School Fundraisers

[samheatherwhite]

I have somehow managed to become the PTO president at my daughters school. I am completely new at this and I thought I might ask you fine people to help me out.
I was wondering what type of fundraisers your kids have at school? What, as a parent, do you not mind selling and which types do you hate? Any ideas of something new and different.
I will give you a little school background because our school is somewhat unique. We are a small school, less than 150 kids from pre-k to 6th. We are also very rural. 25 miles from the small town that most of the kids bus in from.
I would love to do a good job and any thought or idea is appreciated. Thanks

 

[okeydokey]

I hate selling everything, and I mean everything.

The big fundraiser at my kids' elementary schools was a once a year festival. Each teacher had a booth for games or bouncy slide etc and the school sold ride tickets. They also sold baked goods, lunch, snacks and had a basket raffle. Everything you bought, you used tickets for. There were raffle tickets to sell beforehand for donated prizes.

 

[HM]

Things that I've thought went over well:

Carnival where you pay a small fee for entrance and then have games and activities
Buy tickets for a cake walk, silent auction (each room puts together a basket with a theme), bounce house, field games, etc.

Ask for donations for specific projects instead of a fundraiser. Parents seem more willing to pay for something that they think fills a need at school. Most parents do not like having to sell things or have their children sell things.

 

[kimj88]

One thing I am so so sick of selling is Joe Corbi's. Why can't they come up with something else at the schools around me? Every single year, Joe Corbi's and sometimes that other flyer with it with junk and gift wrap too. Avoid that one at all costs.
Other than that, I wish I could offer some good ideas.
At one of my kids old school they had a Fall Festival thing, like an indoor carnival type of thing where you attend and buy tickets, and play games, etc. It was very nice, but I don't have insight in to how good of a money-maker it was.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I hate selling everything, and I mean everything.

The big fundraiser at my kids' elementary schools was a once a year festival. Each teacher had a booth for games or bouncy slide etc and the school sold ride tickets. They also sold baked goods, lunch, snacks and had a basket raffle. Everything you bought, you used tickets for. There were raffle tickets to sell beforehand for donated prizes.

All of the above - we also serve a spaghetti dinner at this event for about $7 a plate IIRC. We typically raise $12-15,000 at this event so most families don't participate in any of the other sales. Also rural K-6, ours with about 400 students.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I hate selling stuff. I'm not here to make a profit for a company through my children. Activities are more interesting. A carnival, movie night, car wash, spaghetti dinner, raffle, etc. Or just ask for donations. I'd rather give $10 than spend $10 in some crap that only gives my child's school $1 or $2.

 

[poohfriend77]

Our school doesn't have the kids sell anything, thank goodness! Our main fundraiser is a winter carnival, with a dinner, games, silent auction, and lots of raffle items (donated by parents and local businesses).

Smaller fundraisers include:
* Scrip gift card sales (parents buy, and they sell to the parish near Christmas, but there is no expectation of kids going out to sell these)
* Market Day
* A couple local restaurants do community nights, where they donate 20% of night's bill to a school/group
* Apparel sales (school/team shirts, sweats, bags, etc.)

Ooh, and if you work fast, you could organize a trunk or treat! It's not a huge moneymaker (and my school actually does it as a charitable event and donates proceeds). They basically just sell parking spots for $5 each. Some people buy extras to have empty spots for chairs and grills. We hold it the Friday before Halloween, and people come out to tailgate and pass out candy to the kids. It requires very little planning and effort, but it's a lot of fun for the kids.

 

[disney1990]

I like holiday stores where kids can bring in money and buy inexpensive gifts for their friends and family.

 

[Deb in IA]

When our kids were in elementary school, they did World's Finest Chocolate:

http://fundraising.worldsfinestchoc...=b&network=g&gclid=CJu5r7XD_MACFStgMgoddksA3g

At only $1 or $2, they were pretty reasonable in price, and they had a good variety of chocolates, that were actually pretty tasty.

The bad part is that you have to sell a lot of chocolate.

 

[smitch425]

When our kids were in elementary school, they did World's Finest Chocolate:

http://fundraising.worldsfinestchoc...=b&network=g&gclid=CJu5r7XD_MACFStgMgoddksA3g

At only $1 or $2, they were pretty reasonable in price, and they had a good variety of chocolates, that were actually pretty tasty.

The bad part is that you have to sell a lot of chocolate.

I LOVE those candy bars! That is what we sold in elementary through high school. I bought so many during my high school baseball team's sale that the coach publicly thanked me for allowing the team to get new uniforms. Even now, whenever my mom sees them being sold she grabs me a few and saves them until I come into town. They have doubled in price and are half the size they used to be, but still as tasty as ever.

 

[Meriweather]

One of my kids' schools did one pass the hat at the beginning of the year.....encouraging parents to give as much as they could. If they raised enough, there would be no fundraisers needed.
We were in that school for 4 years and never had to have another one. It was great!

 

[miksilver]

Our PTA started what I consider to be the best fundraiser ever -- it's a "Not a Fundraiser Fundraiser". Meaning no selling anything, just donating to the PTA. Pure profit. They send home a form with each kid and then they write some cute fundraising messages on them starting the donations at $5 and going up from there. For example -- "$50 I don't have to sell wrapping paper donation" or "$175 I am the chairperson of the fundraising committee". I appreciated it last year and I'm sure the school made a lot more money since it was all profit. It must have worked since they are doing it again this year.

