more maddening than things that won't go away...  things that won't end.

Have you ever watched a 6 hour movie?  See I haven't either.  Probably because people just know that it won't fly.  That it needs to be shorter.  That it needs to come to an end at the right time.

That time, is around 1:30 with a movie.  With a school fundraiser, it's 10 days.

Two full weeks of fundraising is the right amount of time to kick it off and wrap it up.  Then, the only thing remaining is the delivery which will be a few weeks off in most cases.

Keep your school fundraising simple, short and to the point!

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elementary school fundraisers

Two Week Elementary School Fundraisers & School Principals

Principals and school fundraising.

This is really more of an appeal. 

If you are a principal, just know that our philosophy is congruent with yours.  Good fundraising companies have the same goal.

Speaking of my fundraising company in particular, we want to interfere as little as possible inside the classroom.  We want to encourage the parent teacher relationship.  We want more learning.  When it comes to technology, we want schools to be more on the cutting edge, allowing collaborative learning to take shape.  We want to help children find their passions!

In order to do that, we believe in a two-week focused campaign where principals, teachers, students and parents team up to raise such significant funds in the Fall, that only one main fundraiser is requred in the Spring.

Limiting fundraising is important. Promoting the fundraisers that make a huge impact, is how we team up to make a big financial difference while not causing undue distraction in the classroom.



Ok, until next time!

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elementary school fundraisers

Elementary School Fall Fundraisers

Ok, it's here.  Fall elementary school fundraising!

Candies, candles, magazines, gifts, wrap, cookies and much more will all be offered in an effort to reach fundraising goals for elementary schools all across the nation. 

What we can expect over the next few months is a flurry of fundraising efforts and it can get a bit frustrating.  Just remember to keep a good attitude and help as much as possible!

After all, we're talking about a charity effort. Schools have a legitimate need.  The best thing we can do is suspend disbelief and give.  Then, you may be able to take a writeoff just as you would with any charitable gift.  Don't second-guess it...

It feels great!

The Right Approach to Elementary School Fundraisers

Elementary school fundraisers are an interesting thing and when accomplished well, they should be both profitable and feel good.  They should also not be intrusive.

So, short, quality and then super-profitable huh?


Yes.  

Pay attention to the signal-to-noise ratio (The amount of background noise versus the main event).  

In order to really achieve fundraising success, the goal should be to minimize school fundraisers - playing down anything that does not put the money in the hands of the parent group.  Once there are just a few manageable fundraisers throughout the year, it's time to focus.

Focus on a fundraiser that can raise a significant amount of funds in a short period of time.  For instance, if a product fundraiser can earn top-dollar running for only two weeks, great!  If a fundraiser minimizes distraction in the classroom, great!

Involve everyone.  The difference between 1 fundraiser and 10 all boils down to the importance of the fundraiser and the participation it garners.  If you want to succeed wildly, include everyone in the process, from the principal to the parents.  Making the fundraiser important makes it succeed.  This success is why you can get rid of the other fundraisers.

Next is feel good.  In order to have the perfect formula of fundraising success, everyone needs to be left feeling good.  Customers need quality products in exchange for their donations, the schools need to not hear complaints about product and the parent group has to have a manageable delivery.

So, the right approach.  Minimize distraction, focus, involve everyone and ensure satisfaction.  Sounds easy and it is in the right circumstances. But it can be a challenge as well.  Most schools focus less on one fundraiser and more on scheduling many smaller efforts throughout the year.

If nothing else, perhaps a school will put just a little more focus into a fundraiser than normal and see what happens.  I hope this post encourages you to do just that.  You may find that with more success comes less fundraising.

Ok, until next time!

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twitter.com/believekids
elementary school fundraisers

The Best High-Profit Elementary School Fundraisers for PTA's PTO's

If you are involved with a PTA or PTO at your elementary school, you know first-hand the challenges of picking a successful school fundraiser.

Have you noticed a tendency to not want to burden parents, to want to be as gentle as possible because the economy is in trouble or you believe parents are hit up too much?

Believe me, your not alone!

