FUndraiser Event = make profit or break even

Family event = FREE

IMHO PTA/PTO should offer a few FREE events becuase if every event/ program cost $$$$ it does give the perception the PTA/PTO only has their hand out - people (especially families) want BANG for the BUCK they've donated.

If my PTA/PTO is raising 50K a year - 2 or 3 events minimum had better be no cost to me and my family. (ie a Dad/Moms Donuts Muffin thingy, a game night, maybe a movie night (you could charge for concessions), a picnic (potluck??).

The has to be a good ratio of almighty $$$ events and FREE events ('cuz If they were like me I'd stop attending)

before I answer your question what are your two fundraisers, and do you have any evening event where you do not charge for anything at all??

We made a few changes in our ways of wording our flyers and also how we ran events due to the same perception. Your carnival sounds like our Fun Fair. We have approx 20 carnival-boardwalk games, face paint, tatoos, cotton candy, popcorn & an inflatable. Rather than selling indiv. tickets for each, parents purchase a bracelet for $12.00 and they can do everything I just listed. Cotton Candy, bag of popcorn & inflatable is limited to 1, but they can purchase an extra for $1.00. Our experience is the inflatable is the only thing they do more than once. Now we do have our refreshment stand open AND we do a kids gift raffle. However, that is totally optional to parents. So they know that the one price gets them a fun day at a bargain price. Our vendor gives us little prizes for each game so kids get a prize when they play. They also get a big prize (basketball, football, stuffed animal, etc) when they leave. So the kids can play all 4 hours of the event & leave with prizes for the one low price.
Our family fun nights has an admission price of a can of food for our food pantry and we advertise our "5th grade entrepreneurs will be refreshments". Money raised goes for their special 5th grade activities, but you can state that it goes for the scholarship fund.

If you clearly indicate where the money goes, it will help to educate the parents. On just about all memos, we tell parents where profits will be designated so they can make a decision whether or not to participate. We will state: General funds, playground expansion, 5th grade activities, ____ charity..... We also explain what the general funds pay for on a memo going to parents early in the school year.

That's the interesting thing about surveys. Not only do you find out what is liked and disliked, you also get a glimpse of the perceptions or misconceptions people have of your group.

I wonder if it's merely the way the events are advertised. Simple wording, such as "Come support XYZ PTO on Trivia Night" can make it sound like a fundraiser. Whereas, "Come enjoy a fun Family Movie Night hosted by XYZ PTO. Free Admission! Concessions available at minimal cost..." sounds like a free family event.

I think when you publish the survey results you could maybe include a list of PTO events under specific headings such as:

Fundraisers
Carnival - $25,000 profit
Catalog Sale - $25,000 profit

Break Even Events
Trivia Night
Movie Night

PTO Sponsored Events/Programs
TV Turn Off Week
Family Reading Night

Scholarship Fund
07/08 donation - $xx,xxx
Total to date - $xx,xxx

This way they see what each event actually is and can see where their fundraising dollars go.

Our end of the year survey showed that people are a bit overwhelmed by our "fundraising".

We hold two large fundraiser each year netting about $50K. We also hold a large carnival in the fall, family movie nights, a trivia night as well as a couple of other events that are totally free including a huge TV turn off week event.

We do charge for carnival tickets, a small ticket fee and fee for refreshments at movie nights and for trivia night. Our goal for these events is to strictly break even or lose as little as possible. The carnival is a great event for families and our teachers are great about helping out, the kids love to see them covered in cotton candy or a couple volunteer to be taped to the wall. If we do make money at these events it goes into a scholarship fund our school sponsers in honor of a councilor who passed away last year. These are family events. We have trivia night because it is an adult only night so parents can get together and perhaps meet some new people.

How do we communicate the difference without sounding snotty? The biggest suggestion was to hold two or three carnivals a year to replace one fundraiser. I just don't think people understand 1. what a huge undertaking that event is and 2. that it isn't a money maker.

TIA for any help

Angela