Hi Allora, We do a jog-a-thon but I think what really makes the difference is the incentives.
It's very successful. In fact, we've been approached by fundraising companies and when we tell them what we make with it, they are speechless!

what fundraiser do you do that raises $54,000?

I'd try to get the incentives reinstated. My personal PTA (not the ones in my council) has ONE fundraiser a year. Every year it gets bigger and better and so do the incentives.
As for Bertha's question

Since all of the money that is raised goes right back to the kids anyway why do you feel the need to add incentives?

We raised $54,000 this year. I can't imagine we would have done quite so well without the incentives. (It's never been less than $25,000 raised in 6 years)

we also only hold 2 fundraisers a year and we haven't done incentives in about 6 years.

Since all of the money that is raised goes right back to the kids anyway why do you feel the need to add incentives?

If you pick the right fundraisers, you'll get the money needed with out the little silly toys.

I am shocked you only need 2 fundraisers a year! I can't tell you how many we need to run a year.

Thank stinks that your Super canned that. What reasons did he/she give you, did they get complaints, and is there no way to appeal to him/her to reconsider? I do not know what you can do other then let people know that you are no longer able to provide incentives, but that it is still crucial to the success of your school that people support the fundraisers.

Now maybe you will find you need to hold more then 2 fundraisers a year to recoup your losses.
<I am joking here> but maybe you need to threaten them with 10 fundraisers a year unless they let you have your incentives!

Incentives do help. We are now doing pizza & ice cream parties at the end of the year for the classes that bring in the most Tyson & box Tops Lables during the year. It makes a huge difference in the amount of labels that get turned in. Good Luck!

i recently became president of the pto for an elem. school prek - 5th grade. we hold 2 fundraisers a year. we have given the grade or class winners (who sold the most) a pizza or ice cream party. now, i have been told by the principal that the board of ed. superintendent says we can no longer have incentives with fund raisers. any suggestions as how to still get the kids/families interested without winning something. thanks for your suggestions.