First Day of Kindergarten!

Gotta love the first day of Kindergarten! I'm a proud parent and so thankful he's got a good group of teachers and administration on his side!

Hey hey, it's unpopular opinion day! A post for cash-strapped schools.

So, here you go. 

Schools that are financially in trouble, should not be raising money for charity outside their schools.  Phew, I said it - out loud even! 

Now, I understand that there are people that could be outraged by my comment and I do freely risk criticism there.  I probably deserve it too but hold on...

The thing is, I'm not against raising money for charity.  In fact, my professional career relies on it.  I also know that part of why schools raise money for disaster relief, foreign charity or health related issues is because it allows children to understand the importance of causes.  It can also connect our children with the world - both compelling reasons.

It allows people to come together in support of something bigger than you and I alone.

My point is only that sometimes, the school itself needs to be that cause and we shouldn't hide from it or make it any less important than it actually is.  Sure, it's not curing cancer or ending hunger.  But what it does is encourage our children to find their passions.  In the right situation, their classroom is a platform for discovering an interest that may just change the path they take in life. 

We just need to be clear that it's not that a worldly cause is bad, it's just that sometimes, you need to take care of your home base before you can head out to help the world.  It's alright if your school is the cause from time-to-time if it needs to be.

Ok, until next time!

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www.BelieveKids.com
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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

Evaluating Your Elementary School PTA / PTO Activities

Hi!  Jay here.  I want to let you quickly know that right before school is back in session is the best time to re-evaluate your PTA or PTO activities!

Principals - meet with your PTA or PTO and go over their comprehensive plan for the Fall activities and fundraisers!  If you're allowed to, see if you can help them run some numbers and determine if the fundraisers they are holding will earn money and if they are too intrusive into the demands of teaching.  Don't let the PTA or PTO host fundraisers that are risky and help them ensure against theft!

PTA and PTO members - get together with the expressed purpose of finalizing your schedule.  Make sure you have everything in place to present yourselves and the school with conviction and professionalism.  Don't hesitate.  Make sure that when the school year hits, so does  the PTA or PTO!  In your meeting discuss if you have any risky or particular needy areas that present concern.  Can you simplify things?

Remember, less is more!  So if you can strip away things you're not putting time into, before school starts would be the time to decide what it is you will do well, and what you don't need to do!

Ok, until next time!

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School fundraisers

School Fundraisers: Just Say No to the Sales Push

A public response to School Fundraisers: Just Say No to the Sales Push

So, here we have an article that is of the "I'd rather" variety.

'I'd rather do something else than to participate as requested.'

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It's really a declaration of failure to sway someone away from a course of action with no better solution.  It's also irresponsible.  Crazy example... If you were to try to convince my son to not wear his seat belt he would freak.  'But that's not safe!"

But here we have an article suggesting that fundraisers are booming business and just to opt out.

So, what's the deal?

My experience with donation drives is that they are not the end-all-be-all of fundraising solutions.  Sure, a school can host a successful donation drive but they do not work as well as this article would suggest.  If it were so simple, we'd just be donating like crazy and our industry would gladly be doing something else.

So, here's my criticism and you can do with it what you wish...

You get a fundraising packet from your school complete with some excitement from your kid.  Instead of rallying around the cause and being excited to do your part, you throw the packet away, give your kids the 'I'd rather' speech and then send in a few bucks direct (or forget about it completely).  You may even go as far as to make the volunteers hosting the fundraiser feel bad about it.

That's pretty harsh indeed.  Here's a few bullet point.  If you go around the fundraiser, here is who and how everyone is effected:

• The school is out money - your participation in the fundraiser would have very likely outweighed your donation (even at 100% going to the school).

• The fundraising company is out money - shipping catalogs and materials your way just to be recycled is very costly.

• Your kids learns funky lessons about generosity - isn't it better to show your kids how overly generous you are under the terms requested?

• The school is hurt - by avoiding the fundraising company, does the school loose an ally?  I contend they do.  Fundraising companies create incentives based on sales, not direct contributions.

• You're hurt- with all the wastefulness of recycling packets and going around the fundraising company, you may just be left with cheaper products at higher prices.

