We Need More School Fundraisers!

We Need More School Fundraisers!

That doesn't sound quite right does it?  Just doesn't have that certain ring to it. Probably because 'We Need More School Fundraisers!' is not true.  It's a bunch of bologna.

What we need is less fundraising done well.  Here's the lowdown:

Charge when you can

If you can charge dues, invoice participants make a simple request that will be fulfilled, do not have an organized fundraiser.

For instance, if your hockey league has to buy pads for the future team's goalies, build in an extra $10 fee per parent at registration, then provide the pads automatically.  Don't get into the season and host a fundraiser to raise money for the pads.

The message here, is that if your expense is due to the normal cost of operation and your group is elective, charge up front. Make every effort to build in the cost so it's transparent to users.  People don't like nickel and diming, so charge once and let it be.

School Fundraisers should be GOOD!

If you are insistent that fundraising is for you and your school or group, realize that there is a difference between good and productive fundraisers and those that are, well, not good or productive.

For a fundraiser to be OK in my book, it must keep the relationship between parent and teacher intact.  It can't interfere inside the classroom unnecisarily or be bothersome to parents.  It's the responsibility of principals, teachers nad fundraising companies to dfind a way

Less is more!

Do not let less effective fundraisers interfere with ones that work well. It's very common to promote box tops on the marquee and guess what, that's fine.  But if your main Fall fundraiser is happening in a week, it's not.  Any contributions you get the weeks leading up to your main fundraiser is going to cause less participation in the main fundraiser.

When the main fundraiser makes more per student than the other, don't promote the other until afterwards.

If you like this sort of thing, subscribe or leave comments below.  I can be reached at twitter.com/believekids as well.

Ok, until next time!

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school fundraisers

Parents Need to Support Schools... Fundraising Companies Should Improve... Schools Need To Promote!

In the last few days, I've heard from some fundraising reps that the number of incentives required to effectively promote a fundraiser has gone up - way up over the years.

Incentives are intended to be a subtle encouragement during a school fundraiser, not a bribe.  I have been reminded that marketing and incentives can easily become overbearing.

There is also a fine line between encouraging sales and interruption and bribery.  The fundraising industry by and large, can effect change so parents will once again support fundraisers in large numbers.

The solution...


1) Parents need to participate in fundraisers.  It is really that simple.  They have to do so as part of a team. To work with the school, family and fundraising company to host one successful fundraiser.  This is how we achieve supremely effective fundraising that does not interfere with schooling or coerce students to participate.

Then, after one condensed successful fundraiser, don't spend the rest of the year fundraising, but rather having some fun, entertaining or educational activities and events.  Celebrate your successes by not fundraising multiple times throughout the year!

2) Fundraising companies need to improve to offer heavy-hitting fundraisers that can be school-wide successes so that schools do not need multiple fundraisers.  Fundraising companies also need to offer the type of quality products and services that leave parents happy.

3) Schools need to effectively portray the main fundraiser as the main fundraiser... put focus on it... make it important!  If 'save those box tops' is on the scrolling marquis before you launch your fundraiser, your main fundraiser of the year will not perform as well.

As you can see, the solution is not to offer more and more incentives.  The answer is to work together to make one fundraiser important.  By encouraging all parties involved to participate and asking them all firmly, amazing successes follow!

Ok, until next time!

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