Here's the thing though.  I've watched PTA's and PTO's choose the softest, least intrusive fundraisers only to schedule additional fundraisers later in the year.  I've seen fundraisers that take so much work to organize, that other functions of the parent group grind to a halt.  I've seen so many fundraisers run in a year, that parents stop participating in school sponsored activities.

So, there are a lot of companies, services and self-hosted fundraisers available to you but there's a secret.  There's a way to achieve the best high-profit elementary school fundraiser for your PTA or PTO.

How you ask?

Well, you could go through the numbers right?  The only numbers needed are estimated number of participants you can expect multiplied by how much on average a participant will sell.  You could ask your fundraising company what their participation is in your area and what their average sale is..  You could look at last years event fundraising records for the number of tickets sold and the income generated.  Or you could go a completely different way.

Ok, you ready for the secret?

Pick the fundraiser that will generate the most action, excitement, RESULTS!  What you are looking for is a RSVP, a ticket sale, a commitment, a purchase or an attendee!  Yes, instead of the softest sale, you want the hardest in-your-face sale in the history of sales!

So whatever you choose, make sure that the principal will get behind it!  Ensure that each and every teacher will become an active participant and supporter!  Make sure that every parent knows why it is important and why they just have to participate!

With any luck, you've picked a fundraiser that can extend to the community or even nationwide (as in the case with many high-profit elementary school fundraisers - no obligation disclaimer as this is my company).

Regardless of who you use for your PTA or PTO Fundraiser or what type of event you choose to host, there is no substitute for planning and careful execution!  Keep your fundraiser short and make it important and forget about having to run other fundraisers later in the year because you didn't hit your fundraising goal! 

This approach will shatter your fundraising records!

Ok, until next time!

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elementary school fundraisers

Ideas for Elementary School Fundraisers and Fundraising Success! Pt. 1

Setting the stage

It's can be scary realizing you have to find a fundraiser for your school or group but there's some good news.  Although I am not going to make the claim that you will succeed at every fundraiser, if you follow the ideas here, you have the very best possible chances.

When I was 10 I had a school fundraiser.  It was horrible.  I had to sell raffle tickets.  They were the worst photocopies ever and I was quite sure that everyone I approached thought I made them myself.  I gathered my confidence best I could and headed off to sell.  As the doorbell rang, I could barely get out my sales pitch.  The only reason that I was able to sell my "quota" of tickets was because my school had a secret weapon.

They told me how much I needed to personally sell and I sold it.  They told me what the money was for and I told everyone I pitched.  It was in these sentiments that the importance of the fundraiser transferred from them, through me and on to my customers - even with a fake looking product.


So, as I was selling these in my neighborhood alone after dark I realized that it's not in what you sell, but in how you sell it.  Although I was scarred by the situation, I did become a successful sales professional many years later.

Your elementary school deserves to spend time doing effective stuff - things that work!  An elementary school fundraiser is only effective if it's important and that the reason it's important is communicated.  Secondarily, there has to be an achievable goal that can be broken down to a per-seller goal.  That is how true success is achieved.

If we're in agreement on that, we can move on to part 2. The Goods

School Fundraising Advice & Inspiration - 3 PTA Fundraising Essentials

You're PTA is planning a fundraiser.  Here's a quick 1,2,3 of what to consider BEFORE you make your final school fundraising decision.

1) What are your volunteer capabilities?  Fewer volunteers means product fundraising may be a better bet than events.  Product fundraisers do not need volunteers in the same way events do.  In fact, a core group promoting a product fundraiser is really all you need.

2) What fundraising product will you sell?  A Fall gift & wrap catalog is your best bet for high-dollar results.  Here is an example of a fall gift & wrap fundraising catalog (this is my company but please feel free to use any competitive alternative).  Frozen foods are a close second in terms of profitability for elementary school fundraisers.  Magazines are still a good option, particularly with middle schools.

