OT-Easy Fundraising Needed for PTA

[JohnsonsRUs]

I am looking for some easy ways to raise funds for DD's elementary school. We do a basket raffle each year, but I am looking for some new ideas to raise additional funds. Anyone have anything that has worked for your school?

Thanks.

 

[J'aime Paris]

I'm interested in some ideas too!

 

[ChelleinNC]

We do a program called "Invest in a Kid". Instead of buying candy bars/wrapping paper/etc, we ask families to donate directly to the school/PTA. It's tax deductible for those who donate, and the school/PTA gets all of the money instead of the 10-25% of the sales from those other fundraisers. There are usually prizes/rewards (donated) for the class that raises the most/student that raises the most and so on. Most of the schools that we've done this at have (depending on the goal) asked that each family in the school try to "raise" or donate $25-$75 per child. It can bring in a lot of money, especially from people who don't want any more wrapping paper

 

[ntink]

We do a program called "Invest in a Kid". Instead of buying candy bars/wrapping paper/etc, we ask families to donate directly to the school/PTA. It's tax deductible for those who donate, and the school/PTA gets all of the money instead of the 10-25% of the sales from those other fundraisers. There are usually prizes/rewards (donated) for the class that raises the most/student that raises the most and so on. Most of the schools that we've done this at have (depending on the goal) asked that each family in the school try to "raise" or donate $25-$75 per child. It can bring in a lot of money, especially from people who don't want any more wrapping paper

It is only tax deductible if your PTO/PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization (registered with the IRS)

Another great idea is a scrip program. www.glscrip.com is one example.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

At my dd's school they do the usuall candy, wrapping paper, trinkets fund raiser but at her dancing school we do two types of fund raisers one is for Home Interiors (you can contact a local rep and they can give you a brochure and pamphlet that tells you all the numbers and show you what will be sold) we also sell the fundraiser card at Pizza hut. If you have some place like the Marble Slab Creamery they also do fundraiser programs, or the cookie dough fundraiser is a good one too.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

I being a Mary Kay consultant do a fundrasier with satin hands and satin lips. They do great! I have done with PTA at local elementary school, and at my church. You make 40% profit off both. For Satin Hands they sell for 30-32 depending upon sales tax in your area, and satin lips 18-20. They practically sell themselves! I would love to get you more info on this project, or get your product for you. Feel free to PM me. Thanks!

 

[tinkandpan]

Scrips is indeed a great program, as are the boxtops. For something without selling anything- we have beach ball family bingo this week. Set up in th gym, each family could buy bingo cards to win prizes and there are some snacks and such.

 

[TexasBee]

I like cookbooks - you can do group cookbooks for about $7/book and sell them for $12 or so.

 

[BeckyScott]

Our kids old school, they did something similar to baskets, but a different twist on it.

Instead of everyone in the classes contributing to a themed basket, they had an "auction" of donated items. It involves a lot of phone calls but it was all profit. First they sent home fliers asking for ideas of people to contact, many parents went to their employers and asked for donated products. Then a few of the PTA moms got in their cars and on the phones and started calling local businesses.

Some things were grouped together and some weren't. Many were gift certificates, and those sold for about as much as they were worth.

They set it up on tables during the book fair and p/t conferences. Each item had a sheet, you signed and put the amount you were willing to pay. If someone wanted to outbid you, they'd put their name and the new amount. Most items had 15-20 bids. And there was quite a rush right before it ended of people "pulling an e-bay". Some things brought in much more than their real value, I think. I remember someone donated two tickets to a Chiefs game (specific date in regular season, from their season tix) and there was quite a rush on them. There were five tables of items, so I'm guessing probably 50 things?

After the auction, the winners were called and the items were moved to the office.

Another school did something similar but used a local radio station for the auction and made quite a bit that way.

 

[ntink]

Anything where you can earn money without outlaying additional out-of-pocket is great.

We also do Wendy's night where on the 1st Wed of each month from 5-8, the local Wendy's donates 10% of sales to our school as long as you mention the school when you order.

We have also done this at Friendly's, Perkins and Maggie Moo's. Other shopping rewards programs we use or have used are BoxTops for Education, Campbells Labels, eScrip. ACME/Albertson's Recepits, BJ Memberships, Target Take Charge of Education, Cartridges for Kids, Upromise and Direct TV. I know that Five Below runs a shopping night similar to the Wendy's night.

