Improving School Fundraisers

School fundraisers have been around for a long time, whether it’s to buy new football pads for the team or to send the band to a competition miles and miles away. Some of those fundraising activities are as traditional as the school song and stuffing freshmen into lockers.

However, does tradition mean that we should just stick with the same school fundraisers no matter what? Isn’t there something a little more lucrative out there? After all, the idea of a fundraiser may be to get others to donate some money, but those activities still require some initial investments to get things started. And, unfortunately, most schools have to work within a very tight budget.

Some of the most well known fundraisers are the ones that seem to come around every year. The schools send the kids out to sell chocolate, magazines, or coupon books. The kids do their best to squeeze some money out of friends and family, or just start going door to door. It’s not a bad idea, but many of these school fundraisers still require that upfront investment but with no guarantee on a return.

Smaller school groups will often use activities like the carwash fundraiser to pull together some money to cover special occasions or equipment. When the school can’t afford the necessary items, it’s up to the special interest groups. But once again, there is no way to know how much money a carwash can generate.

If you can get the student body excited about your financial goals, these fundraisers can work pretty well. For example, when a team needs to buy some gear for the next big game, they’ll probably work extra hard at the carwash. But what you really need to ask yourself is: should you work harder or should you just work smarter?

When you work smarter that means never restricting yourself to the same old activities when there is so much more you can do. Hold the carwash if you want, but add a concession stand. There will be plenty of hungry customers who will gladly part with a few more dollars for a nice drink or a tasty snack while they wait for the kids to finish the car.

Raffles and auctions, also classic fundraisers, don’t have to be done with regular tickets. Try selling lollipops with the raffle numbers printed on the sticks. Someone may not be interested in the raffle, but they just might be willing to donate some money in exchange for a little treat.

There are many ways to take school fundraisers to the next level. You should always make it easy for someone to give you money and be sure to deliver on the goods. If you take the time to prepare your fundraising activities and manage them to the best of your ability, you’ll soon find success.

By: Carlo Magnese

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Having a good school fundraiser is an integral part of sustaining operations in many companies and non-profit organizations today. Take advantage of the many resources available online and elsewhere to find the best fundraisers.