3) Do you dare get multiple fundraising offers in writing?  There's not much by way of assurance that you are working with a great fundraising company until you ask a few simple, yet straightforward questions.  Ask what the average seller raises in retail sales, ask what participation rate you are likely to experience (based on past performance from that company) and ask what your profit percentage will be on those sales.  Based on that, you can relatively accurately determine how much you will earn through each of your potential fundraising companies.  Use that as part of your decision-making process.  If making money is a priority, the data you get will be very telling.


There you have it!  3 PTA fundraising essentials!

Ok, until next time!

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www.BelieveKids.com
www.Twitter.com/BelieveKids
www.Facebook.com/BelieveKids
www.BelieveKids.com/Blog/
www.BelieveFundraising.Wordpress.com

If you participate in elementary school fundraisers, this is for you.

On behalf of the future of our country, my hat's off to you!  Thank you for supporting kids & education!

Ok, until next time!

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Keep the conversation going at twitter.com/believekids
elementary school fundraisers

101 Low & No Cost Promotions for Your Fundraiser

I wrote a book on low & no cost school fundraiser promotions and you can get a copy of it free with no strings attached. 

I posted it on slideshare where you can view, print or download. You can easily share with other principals or PTA PTO members as well.

If you want a copy to print or keep on your computer, just find the download button towards the top of the page. Join the thousands of others who have downloaded and shared it here:

101 Low & No Cost Promotions for Your Fundraiser

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Keep the conversation going:
Twitter.com/BelieveKids
Elementary School Fundraisers

A Thought on: For Principals, Good Reason to 'Creatively Non-Comply'

Take a look at the post below. 

Here a Principal outlines what I believe is critical inside schools today - filtering out the noise so that teachers can inspire students while hitting academic goals - even in an environment of shrinking school budgets.

This relates to our elementary school fundraisers in a huge way because our belief is that school fundraising should be more focused and well-promoted so there can be significantly less fundraising going on. 

There are not that many high-profit school fundraisers out there so many schools are finding that they need to add fundraisers to make up for lost revenue or shrinking budgets.  I believe too much 'noise' erodes the relationship between teachers and parents and too many school fundraisers is one of the quickest way to losing support and school spirit.

For Principals, Good Reason to 'Creatively Non-Comply'

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elementary school fundraisers

Sharing is Caring...

Here on my blog, I post mostly about how to make elementary school fundraisers more successful. The rest of the time, my goal is to help make fundraising easier and more respected.

Parents, teachers, PTA, PTO, PTSA, PTSO and other parent group members, school administration and principals are all welcome!  Fundraising companies and fundraising representatives are also encouraged to visit.  I believe in quality competition and cohesiveness within the fundraising industry.  Our ability to explore common goals encourages me daily.

So, here's my plea...

"Sharing is caring!" my Mom would exclaim as she raised three rambunctious boys.  I believe that today and hope you feel the same way. 

Please share this website address with someone involved with school fundraising in some way.  I think they'll have some fun too!

http://www.Fundraising-Advice.com

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Thanks so much!!! 

School Fundraising Complacency and How to Avoid It.

Today, just a quick message and I hope it resonates with you.  This isn't just about elementary school fundraising either.  It's about things we do everyday that instead of dealing with properly, we let linger on and on. 

In our everyday lives, both personal and professional, we have things that we stick with despite the fact that we know we shouldn't. 

A Quick Analogy...

I buy yogurt at the store regularly.  The thing is, I get scared that yogurt will go bad and won't eat it if I believe it to be old.  When I am at the store, I know this, but I buy too many regardless.  Yes, I end up with too many and have to throw some out.

I could easily remind myself that I shouldn't buy as much, but I ignore my heart. 

Now, Here's a Classic!

We all know that AOL users have a fear of the Internet.  Anyone with AOL back in the day was staying with them because they were comfortable with the 'web' that AOL provided them.  The email and chat rooms, news stories and greeting cards.  Nowadays, most people have broadband but amazingly, they are still paying for AOL!  They profit to the tune of 250 million a year and almost all of their services have been free for years!

Stop Paying for AOL, It's Free

So,don't be happy with fundraising that is not producing the results your after.  If you promise yourself that you will find a company that offers the right high-profit fundraiser you're after, find it!  Don't just use the last company just because it's convenient.