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So, what if you're wrong and a donation drive at your school raises a mere shadow of the funds raised by previous fundraisers?  What if a donation drive is not sustainable over time and even with short-term success, there is a downward trend following the first drive.

I've seen all this first hand and what seems like the solution, begins to look like just an alternative.

I'll leave you with that.  I know this is pretty harsh and a lot to consider - especially about a topic few are critically thinking about.  I'm here if you'd like to continue the conversation.

Please leave comments below or at twitter.com/believekids



Ok, until next time!

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school fundraisers

Principals Getting Involved with the Fundraising Efforts at their School...

Wanna talk going over the top for your school prom?  Here, the school principal does a polar dive to raise money for the school prom.

My point is not that you have to dress like a prom queen to get attention for your school.

This reminder is in case you don't think principals are getting involved with the fundraising efforts at their schools.  Clearly, this principal dressed up and dove into a frozen lake showing he's committed to making causes important at his school.

You can too - although, you may want to pick another way to go about it :)

Ok, until next time...

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twitter.com/believekids
School fundraiser

Marketing - Signs on Top of Signs - Too Much Equals Very Little.

Are you posting signs on top of signs?

 

There's only a few things that are critical knowledge at any given point in time and the tower of signs above is not very likely to help in reminding me or anyone else of those.  Chances are, the items above are things that may have been important to the DMV at one point, but are not very important to the folks at the counter.  

The goal of sign posting is to make everyone aware of one critical thing that really needs fixing but often these things get a bit messed up.  For instance, the next photo illustrates a use of signage that would appear to be a huge problem for the DMV - pets.  I looked around and there weren't any at all in there.  So, does the sign work remarkably well, or is there really no pet problem? So kind of you to allow service dogs!

 

Next up, I suggest that there is only a limited amount of mental resources available to customers who enter your establishment, enter your school or see your materials.  They can be barraged with a bunch of stuff that begins to not make much of an impact.  Considering the folks already seated inside are not going anywhere (even if they are sick), how well does this sign work?  I'm not dogging on the CDC but there's a million better ways to get this across.

Movin' on.  So... how's this one for being a bit confusing.  Are my kids in danger if they are unattended or are unattended kids just annoying?  Not real sure. Just a side note, unattended children actually provide a bit of comic relief.  In the DMV, I'm really not too concerned about keeping my kids quiet. Sorry but I'm not.  Make your line faster so you don't have to hear them for long.  Believe me, they will be laying a wake of destruction in their paths so the faster you are, the less you need this sign.

Wow, a great big fax number!  Looks like fun!

Nothing like duplicate lame-o posters!

So, the madness at the DMV goes on and on.  I really just want you to know that you don't have to post flyers everywhere for everything.  You do not need to include every single specific in your letters, emails, posts, newsletters etc.  Just dilute the content to what is most needed and provide a way to get more info.  The key is that the people that need the info need it and the ones that don't... just don't.

Is there a difference between telling me that you can't take checks under $10 vs. saying that you don't and then pointing to a flyer?

In your marketing the point is to make it so everyone gets the gist and a select few can find out more.  That's it.  You do that and you're golden.  By the way, there were a lot more signs than this posted.  Most of it was old and outdated and nobody asks if the information is needed or relevant any longer.

Out with the old and in with the new.  New things people want to find out about and old stuff should be removed.  Go ahead, try it.  Take down the no pets allowed poster and see what happens!

Publish Post

Apply this to your school or business or even marketing materials and you'll be better off.  No need to thank me, just do it!

Ok, until next time!

Schools - Broken or Transforming?

Read this article on educational reform and how we should be talking about it...

Broken or Transforming?

Ok, until next time!

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Keep the conversation going on twitter or facebook and please share what you see here with others!  The direct link to this website is fundraising-advice.com


Elementary School Fundriaser
School Fundraising Blog
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Mother Turns Neighborhood School from Mediocre to Marvelous

Parent Power: One Supermom's story

How a Chicago mother helped turn her neighborhood school from mediocre to marvelous.

http://bit.ly/mLqHy9

Keep the conversation going on twitter with #edreform or directly twitter.com/believekids
This is a sweet and encouraging story that should be shared.

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.

What do you Consider a Successful Fundraiser?

