Need fundraising ideas

[kbkids]

We need one more BIG fundraiser for my DD's cheer squad. We're selling donuts, selling candy bars, and we're doing a pancake breakfast at a local restaurant. But we need one more. We were going to do squad t-shirts, but we can't (long story). Any ideas?

 

[kandeebunny]

we did carwashes. Also at football games we (and our parents lol!) ran the concessions with all profits going to the squad.

 

[kbkids]

we did carwashes. Also at football games we (and our parents lol!) ran the concessions with all profits going to the squad.

Concessions are out as it is contracted out through someone. And we did carwashes last year and just didn't have good luck. We did 4 and averaged about $100 a piece. That's good, but we need closer to $1000. The t-shirts we were planning to do was going to bring in about $1500, so we need something to replace that. We thought about tote bags and duffle bags, and we may have to go that route, but I don't think they are going to bring in the dollars that the t-shirts were going to.

 

[jillyjoey]

My kids' school just did a Schwaan's fundraiser. This and smartcards are the only 2 fundraisers we sell -- otherwise I just send a monetary donation. Both of these sell themselves. The good thing about the Schwaan's is that you can order online -- so you are not limited to your immediate area with customers. Also, Schwaan's, not you, delivers the order. Con: the order takes 6 weeks to deliver from date of payment.

Our school is also going to do a 5k. I have no idea how much planning that one entails -- probably alot. Same with silent auction/ consignment sale.

Good Luck with whatever you decide

 

[kayeandjim00]

I don't have kids so no experience selling but the one thing I always buy are those entertainment books or those cards for discounts around town. No idea what they bring in.

 

[kbkids]

My kids' school just did a Schwaan's fundraiser. This and smartcards are the only 2 fundraisers we sell -- otherwise I just send a monetary donation. Both of these sell themselves. The good thing about the Schwaan's is that you can order online -- so you are not limited to your immediate area with customers. Also, Schwaan's, not you, delivers the order. Con: the order takes 6 weeks to deliver from date of payment.

Our school is also going to do a 5k. I have no idea how much planning that one entails -- probably alot. Same with silent auction/ consignment sale.

Good Luck with whatever you decide

This sounds interesting - I'll have to look into it. THANKS!

 

[kbkids]

I don't have kids so no experience selling but the one thing I always buy are those entertainment books or those cards for discounts around town. No idea what they bring in.

These make great money!! Unfortunately, our schools sell them. We're in a small community - so anyone that would buy them has already bought them from the schools.

 

[MandM-Mom]

Zap-A-Snack usually is a 30-35% profit, a small group of us for our fire department sold them and we raised 750.00.

Stadium Blankets with the team the squad cheers for on them.

Pocketbook Parties are a big $$$$ maker, the ones in our area will do fundraisers.

 

[Cindyluwho]

I like the idea of duffle bags! I'll have to look into that for our cheer squad. We ran into another group of cheer moms at another school who have an espresso stand at the home games, they really rake in dough!!

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

To raise money for my ds' graduation from elementary school we had a bow a thon.

There are 2 ways you can do this you have to check with your bowling alley.

1) Throw a big bowling party & whatever you charge people to bowl you keep half and the bowling alley keeps half.

or what we did

2) Have people sponsor the kids per pin. The bowling alley charged x amount of money for either 3 games or 2 hrs (can't remember), pizza, and soda. We just had the parents pay the cost per kid so all the rest would be pure profit. Total the amount each kid knocks down from all 3 games and that's how much their sponsor would pay ex= $.25 x 50 pins= $$$$ The sponsors could do a per pin or flat donation.

Another could be a walk a thon. Good luck!

 

[kandeebunny]

Oh I totally forgot! We also did a fashion show!!! Local shops sponsored it/supplied dresses for a mention in the program. Local printing shops donated the program services (or the school could be nice enough to let you run the copies of them there lol!) We charged a flat fee to enter, so it was pure profit!!!

 

[lovemygoofy]

Gift basket auction. Have themed baskets either donated from business or have some donated through the parents and then at the next big school/town function auction them off. You could have different kinds of baskets:

movie
garden
coffee
baby
date night
car care
drinking/alchohol
school spirit

You'd be suprised how many nice baskets you can make and keep each basket cost under $25-$30.

 

[cccm]

Joe Corbi - cookie dough and pizza kits.

Yankee Candle - everyone wants a candle.

 

[orljustin]

Have the parents pay the rest of the money needed?

 

[monorailsilver]

How about flowers?

When my dd was in preschool, her first spring they sold flowers (didn't her 2nd year nor are they doing it for my ds this year).

They were either potted hanging plants or begonia's/petunia's & one or 2 other types.

I loved it & I think we bought 2 or 3 flats & our garden area's looked great.

They were priced a bit more but I was going to buy some flats anyways & this way that extra money went to the school & quite honestly I don't want to buy candy.

 

[Michie]

Our school always does the Blue and Gold fund raiser, sausage, bacon and chicken. We do it in the fall and spring. My daughter sold over $2000 each time!!

You have nooooo idea how many boxes that is to deliver!!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I am not sure how old DD is but how about Smencils? They are scented pencils - the kids love them here. I just went on the website and the profits are pretty good.

I always have some on hand to give to visiting kids, bday gifts etc...They are also something fairly inexpensive that kids can buy on their own...$1.00 a piece.

Gook Luck!

 

[daemom]

Pocketbook Parties are a big $$$$ maker, the ones in our area will do fundraisers.

What are these? I've never heard of them. Is it the name of a company?

 

[LaraK]

I don't know if this will get you enough money, but it's almost all profit. Have a "beautiful baby" contest. Charge a fee to enter the competition...that goes to the winner as a gift certificate. the winner is decided by people dropping money into glass jars in front of each picture.

 

[cepmom]

we have done lots of fundraisers for DD's HS dance team ~ last year they wanted to go to Nationals so we needed to raise about $25,000.

We had a car wash ~ pretty succesful. I think we got about $800 from that

We sold Flower Bulbs ~ again about $800

We canned ~ had the girls stand outside stores asking for doanations.Amount varied each time

We sold Arbonne ~ not alot of money from that one

We had calendars made with a different HS team featured each month. We got local businesses to buy advertising space on each month for $100 ~ made $1200 on that alone. We then sold the calendars for $15 each

Each year the dance team hosts a Homecoming dance. They get all the profits from that ~ usually about $5000

The biggest fundraiser we did was a benefit. We got a local hall donated, got a DJ to donate himself for the night and got local restaurants to donate food. We got tons of donations for silent auctions and raffles and charged $20 per person to get in. I think we made well over $6000 from that night.

I think there's more, but I'm drawing a blank right now. We have already started to line up more things for this coming year in anticipation of going back to Nationals in 2008. We're doing another benefit, selling flower bulbs again, possibly working a concession stand at Gillette Stadium, more canning, another car wash(or two), and we are selling raffle tickets for a free limo for prom night. We got a local limo comapny to give a discounted rate on a limo for the prom. We are selling the tickets for $1 each. Just started this past week, so not sure how it's going to go over. I'll try to think of more ideas. Good luck!