5 Fundraising Strategies for Elementary School Districts, School Principals and PTA / PTO Parent Groups - CONTINUED...

So, here is part 2 of Fundraising Strategy for Elementary School Districts, School Principals and PTA / PTO Parent Groups.

Part 1 is a simple premise.  Your school or district can improve fundraising dramatically by having a fundraising plan.

Here in part 2 I want to very quickly address a 5 simple ways to specifically improve elementary school fundraising results by having a simple strategy.

1) Less is More - be cognizant of how many requests parents receive on a daily basis.  Book fairs, spirit nights, school photos, yearbooks, permission slips, sports nights, events, donation letters, volunteer requests and newsletters all count as things to do and things to deal with. 

Simplify these...  Minimize these.

Reserve them for the most important events and fundraisers.  Consolidate other requests as much as possible into newsletters or update emails if no action is immediately requested.

2) Host heavy-hitting fundraisers - get rid of any fundraisers that earn just a few thousand dollars in favor of one two-week heavy-hitter.  This will earn much more money without burning parents out. 

3) When is important - host fundraisers where vacations, finals, holidays or other events may cause low participation.  Generally the beginning of a semester is best because parents and students are fresh and demands on time lower than near the end of the year.

4) Build confidence - build confidence in your students, parents and the community by providing quality prizes and products and offer value.  When people receive a fair deal, they feel good.  The same can't be said for anyone that feels they were taken advantage of.  Remember that even though it's a donation, there is an expectation that the product or service will be worth the money spent.

5) Encourage teamwork - from the district level right to the teachers, working together creates success.  There is nothing more powerful than the request of a principal and nothing as encouraging as a kind request from a favorite teacher.  Teamwork, Teamwork, Teamwork!

Hey, there you have it.  I hope just one school utilizes the information here to come up with a winning elementary school fundraising strategy!  Having a plan is worth it! 

Until Next Time!

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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!