I agree with Serendipty that having a detailed plan before going into it is best. I think that a combined fundraiser makes a lot of sense especially when you are soliciting/benefiting the same pool of parents. One other thing that might help would be to pre-determine what the funds raised will be spent on. If both schools come to the table with a wish list of items and then that list is prioritized, you can fund the list based on priority. If that process is done in advanced of the event that might help!
It was done here once years ago. The downside was the both sides fought about who did what and who did more, since the money made was being split 50/50. Part of the problem in our situation was that there was no love lost between the two presidents. They did make decent money though, but never attempted to jointly do it again. The reality is that if you do one for just your school you will make more money because you are not splitting the profit. But of course it is more work.
I do think if you venture into a combined auction it is important that there is a healthy relationship between both boards. Because if there isn't it will fester into anything and everything as these things are a lot of work and bring high stress. I would also advise that you have a clear cut understanding of who is responsible for what. The more detailed you are in the planning process the less there will be to argue about.
We used to have our PTO's combined, but separate years ago when each school populuation grew and it was harder to divide the proceeds. When combining an event, you must be clear as to how many volunteers each school is responsible to providing, how the profits will be divided, who will be responsible for the expense tracking, etc. What if more parents from one school attend, than the other? What if more parents from one school buy than the other? Will the proceeds be split according to the school the parent belongs to or right down the middle. Outline everything before starting this venture to avoid any misunderstandings later!
Making a positive difference one project at a time <img src=images/smilies/smile.gif>
Has anyone out there ever done a joint auction between their elementary school and their middle school? Our 1 elementary school feeds into our 1 middle school, and we are looking to hold 1 fundraising event in the way of an auction for our community. The elementary school is nervous about combining, so I would like to work through all their hesitations so that we can get on with the planning.