They do other small fundraisers for the kids like a back to school picnic, fall carnival, selling school t-shirts, and a few other things, but they are primarily for the children and families to enjoy.

 

[Jedana]

I hate selling everything, and I mean everything.

The big fundraiser at my kids' elementary schools was a once a year festival. Each teacher had a booth for games or bouncy slide etc and the school sold ride tickets. They also sold baked goods, lunch, snacks and had a basket raffle. Everything you bought, you used tickets for. There were raffle tickets to sell beforehand for donated prizes.

Yes! No more selling!
The wrapping paper, cookie dough, magazine subscriptions, coupon books, and on and on. I'd rather make a direct donation to the school.


DS's school does an annual carnival. Cake walk, food, silent auction, games, etc. Soda toss was the favorite---2 liter bottles of soda, get the ring over the soda and win that bottle. (all prizes donated; food was catered--one year pizza, another BBQ)

Another one that I think is ok is the fundraisers where you team up with a restaurant and they give you a portion of their proceeds for that day or a specific time frame. The McDonald's up the road from DS's school does this once a month, and each month the money goes to a different section of the school (art, PE, music, playground equipment, or one of the class levels).

 

[HM]

I just remembered another one. Movie night. They tried to do it one Friday a month, I think. Set up a family movie in the cafeteria (librarian can help you get permission and a movie choices). Move the tables, allow families to bring in folding chairs and blankets to set up on the floor for comfort. Charge a small fee for each person, and then sell popcorn, hot dogs, sodas, etc.

 

[Poipu]

New this year our school is having a night where the Parents' club cooks a takeout meal for a family of 4 for $25. A few parents cook and refrigerate the meals the day before then the following day the meals are picked up by those who preordered. I love that I don't have to think about what to cook that night and it raises money for the school.

 

[scoutie]

Nobody LIKES fundraisers, but they are a necessary evil.

I like the flat donation ones. "Contribute $20 and we will never ask you to sell anything the rest of the school year."

I also like the school carnivals.

 

[barkley]

I have somehow managed to become the PTO president at my daughters school. I am completely new at this and I thought I might ask you fine people to help me out.
I was wondering what type of fundraisers your kids have at school? What, as a parent, do you not mind selling and which types do you hate? Any ideas of something new and different.
I will give you a little school background because our school is somewhat unique. We are a small school, less than 150 kids from pre-k to 6th. We are also very rural. 25 miles from the small town that most of the kids bus in from.
I would love to do a good job and any thought or idea is appreciated. Thanks

your school situation (size and rural) sounds like ours-only ours is k-12th. the kids don't sell stuff-the big fund raiser of the year is the fun run. kids get pledges and can do the actual run (or walk), jump roping, basketball bouncing and such. this raises the bulk of the monies for the year. there's also things like the book sale-where the boosters club gets scholastic to hold one where a cut of the sales goes to the boosters (best place ever to get crazy stocking stuffers like zombie pens/pencils and fun erasers/bookmarks). at the evening events at the school (band/choir concerts) there's always a booster table selling baked goods (and coffee, hot chocolate). the annual science fair is held in the evening-and the boosters do a spaghetti dinner that night as well (keep it going through the hours the fair is going so people are constantly coming and going) which is a very popular because parents don't need to stress over getting everyone fed before they head out to the school.

the ONLY item I will buy from fundraising kiddos I know is called "butter braids". the are a frozen pastry and can only be purchased through fundraising groups. they are AWSOME, and one of our local private schools had to start doing the fundraiser twice a year due to the high demand (people would buy one or two to try it-then call up the school to try to reorder)-the do one round in November (to time for Thanksgiving and Christmas), and another in the Spring (to time for Easter).

 

[boysmom5150]

Our school does school spirt wear , teams up with local eateries ( dunkin donuts , panera, Wendy's , local self serve yogurt place etc) and they receive part of profit back to school , and then a catalog sale. This year was mixed bag designs (mixedbagdesigns DOT com) It's a great fundraiser and different. there is really something for everyone It was a BIG hit!!

 

[Music City Mama]

Our PTA started what I consider to be the best fundraiser ever -- it's a "Not a Fundraiser Fundraiser". Meaning no selling anything, just donating to the PTA. Pure profit. They send home a form with each kid and then they write some cute fundraising messages on them starting the donations at $5 and going up from there. For example -- "$50 I don't have to sell wrapping paper donation" or "$175 I am the chairperson of the fundraising committee". I appreciated it last year and I'm sure the school made a lot more money since it was all profit. It must have worked since they are doing it again this year.

I like the flat donation ones. "Contribute $20 and we will never ask you to sell anything the rest of the school year.".

I love this -- wish our schools would do it.

At elementary school, we usually have one selling one (not that I participate, but I will buy one of whatever it is), one carnival thing, and one running event (donate flat amount or "x" dollars per lap).

The one I hate more than anything are those coupon books. Ugh! I get coupons in the local newspaper that have the same or better deals than what they have in those books. I hate selling fundraisers anyway, but it really kills me that school is lucky to get 50% of the profit on what they sell of those overpriced items.

Flat donations or events are the way to go.

 

[tikilyn]

There's only a few that I like. First is frozen cookie dough. I would buy two or three containers and keep them in the freezer. When we wanted cookies. I would just dig out the right amount and put the rest back for later use!

The easier and cheaper one is selling candy and popcorn. My daughter one year sold gummy worms and bears. Those sold like crazy.

I also don't like when my kids are stuck selling cheaply made crap from over price magazine. I would rather have good quality food items or cheap candy!