Hi, I have a few different answer/questions to some posts:
The thing that gets me the most running the fundraiser is the parent that sends the note "I am not allowing my child to participate in the fundraiser" or "We do not believe in this". These send me over the edge. Just don't sell, throw it away. Sometime I want to lash back and say they you can pay for your childs field trips, pay for enrichment programs, pay to be in the talent show and to watch it, pay to have ice cream, pay to play at field day, pay to use the computers that the PTO bought, pay to play on the play equipment etc etc. We have the fundraiser so that everything else if free to the kids. We are very proud of the fact that for the last 8 years the PTO has paid fully for all field trips including buses.
The next thing I am wondering, COPRES, what is in your budget for it to be $80,000. How many kids in your school?
DaveP, our activities (family fun night, talent show, field day, ice cream night etc) are all free to all students and families. We feel that we can do better on the big fundraisers if the kids and families can see what they are getting for the work that is done.
Fundraiser! Maybe we need to define the word/ 3 a month is not unusual unless they are all back pack express witht he kids as your sales staff.
I think first, we need to understand that nearly any activity that involves money being handed in, is a fund raiser!
With that in mind I have (monthly) a Skating Night, and a Treats day as standard. I have 3 dinners (we completed our first last night and netted nearly $400)planned. We have 2 festivals planned, Santa's Workshop (with a few new twists), Fall and Spring Pictures, Walk for Education, Field Day, Year book, World's finest Chocolate - I may have left something out here I am not reading from my calendar. Anyway, as you can see that is pretty full already. On top of this I have board members wanting to do the traditional use the kids as my sales staff fund raisers like Cookie dough, Bennie Babies, etc. So far I have been able to seperate out our candle drive, because I have a ventor who is working with us to get out of the back pack/kids sales staff express.
When it comes down to it, I bet most of you have a similar schedule of activities. And they are all fund raisers as I understand the word! Now Donuts with dads is a great idea but did you charge dad for the donuts? That's a fund raiser if you did! If not then its an activity sponsorred by the PTO.
I liked that donut post so much that I am asking my board to sponsor one - Donuts, coffe or milk with Mom and or Dad! We will pay for it and not ask for any money. Will probably do this after Christmas break and try to establish a new tradition.
Oh I might add here that we have several activities planned as well (yes on the same calendar) where we spend but dont take anything in.
So Its all in how one defines a fund raiser I guess as to how many you do!
Then you'll be shocked to hear we sometime to 2-3 fundraisers per month! Ugh! With a small school and $80,000 to raise, we're busy. We only send home the fundraising information to the OLDEST child in the school, not to every sibling. We usually steer clear of the normal fundraising prizes. Our fundraising prizes are usually family oriented, highest seller gets dinner & movie certificates, amusement park certificates, etc. or name put in a hat for prizes. If one family sends in an order, each child within that family will be eligible for prizes.
One a month?!?!?! OMG!!! We run 3 fundraisers a year!!!
I would suggest that someone in your group do a bit of research. Find out what fundraisers your customers really like and are willing to buy. Every area has specific items that folks will buy in bigger quantities or over and over. Cookie dough is one of those. Research the area and find out the best times to sell the items (cookie dough sells really well just before the holidays here). Stick to a few 'good' ones and forget the rest!
You can always run small promotions that don't really seem like fundraisers at all (like a Santa Shop or Fair ride tickets) throughout the year to pump up your bottom line.
I think research will support the following thought: People are more willing to spend more a couple times a year than they are to purchase something every month.
Well, I thought this would never catch up with me but here I am, guilty. Honestly, our school is the one that handles their own fundraising "machine" and has one a month. Right now I have three students attending with two more on the way to school. The simple thought of FIVE of the same fundraiser coming home is mind boggleing let alone the idea each little one wants me to buy something. Parents and family are 100s miles away and you can only ask so many friends. Door to door is out of the question. I even see kids sitting in front of grocery stores and sorry, there has to be another way to earn money.
What the PTO has done is asked that the school publish a list of all the fundraisers that the school has planned and I let my family know we will do this one to help keep Music and Arts and we will do this one because everyone likes the wrapping paper. My oldest says "no thank you " when handed a flyer/packet (she knows the little boys will bring the info home) and we have a system. Prizes are donated to the church or shelter if appropriate. My kids would rather get a treat like ice cream sunday night.
I know the PTO/school needs the money but I also can only do so much.
We added a paragraph that stated participation was purely voluntary. They could make a direct donation if they did not wish to participate in the catalog sale. We did have about 3 complaints that we were discriminating against lower income families by holding these fundraisers. However, one of those families ended up ordering. We have 1200 students and 653 participated. We don't worry about the remaining, since we do make it purely voluntary. However, we also for the first time had ALOT of simple $50 donations. About $1500 worth. Not big considering our catalog sales netted us $36,000 but still nice.