There are oodles of groups big and small and they all have stuff.  They have stuff that works and stuff that doesn't.  And somewhere in all that, there are truths and consistencies.

There are ways to determine a successful fundraiser:

Start with the obvious - the fundraiser itself.

Did the fundraiser provide a product or service that was easy for the community to understand and take part in?  Did the fundraiser offer a good value and a sense of quality?  Was everything simple, understandable and provided to your group ahead of time?

Next... The most common guide.  Did the school fundraiser succeed financially?  Setting goals and then hitting them feels great while falling short doesn't.  How did you and the group feel about the financial aspects of the fundraiser?

Then the nitty gritty.

Did the school get the expected numbers of students participating?  How did the participation differ from years prior?  This is a good gauge.  It provides a clue into the way parents think and how important the school made the fundraiser.  After all, a fundraiser that is mandatory receives almost unanimous support.  A fundraiser that is not marketed will earn hardly any support. 

Now here's the tough part. 

Would you do the fundraiser again?  If not, why?  Is there something that the fundraising company could have done to improve things?  Is there something the school could have done to make the sale more effective? Was there too much work involved?

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A good school or group fundraiser...

A good fundraiser answers the questions above like this...

Yes, it was easy to get started and host. We offered something of value to the community and earned a substantial profit.  The school got behind it and we had record participation and record sales as a result.  It was actually easy. I would do this fundraiser again.

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This fundraiser is out there too!

So, if you feel like you're not experiencing quality fundraising, just know that your group can succeed at fundraising by offering a quality product or service at a good value, keeping it simple and getting behind the fundraiser!

Happy Valentine's Day

This weekend, the kids have been so happy. 

Valentine's Day was celebrated at school on Friday and it was a blast!  It's become quite a fun little holiday it seems when it comes to children and I appreciate that.

I ran across this post in USA Today which indicates that indeed the holiday has gone from more of a adult sweetheart "love" celebration to more of a children's "like" holiday and even an office "friend" celebration for co-workers.

Of course, I remember how lame it was to go out and fight crowds on Valentine's Day and try to have an enjoyable restaurant experience.  I am glad the holiday is getting a bit more well rounded so I don't feel the obligation to go out with all the teenagers.

I am happy with Valentines Day and hope you are too.

Hey, regardless of how you celebrate, I just want to say Happy Valentine's Day! 

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.

Low-Profit PTA PTO Elementary School Fundraisers

Wow, Low Profits!
Yes, it's got a nice ring to it :) 
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The thing is, there are quite a few low-profit fundraisers out there. 

The reality is, this post is not a criticism of any low-profit fundraiser you, your group, your PTA or PTO or your entire school take part in.  There are different strokes for different folks and that is completely recognized.  It's all about expectation.  But there's more to it...

Here's the raw deal...

If a fundraiser is not going to produce success for your group, look elsewhere for a different fundraiser.  It's ending on a positive note that should be the most important aspect to your fundraiser.  If you look good and are happy with the results, that's success!  If you make the money you expect and deserve, that's also success!  If low-profits are not part of the equation, read on...

So, in your research, you will find high-profit fundraisers and you will find low-profit fundraisers.  I obviously suggest hosting a high-profit fundraiser so you and your school will not have to fundraise as often.  But, in the end, your school fundraiser is yours regardless of your profits - if you are happy with the profits and the way you look, then carry on happily.


If not, I want you to know that it's easy to spot a low-profit fundraiser.  

Ask for average sales per participant then compare this to answers from competitors.  A low-profit fundraiser could be a result of product, price or genre.  Asking companies for sales figures should separate out the productive from non-productive school fundraisers.

The hope in writing this today is that one person reading this will protect themselves from coming in short of their goal just because of picking a fundraiser that does not produce the same fundraising profit as a high-profit fundraiser.

After all, you deserve an easy fundraiser that encourages participation and allows your school to reach goals while the school and PTA / PTO looks good.  These fundraisers are out there but you may have to ask for sales numbers and referrals before deciding. 

Just make one promise...

Promise that you will project the outcome of each and every fundraiser you look at based on numbers provided by the fundraising company courting you.  If they don't have a history for you, look elsewhere.

