Yes I like the idea but what is a Spirit Shirt Shop? I am still waiting to hear from the board to see if we can still have the picnic they are worried about liability.

Are you planning to ask prospective members to pay for the membership drive, and still make a profit on what is not a PTO event? I may have this way out of whack, and I'm trying to understand, but I still don't get it.

Wouldn't it be better to let the school do the picnic, and the PTO have a Spirit Shirt booth and membership sign-up area?

The pavillions cost $40/each and I was hoping to have some activities for the kids. Orignally I wanted it to be our first fundraiser but I am not allowed to call it a PTO function. So if we do have any money left over I am not sure where it would go.
Lee

A picnic! How nice. I thought you were asking for advice on different ideas. My bust.

What exactly are you asking donations for and from whom? I don't quite understand.

Actually we are having a picnic for all the students and families to meet eachother since it is our first year as a school. I was told that a PTO has to be separate from the school everything from bylaws and checking accounts and be audited. So the school itself is hosting the picnic and of course I am doing the work for that too. So technically it is not a PTO function but we will have to ask for donations because the park charges us. So I will try to see if we can at least get a list together to see if any parent wants to sign up to help with the school .

I would say that you are looking to run your first Membership Drive. Do you have the funds to finance and run a picnic? Let me offer this suggestion, as it is very inexpensive, but works well.

Ice Cream Social
For this, you need:
Little plastic cups/containers (get them donated from your local fast-food restaurant chain, like McDonalds or Sonic).
Spoons (get them donated from your local take out restaurant, like your favorite Chinese Take Out).
Sprinkles and Toppings (get these donated from a local Ice Cream parlor like Dairy Queen- they also have spoons...lol...)
Vanilla Ice Cream (get this in the big giant tubs from your local grocery store).

Each plastic cup should hold one scoop of ice cream. Scooping the ice cream and sprinkles should be (with name tags): PTO President and PTO Vice President, the Principal and Vice Principal (shows their support and commitment). At the end of the table, have your Secretary(s) signing up members, and/or handing out info. If you want to run this as a fundraiser (which I wouldn't do only because you are recruiting volunteers and my standing theory is "it should'nt cost to volunteer"), you could charge a very nominal fee (.50 a person?). Have your Treasurer at the door. It is a nice "meet and greet" as well as a great and cheap way to have a membership drive for a new school.

If you have to purchase the above items, be sure to call your closest Costco, Sams Club, Smart and Final, restaurant supply store, etc. Get prices from each one and bargain with each one against the other for the lowest prices. Tell them if they donate the stuff, you will use them for all other events for the year, with free, year-long advertising in your PTO Newsletter each month.

Another quick way to earn some fast dough, is to sell business card sized "ads" on the back of your newsletter each month. Charge $100 for the year and let them know that it will go into X-amount of homes at least once a month, more times if there is space on other things sent home by your group. It is an easy $1200 without any hassles or kid-powered sales. Plus, you only have to do it once. Usually the businesses that sign up to do this, do it year after year.

Good Luck!


[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: TheMetzyMom ]</p>