Furthermore, take a moment to look into some of the situations you face personally.  Look for something like the above examples and change it. 

I know it's a hard road but if we're stubborn enough to put up with a situation that could be fixed with just a little bit of effort, we're certainly stubborn enough to stop at nothing to fix them too!

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Hope that helps!   I write here at believejay.blogspot.com and would enjoy any comments good or bad below.  Go ahead and share the site address if you like the info provided.  Thanks so much!  Follow the link for information on high-profit elementary school fundraisers.

Putting the Brakes on School Fundraisers

This article sounds bad and I know why.  It's the title.  Putting the brakes on... It sounds like fundraising is bad.  But what this school realized is that it's not fundraising that's bad, it's too much fundraising that is.

In actuality, they are limiting fundraisers which is a good thing! We need more schools to stop hitting up parents non-stop for money and this is a good example of how to do it - by taking a stand!

Carrollton puts brakes on school fundraisers

Fundraisers your school considers should be scrutinized more.  Make sure they are critical and have a high chance of success.  Then they should be made as impactful as possible.   Schools can have one main fundraiser a semester with a sprinkling of the stuff schools have become accustomed to such as yearbooks, photos or perhaps spirit gear sales.

Take a stand and limit your fundraisers! 

The choice to do so automatically puts more importance on the fundraisers you decide to support.  Make a good push on the remaining few and you'll wonder why you had so many fundraisers to begin with.

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising - a nationwide elementary school fundraising company that offers large high-profit elementary school fundraisers.  I enjoy comments and suggestions both here and on twitter.com/believekids - Thanks for sharing and looking!

Fundraise More or More Effectively...

The economy, as it relates to elementary schools, is in trouble.  Especially when it comes to school fundraising and supporting school programs.  In order to make up for school budget cuts, schools have to fundraise more or more effectively to avoid 'fundraising fatigue'.

If a school is offering a non-stop supply of magazines, cookie dough, candy, events, spirit night and the like, it's no surprise that fundraising revenue dwindles.

Here are some tips to avoid burning out parents and the community:

• Fundraise less - track your results and concentrate on what works best.  Limit the number of groups fundraising and avoid multiple fundraisers at the same time wherever possible.

• Set Goals - Knowing how important a fundraiser is to the school or group will determine how others feel about it as well.  If a school has a forgettable fundraiser, people will 'forget' to participate.

• Know what works - is there something in your area that works well?  Perhaps parents are quite familiar with cookie dough fundraisers.  If you were to offer cookie dough to your group would it earn extra sales because the community is already familiar with it?

So, choose the right fundraisers.  Insist that each be done well and track the progress.  When schools are ready and able to host high-grossing elementary school fundraisers make it the main fundraiser and put every available effort behind it.

How to Increase School Fundraising Revenue

There are several very easy ways to increase your fundraising revenue and I personally guarantee every one of the following 3 methods works.

1) Involve the principal - if you get the principal on your side, excited and throwing contests, greeting parents on kickoff day, etc. more money will be raised.

2) Start earlier - if you have a profitable fundraiser that you can start earlier in the school year, your school will raise more.  There is a lot more fundraising competition later in the year.  The second or third week of school is the best time to hold a school-wide fundraiser.

3) Reward sellers - Anytime you can get parents and children excited, you win!  Consider a prize program or another incentive to offer children.  It's proven that they will work harder for a cause if there is a personal reward to earn.

Hope that helps!

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If you enjoy my blog and it's contents, please share the link - believejay.blogspot.com - also, I would appreciate any comments or suggestions here or at twitter.com/believekids

Visit Believe Kids website for more information on elementary school fundraisers.

Elementary School Fundraising PLN (Personal Learning Network)

We've decided to begin a new blog site.

It's the fundraising PLN or fundraising personal learning network. The idea here is that we post very useful insight and information to help PTA and PTO groups along with school administrators and principals find good and truly valuable content related to hosting successful elementary school fundraisers.

PLN's or Personal Learning Networks are gaining momentum in education because groups of like-minded individuals can be networked together with the purpose of gaining insight that will help in their individual efforts.