As long as you bring something of value to the community and hit your goals without overdoing it, your fundraisers will succeed!  Just don't let yourself fall short on your goal just because you thought a fundraiser would work.

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I wrote this rather quickly, but I hope it helps!  Thanks!

Embezzlement Happens - Resources and Articles for PTA PTO parent groups - Prevent PTA Theft!

Most likely, every school across the country as well as PTA's and PTO's will be handling large amounts of cash and will certainly have checkbooks and bank accounts.  Anything from a band concert, concession stand, school carnival or product fundraiser to writing checks for supplies or paying vendors is an opportunity.

With all this fiscal 'stuff' comes exposure to theft and embezzlement - an opportunity for a criminal act to occur.  Every school needs stringent rules and procedures when it comes to handling money and bank accounts in order to minimize risk.

Here are a few resources that can help you, your PTA or PTO and entire school limit risk of theft and embezzlement.  So, the next time that you host a car wash, fundraising carnival, fun run, rummage sale, school dance, safety fair or any other event that involves money or making or receiving payments, you'll be better equipped to keep everyone and funds safe!

Preventing Theft: Why It's Crucial

PREVENTING THEFT IN YOUR PTA

TIPS TO PREVENT THEFT IN YOUR PTA

Hopefully you enjoy the content found here and share what you've found with other PTA and PTO members as well as administrators and principals alike. There's a lot to gain from safe, smart fiscal management and money handling. Thanks for taking a look!
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Although, that last paragraph really ends this blog post, I have one more article to pass on. I didn't include it in with the list above because it doesn't really have schools in mind. The info is good and important though so, if you have a minute, give it a look...

Embezzlement Happens. It’s What Charities Do Next That Matters

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids a school fundraising company supplying school fundraising catalogs to elementary schools nationwide. I love comments on my blog so please leave a comment good or bad below or follow Believe Kids at twitter.com/believekids or facebook.com/believekidsfundraising

Thanks for looking and if you get a chance, tell someone about this blog - believejay.blogspot.com

Schools and Technology... Changing Perceptions in the Mind of the Community.

Ask a random member of your community if they think the local elementary school is on the cutting edge of technology and most likely, they'll be thinking overhead projectors and VHS tapes.

I applaud educators today for pushing to improve the reputation of teachers when it comes to technology.  I no longer picture a teacher as purely a red pen, loose paper, dusty book person.  I picture educators as Macbook toting, Smartboard using folks planning their classes on an iPad.

So, here's the trouble.  When your average person pictures a school, they do not imagine a well-designed modern layout with comfortable furniture and quiet voices. They do not see subdued indirect lighting.  They do not envision students on the newest technology available.  They do not imagine students truly engaged.

They hear the clicks and squeaks of shoes in long echo filled hallways, the grinding of pencils being sharpened and outdated textbooks hitting the desks.  In the mind, the school is exactly as it has always been.  Loud, sterile and behind-the-times. They picture a lot of horseplay and talking back.

Change takes time and that's why I have so much respect for the educators in my PLN (my Personal Learning Network).  I see first-hand what technology and communication can do to improve learning.  The development of the educators that have embraced sites like twitter and express themselves with blogs such as this one is mind-boggling.  The desire to integrate apps and devices and create an environment where collaborative learning replaces memorization.

There is no doubt in my mind that our current educators can bring a new level of awareness and reform education.  Here's proof that our educators are on the cutting edge:

2010 Edublog Award Winners

If you take a look at some of the winners listed here, you'll get the idea that blogging, social media, technology and new strategies are being widely distributed TODAY.

And the kids are ready for it!  Right now, our toddlers are fully capable of operating computers and apps of all types.

My son just turned 4 years old and can surf YouTube, find age appropriate Netflix content to watch without help, take photos and videos and play them back and he can easily operate a number of educational apps without supervision. I know that sounds like he must be online all the time but it's not that he's always using technology.  He's a regular boy and plays and we do a lot of fun things together - He's just pretty darn good at it now that the devices are as intuitive as they are today.

This phenomenon is not just happening to just a few kids.  Take a look at this:

Learning to Play ‘Angry Birds’ Before You Can Tie Your Shoes

The technology gap between home and school could just as easily widen if school budgets don't allow for integrating technology into the classroom creating a dynamic where students don't relate to school as well. Although I'm no expert here, what I do know is that children like to be challenged.  Not being up-to-date is just not all that interesting.