We also do a fall festival with silent auction.

At our school, people are really tired of the catalog sales.

 

[sharlon]

We do a Read-A-Thon. The kids get pledges for number of minutes read at home. (most families just get donations). It's a great kick off idea if your school does AR or is good for the dead of winter when nothing else is going on and kids are getting bored with reading. It helps to have class competitions for minutes read and prizes.

 

[RumpleMom]

Market Day has been very a good fund raiser.

I still buy the products at school, even though I haven't had an elementary student in 10 years. I can't cook without them. We love the chicken steaks(boneless chicken breast) and the seasoned salmon, some of the seafood you can cook from frozen. It's perfect for a busy day, no running out for fast food. IT'S FASTER.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Doughnuts were always a hot item at DDs old school in SC. Krispy Kreme sells a card where you get so many free dozens of doughnuts. These sold like hotcakes!

Also, the World's Finest Chocolate single candy bars (NOT the catalog full of junk they have) sell very well - just hit a few fire stations and construction sites and your inventory will be gone in no time.

 

[Gillian]

Avon reps also do fundraisers. In the spring you can do Skin So Soft and their Bug Guard products. They have a 1 page flyer that's very easy to sell from. It could be combined with a different 1 page flyer for their popular products like hand lotions and lip balms. Profits to the school should be 40% or more, but it's up to the individual rep to work it out with the school.

The prices are not inflated and people know, like and use the products.

 

[worm761]

here is something that worked very well at the school my sisters kids went to. they asked the parents to donate an already baked product. sister sent in brownies, some parents sent in cakes, others cookies. then they sold these baked goods for something like 25 or 50 cents each. they were either outside of a grocery store or walmart. (i know, i hate them too) this worked great! parents didn't really have to do much so they got tons of donations. then someone just sits a sells them. everything they made went directly to the PTA! she loved it and said that they made so much that this is what they do every year now.

at DS school, private catholic, we sell raffle tickets for $10. they are required to be sold. we sell 20 of them from each FAMILY, not child. the tickets are good for one school year and you win money. this works well at our school and was such a success we keep voting it back because we all hate trying to hawk expensive wrapping paper. this is the only fundraiser we do.

 

[cinjam]

Some of the fundrasiers our elementary school does is to team up with a local pizzeria and for all orders placed on a certain day the school will get 20% of the profits - they do this once a month & seems to make a pretty penny. They also are about to do the same thing with our local Applebees with their carside-to-go service.

 

[PaulaSue]

IMO, our easiest Fundraiser is going out to eat night at a resturant. The school hands out flyiers with all the info on the night and time that each family brings in (needs to fill out some info like name and total bill) and the school gets a percent of the meal (10-20% is our average from the different places).

We have a great time and usually put a few tables together and everyone has a Great time eating with friends. No extra fee for the meals and no cooking for Mom!

 

[hmdavid]

I do fundraisers for my business, Once Upon a Family. It is set up as an online party and customers order through a link to that party. A % of the sales is given to the organaization. The % of sales is not as high as with wrapping paper and candy, but the products are amazing! PM me if you would like more information. Good luck!

 

[PlaneJoy1]

Our local soccer club does gift card fundraisers. I don't know the specifics but can get you the link if you are interested. They "sell" at face value Kroger (grocery store) cards and others and get to keep a certain percentage. The cards are in $25 denominations.

This works well because you get $25 worth of grocery's for your $25. The person purchasing the card isn't out any money and are getting something they normally purchase any way. The club gets to keep some percentage of the card.

Anyway - I'm much more inclined to by a gift card at face value that I know I'll use then some kind of product that isn't worth much to me.

Good luck!

 

[rt2dz]

One of my favorite things is penny wars. You put a large bucket (think the gallon type of things for water coolers, but anything could work) out in front of the classroom. Kids put in their pennies for one point each. However, if you put silver coins (nickels, dimes, quarters) in other classes’ buckets they loose that amount of points (5, 10, 25). You could even add gold dollar coins to that. You run it for a week or two and the winning class gets an ice cream party or something your school allows. Even small schools can earn a couple of thousand dollars.

For other ideas you should really check out PTO Todays articles and message boards. http://www.ptotoday.com/boards/fundraising/