We think it's about time elementary school fundraisers had a PLN!

With this site we can all become better and more successful at what we do to raise money for elementary schools as fundraising companies, schools and groups as well as parents and the community - enjoy!

We are posting daily to the site and hope you find it valuable. At this point, any insight would be appreciated so please let me know via comments here or on twitter. Please Although we will be working on new content daily, we invite you to check it out and get a feel for what is going to develop into the best resource for information and advice on elementary school fundraisers.

You can access the site by visiting www.believekids.com/blog or www.fundraisingpln.com

Regardless of how you get to the site, I truly hope every PTA and PTO member plus school administrators, teachers and principals gets some value out of the site!

Feel free to bookmark and share and give me any feedback here or on twitter! Thanks!!

Why some fundraisers aren't fundraisers...

I really liked something I ran across today. Just a one sentence comment: 'Not everything is made to be a fundraiser'. It immediately resonated with me.

As the vice president of a nationwide elementary school fundraising company, I look at a large number of fundraisers, both types and products. I have to say that although many products and services are available as fundraisers, not everything should be considered a fundraiser.

There is a way to make money at nearly anything, but not everything should be a fundraiser. In order to keep things simple for parents and the community, host fundraisers that are fundraisers and host events that are not fundraisers. You'll see what I mean in the following example:

Hosting a 'school dance fundraiser' is not a good idea but a school dance with paid parking attendants and a concession booth is a great idea!

Ticket sales, raffles, concessions, photo booths, parking, spirit wear, craft sales and potentially a bunch of other ideas all could raise money at an event. Anything that could be easily integrated as a beneficial service in support of the event would be a consideration in my book for a money making extra - not to be confused with a fundraiser.

Keep this in mind when planning your future events and fundraisers.

If you have a fundraiser, make it a big one and put your efforts behind it. Let it be known that it's a fundraiser and celebrate the need and thank the community for getting behind a cause. If, on the other hand, you are planning something that is not a fundraiser, look for money making opportunities where 'soft sales' could be used and don't call it a fundraiser. Keep it on the down-low.

Here's why.

Parents and the community want to rally around a good cause - but only periodically. They don't want to see a hand out all the time. In order to maximize profits on your main fundraisers, minimize attention to other efforts and play up the main fundraiser any chance you get!

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Summary - Do not call a dance a fundraiser but feel free to offer some 'soft sales' at the event. Just don't make it too obvious. It would be best to not draw attention to the fact that any concessions or sales are a fundraiser.

When you have your main fundraiser for the year, get everyone's attention, make it a big deal and let each and every parent know that you expect participation in the fundraiser because the school needs help.

You can only do this essentially once per semester or parents will not want to get involved. Participation in school fundraisers right now is critical so do anything and everything you can to downplay small fundraisers and give it all you got when it comes to marketing your heavy-hitting fundraisers!

Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising offers Follow-Through!

If you don't like posts that include shameless self-promotion, skip this one.

We're one of the last companies offering up to 50% profit with a traditional fundraiser that REALLY works! At a time when school fundraising companies are offering less and changing their strategies, we're offering more of the right things - things that make fundraisers work!

We are concerned with your profit. We are concerned that you have a good reputation when all is said and done. This means that we won't push lame prizes or cheap products your way in the name of school fundraising. We will make you look good by promptly taking care of any request for replacement or missing items.

You have to make money. If we consult you, you will make money. We have systems for getting results. It sounds kinda cheesy saying this so directly but we can explain ourselves rather quickly and you will get it - our fundraisers get people involved.

As for the catalogs, we'll send you a sample copy and you will see first-hand what type of organization we are. Items are quality and you will notice our commitment to offering value.

If we are a good fit, let's work together! We've hosted over 10,000 successful fundraisers in every state and would love to provide you as many references as you need. On our website we have posted un-moderated comments.

We wouldn't do that if we weren't confident in our follow-through :)

Now is the time to request our new elementary school fundraising catalog for Fall 2010 school fundraising. Please visit http://believekids.com/Samples/ to request your sample packet.