This is why I respect schools that pay attention to design, lighting, comfort, computers & devices, video, sound reinforcement and simplicity.  I also applaud educators that push the boundaries discovering new and exciting ways to engage students and inspire others.

In the end, changing schools is going to be a long haul but I believe it can be done.

People will have to see for themselves this 'new school' is dedicated to the integration of technology and new principles of learning in order to believe it.  It will have to shatter the expectation that the school was created from the 'hand-me-downs' of the business sector and let it be known that the educators actually know how to use the technology.

We can get there and it will happen when thousands upon thousands of little actions improve the way schools work.  I see these improvements daily from the educators in my PLN and I am impressed.  It's perhaps not yet a movement, but it is something powerful.

I, for one, look forward to following these small innovations all along the way.  Things will soon look very different as a result.

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at BelieveJay.Blogspot.com as well as TheFundraisingPln.com


I encourage comments and feedback and you are welcome to follow the blog using the tool on the right hand column or adding to your RSS reader.  I appreciate you taking the time to share as well!

Here's the article that inspired this post: Tightrope Teaching

What Kind of School are You?

As a parent group member, administrator, principal or teacher, have you ever stopped to think what type of school you really represent? What is the aura or personality of your school?  What kind of words would parents use to describe it?

Should the goal be to have every parent love the school?  I think that's a reasonable goal.  The thing is, it's a tough task. I believe it takes a united front and a consistent message.

Here's another way to look at it:

If the school was a person sitting next you at the dinner table, what would it look like?  What demeanor would it have?  What would it truly stand for?  What would it say?  If it were to get one point across, what would it be?

I think schools often send the wrong messages - or at least inconsistent ones.  Ask yourself if your school motto, marketing message or the updates sent home to parents reflect what the school really stands for.  Is your school sending mixed messages?

If there's one thing you can do today, it's to be more aware of what message your school is currently sending and then ask yourself what the school should be in the mind of parents and the community. The point is to recognize what it should truly stand for and go after it - no holds barred, no compromises.

Sooner than later, the people of the community will sit the school down at the table and everything will make sense.

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising, a company that offers traditional gift catalog fundraising.  Jay blogs at believejay.blogspot.com regularly as well as at thefundraisingpln.com and can be found at twitter.com/believekids

If you enjoyed the content here, please add to your RSS feed or comment below!  Thanks for sharing!

Fresh and New School Fundraising - Mixing Product and Event Fundraising

Keep it fresh!  Switch it up!

Yes, you can have less fundraising and it can be more fun.

The thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to school events and school fundraising, things are cyclical.  Just like trends of clothing for instance, something can be in fashion and out and right back in.

Some things are timeless and some never go out of style, but many do.

Small improvements can keep these timeless products fresh in the eye of the consumer.

Your job as the fundraising chair, PTO or PTA president or school principal is to have the ability to see where the trends are and when things are going south, head them off at the pass.  When things have run their course, you need to switch it up or make small improvements to keep the timeless fundraiser fresh.

Now, this advanced thinking is not for the faint of heart.  I know that we're all very busy people these days.  It's hard to consider what's going on in the mind of parents tomorrow when we're barely able to keep up with today.  But, anyone tracking my blog with interest will get it.

Stick with what works

Don't sabotage an amazing event or ongoing fundraiser.  Keep with tradition and support anything consistent that performs.  If you have had an auction for 10 years, unless something is going horribly wrong, you're probably best to keep it.  Make small improvements or innovate wherever possible to keep things fresh but don't mess with a success.

Get rid of what doesn't work

Ask yourself if anything is getting in the way of your fundraiser.  If there is something competing for the attention of parents or the community and drawing people away from the fundraiser you are counting on?

Think back to the last time you cleaned a shelf at home or work and removed excess items from it.  Did you see an improvement in the look and feel of it once it had just a few items on it?  Did the simplification make the other items stand out more?  How about a closet cleaning to bring in a new season.  Did it help to have clothes properly displayed and easy to see?  How about having a garage sale or giving items to charity.  Once you get in the spirit of it, isn't it nice to have less?  Doesn't it feel great to not be tied down and so overwhelmed by stuff?

