We have approximately 750 students. We are a preschool-6 grade elementary school in a rural area, the second largest county in the U.S. We share the county with 6 other elementary schools, one Jr. high and one high school. We have never made the amount of money we did last year. We have always gone with the same old vendors. When I was elected at the end of 2000-2001 school year, I already had a vendor that I wanted to change to. I think that your vendor is very important. Our vendor, Steve, is awesome. He did three assemblies, one for the preschool classes, one for K-3 and one for 4-6. Each one was age appropriate. Every child laughed and was excited to A)win a prize and B)help his/her school. The prizes were shown off in a way that kids understood and in such a way that every child wanted them. The biggest prize on the page (for selling 100+ items) was not aimed at kids, but at the parents! It was a mini refridgerator. Kids who sold 100 items also got a giant stuffed Garfield or Taz thrown in (we had 3 students who sold over 100 items). It really was all in how the vendor presented everything to the kids. You should have seen Steve with glow in the dark goo dripping from his nose! The kids went wild! And, I might add, it was the first time we had almost 90% participation. Granted, a lot of kids only sold the five items required to get the goo, but...
As for cookie dough... One of the things we didn't do was mark it up. We sold all the tubs for $10 (instead of $12 & $14), and every child who sold even one tub got a prize. Students who sold 3 got a drawing ticket (and each increment of 3 got another) for a Giant Taz, and one of two radio-mouse-phones. Top seller in the upper grades got a $50 Savings Bond (donated by Stockmen's Bank) and the lower grade winner got a $25 gift certificate to K-mart. Top classrooms got Ice Cream Parties. We made less per tub, but sold more tubs. It all came out in the end. Cookie Dough may not be what works in your area. We just lucked into it. You may have to pick out a dozen diffent kinds of possible fundraisers and send them home as a poll, or even a vote, best 2 win. In an area where they don't like the fundraisers, you may want to consider doing the 'parent donation' thing instead. Tell parents that for $50 per kid ($17,500) or $30 per child ($10,500) that they won't have to sell anything. Thing is, in some of the poorer areas, this doesn't work. It wouldn't work here, not because we are a poorer area, but we do live paycheck to paycheck... I suggest you keep plugging until you find one that works for your area. Ask for suggestions from your parents. Some of the other things we've done were Santa Shop (we set it up for cost, but could see where it would make a lot of money), Candy Cane sales at Christmas (did less each year, but the first year was great), Cash For Cans (get your local recyling center to work with you-they can provide the prizes too!), rummage sale, basket sale, discount Fair ride tickets (advanced sales), have the school clubs (chess, computer, drama) hold small events, hold some sort of tournament (our computer club sponsored a 3-0n-3 basketball tourney. I got two of the local car dealerships to pay for the food and drinks, which we sold. The tourney was open to any team, from any school, boys teams, girls teams, mixed teams. They had an age limit (no Jr. high or above). They charged each team $3 to play and end the end, there was small trophies for the top boys team, top girls team and top mixed team, as well as Top Team. Computer club made more than $800. You really just gotta shop around to find what works for you. But again, I think a lot of it is in your vendor!
Good Luck!
