Hi,

We held the fall fundraiser selling out of a catalog for misc items did really well making our projected budget for it. We also have our annual Craft show, We sold those silocone bracelets with the high schools name and mascot.
Our Spring fundraiser we went with Schwann. We made about 4,000.00 and it was no work after we sent in the order forms and their portion. They did all the delivering and set up the times for delivery. Very easy fundraiser.

All of our fundraiser procedes were to go towards putting down asphalt in the school yard and getting rid of a huge mud problem back there. About $7,000.00 in asphalt. We also purchased a lit up sign for the school.

Next year our goal will be set for new playground equipment and a window air conditioner for every classroom.

We are new to the fundraising-thing. We are really trying to resurrect our PTF and this year was of great encouragement to me. This is what we've accomplished with about 10 people on our committee:
2 Pizza Hut Nights $602.00
Fall spaghetti dinner $310.00
Can recycling days $210.00
school cookbook $395.00
school carnival $800.00
All this from a school with about 120 students! It does take alot of work but its worth it- unless your the ONLY one doing the work. Our job for the summer is recruiting more parents for the committee.

Originally posted by pals:
Hi guys, just wondering how your group's fundraisers were this year. We had a down year so we are relooking at our whole fundraising program, getting rid of two that we have done for a few years (sales were down past two years) and adding two new ones . Just wondering how you made out this year, it is so hard to budget..ugh!

We were about the same with our fall catalog fund raiser. Considering we lost the 6th graders because of restructuring, I don't think that we did too badly.

Our spring fundraiser was a complete DOG! Our (then) co-prez brought one of his friends who makes candles in to pitch a fundraiser. We liked the product, and decided to go with him. The only thing he provided us with was an excel spreadsheet type of orderform with the scents listed at the top. No color brochures, no description of the candles...nothing that would sell the product. Needless to say, people weren't too willing to purchase candles that they couldn't see and smell before buying.

This year we send home a parent survey asking them what they wanted to sell the next year. We all know that the parents are really the ones who do the selling, so we thought if we sold what the parents liked, we would have better participation. We listed some of the things that PTO pays for on the front so the parents could see where the monies raised are spent. Then, we listed some of the fundraising ideas that we had come up with on the back, and left them room to write in their suggestions.

Our fundraisers were down this year, but we contibute that to all the hurricanes we had last year. But we still raised just over $14,000 to fund our new playground equipment and sill contribute to awards, etc.

Hopefully this year will be better.

Our Fall fundraiser was the same, however, our pizza nights and McDonalds nights went extremely down, but when you add it all up, it's not that bad.

We look at it this way, it's absolutely no work for us and every little bit of money we bring in helps.