These analogies really point out the importance of simplifying and getting rid of stagnant non-performing fundraisers.

Switch up things that work when they need switching

Part of the challenge in effective fundraising is maintaining an excitement level sufficient enough to create attendance and engagement in the fundraising event.  When this is no longer possible with small tweaks and innovations, it's perhaps time to switch it up.

This switch doesn't necessarily mean forever.  There are many successful schools and groups fundraising that switch fundraisers up regularly.  Many return to the same fundraisers with success.  A key element is to give parents and the communty a break from somethng that is not working well and replace it with something fresh and new and most importantly, effective!

If there is anything to say to sum this blog post up it would be to pay as much attention not only to the fundraising results over time but also track the feeling of them as well.  A lot of times, having an intuition about what will work makes things work.  Pay attention to the feeling :)

Appropriate School Fundraisers

Every year, a teacher, coach or principal get's in trouble.  Inevitably,  a school or group will offer a fundraiser that they created themselves that will draw fire.

They offer a fundraiser that infringes on parental rules or goes against a school code of conduct.

Last year, two fundraisers in particular drew fire and caused controversy.

1) Duct Tape Privates - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2469285/posts
2) Cash for Grades - http://www.newsobserver.com/2009/11/11/185460/district-nixes-cash-for-grades.html

In both these situations schools came up with their own fundraisers. Instead of using a trusted fundraiser or relying on professionals, they took chances that didn't work out. The point is raising just a little money while looking like a fool, is just not worth it.

You run the risk of totallly failing and ostrasizing parents for good. Take, for example, the article below.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/user-post-shine-bloggers-frustration-over-fundraising-for-kids-school-gets-picked-up-by-wsj-and-nyt-1537532

This is yet another example of trying to do a "unique" fundraiser and failing. There are fundraising profesionals and experts out there for a reason -- people whose job is to craft the perfect fundraiser for your school that will be successful, guaranteed. When planning your next fundraiser, the best thing you can do is consult a professional.

Last Minute Elementary School Fundraising Ideas

Ok, you've waited until the end September to find a fundraiser for your elementary school.  There's not much time left.  I'm not big on self-promotion, in fact I won't do it here.  I won't be talking about my company or products but I will be making a suggestion to you.

This is for you if you are looking for last minute elementary school fundraising ideas!

A suggestion that can make you tons of money in just two weeks. A word of warning though.  I sound a bit sarcastic when I rant about this stuff.  I blame extreme amounts of coffee for my tone.  Please don't be too hard on me for how straight-forward I approach this topic.

You have a good week or so to find a quality fall catalog or cookie dough company and get a fundraiser going. What you will find is that these two fundraisers are doing well right now and will work for your school...  for a few more weeks that is.

The reason these product fundraisers work so well is two fold.  First off, the school fundraising companies have a system in place on top of offering products that sell and incentives to increase participation.  Secondly, there is no real need to put in all the work associated with school events.  Hey, I'm all for school events but with just a few weeks of the fundraising season left, you can host a successful catalog sale now and still plan a spring carnival, auction or other volunteer intensive event for later in the year!

If your school misses the boat on offering a quality fall fundraiser, you will be so far into the holidays that making significant funds is much more difficult.  This get's into wreath and christmas tree fundraising time and that's tough for an entire school to effectively run.

There's only a few reasons not to offer a quality fall catalog or frozen food fundraiser at your elementary school:

1) You know that zero effort will be put in and I mean zero.  It's not all that fair to make a fundraising company do their part without just a little bit of excitement being generated on the school side.

2) You offer a ton of small fundraisers and get very little participation.  You don't want to offer cookie dough if you are going to get stuck with shipping costs.  It's expensive to ship frozen goods so make sure you can get over the minimum order quantities to get free shipping!


On that note, I better call it a day before I get myself into trouble.  I'm fired up!  The fact is, a good fundraising company is not out to scam anyone or make things worse or take all the profit.  A good fundraising company only exists to allow schools to make more money than they can on their own.  That's the case with my company and others I know about.  Find them and allow them to help your school raise more money, more effectively!