C.Brooks- I've got a few ideas that worked out very well for our girl scout troop. We made a lot of money at a local craft fair that our troop doesn't need to do any other fundraisers for at least three years!

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Somewhere along the way I have screwed up big time. I am used to elementary where my PTO team was supported whole heartedly (for the most part) by teachers and parents. Now here I am at a place where it seems like no one wants to work together. Here is the deal.

Our biggest goals this year is to improve parent involvement, purchase academic and attendance prizes, a few fun days, help with technology, and our biggie.. begin playground project. I am guessing the playground will cost a min of $50K. We haven't had any estimates yet but it will be small and we are starting from scratch.

I met with the exec board this summer to come up with some things. I thought when the exec board came up with things that would help raise money that it would be ok so I didn't have it approved by the general board. The first general meeting a teacher shot down the Fall Festival. That probably would have raised us about $5K. I had a fundraising committee set up to decide what these kids are going to sell so I decided to give them the task of approving what the exec committee had already decided on plus get a couple of ideas the principal wanted to do. Our original plan was have a small fundraiser of some sort each month. Nothing that the parents would feel forced to do just something small and optional. Here is the results

October Fall Festival-no
November Fundraiser- one that will only make a 35% profit and they had trouble with last year
December Santa Shop-ok
January change drive- no
Feburary Basketball tourney-NO- this would have probably made no less than $1,000.
March- Vendor day/Spring Bazaar - NO- this was something we wanted to do to give back to our wonderful business leaders and make a few bucks too.
May Spring Fling-NO

They did agree on a Winter Carnival in February. The principal's idea was to set up a booth at our county fair and the local arts and crafts show. That would be a great money maker but I didn't know what kind of booth we could set up. They said we didn't need that. My plan was to have them to incorperate all these fun money making ideas into their committee report to be approved by the general board. Now what? I want to make money to give back to these kids and I seem to have lost my touch. One year when I was pres at the elementary over $60K was run through the PTO account and we had things to show for it. I am just disgusted over this and I don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated.