Time for pencils, time for books and time for PTA school fundraising. It’s that wonderful time of the year when the school trys to come up with new ways to ask for money. Every year the costs go up, and so does the fundraising goal. This year, reach that goal and beyond. Try some of these guaranteed money makers and you’ll add a nice cushion to your schools wallet.
Hold a Benefit Concert
Make sure you hire a reputable band. Get a band with a great local mailing list and a name that sells tickets on its own. Don’t choose the band over price, you will need quality to sell the tickets. Some of the best fundraisers I have attended have been off Broadway concerts. One of the most successful fundraiser events I ever encountered was a performance of the off Broadway show Beatlemania Stage Show. Entire familes where dancing in the aisles. The age range for a show like this was the big attraction. The event grossed a little over $17,000 for the school in one night. It’s become an annual event.
School Directory
Treat the directory as though it were it’s own little phone book. In the front, list the students names and numbers in the white pages section. In the back, create a yellow pages area. Go around to local business’s in your town and ask if they would like to be listed. Charge them by the amount of ad space they would like. For example, $25 for a quarter page, $50 for a half page, or $100 for a full page. This is great advertising for them. They will be listed in the directory which sits on the desk of every family in town. The money your PTA can make here is endless. For every 10 pages worth of advertising you sell, you make $1,000. The bigger your town and the more business’s in your town, the more money you can make.
Holiday Bazaar
In another area of the building, hold a penny raffle. Ask local business’s to donate gift certificates or gift baskets. Set these up as penny raffle items. Guests can purchase tickets, enter them in the raffles they are interested in, and hold a the drawing at the end of the day.
You could also integrate a bake sale into the Bazaar. Sell baked goods, coffee, hot chocolate and lots of other goodies which parents can be asked to donate. The larger you can make the event, and the more advertising you do, the more people will come. The more guests at the bazaar, the more money for your school.
A Piece of History
This is guaranteed to earn money for the school. If twenty-nine out of thirty students in a class room are making tiles, parents wouldn’t let the their child be the one to sit out. The bigger your school, the higher the profit. You’ll be earning money, decorating an otherwise bland school hallway and allowing the children to become a part of history. This is an exciting fundraiser which everyone will enjoy, especially the students.
Children’s Artwork
Getting the students involved in fundraising is always a great idea. Parents treasure their children’s artwork, so why not use this idea for fundraising. There are several reputable companies which will work with schools to offer personalized products with the kids art as the design. Children create their art in class. It then gets submitted to the a company such as Silver Graphics, which specializes in these fundraising events. They offer a variety of product choices. You can choose from key tags, CD cases, mugs, note cards, mouse pads, pillow cases, t shirts, tote bags and many more products.
This is a great fundraiser to do around the holidays. Parents can purchase these items as gifts for family and friends.
With these ideas for school fundraising, you’ll be sure to reach your school’s financial goal in no time. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can raise if you put enough effort into the fundraising. The best ideas are the ones that offer something in return to the person offering the money. People will cherish personalized items, find a school directory useful, save time by shopping a Christmas Bazaar and enjoy a memorable night out at a good family friendly show or concert.
When coming up with your fundraising plan for this year, make sure the events you hold are appreciated by your target donating individual. You’ll be sure to raise enough money to reach the school’s goal with no risk involved at all and in very little time.
