We always have our fall fundraiser "gifty" stuff and then in the spring usually do a calendar raffle as mentioned above. Last year we found it difficult to fill the calendar due to a decrease in donations. In tough economic times everyone is cutting back and this included area restaurants etc. We are about to try the "Can you Spare a Dollar" fundraiser. We are asking each student to fill 20 spots on a sheet with signatures from folks who have given them a $1.00 donation. this si something new for our school and our feeling was that most people had a dollar to spare. We are going to run it over 2 weeks. We are trying to think of something to reward each student with that participates at all be it 3 signatures or 20 they get. We have been tossing around maybe a school car cling or bumper sticker but they are very $$$ to have made so we may try and think of something else. For each completed sheet of 20 that student will receive 1 ticket for the raffle where we will have 3 or 4 prizes (ipod,etc). Things that the kids would be excited to win.We have about 450 students and we hope to raise at least 2500.00. There is an example of teh collection sheet in the files section here. If anyone has any ideas for prizes please feel free to share them with me. many thanks and I'll keep you updated on our progress.
Thanks for all of the advice. As of today we have raised just under $9000 before incentives. (carnival pass and spirit gear) We are not done yet, but it seems to be going good.
jens6pack;133202 wrote: Has anyone ever just asked for a donation instead of a catalog fundraiser?
I am asking because last years board sent out a letter saying that we would not be having catalog fundraisers this year, instead we wanted each child to donate x amount of money.
I can see where it might work, but I am nervous because we are a huge school (1200 students k-6) and our budget is $38,000.
If anyone has had success with a donation drive could you give me some pointers?
Being the NEW incoming president, and just having learned that our Fundraising chair moved without telling anyone, I'm looking to try something new this year.
I would like to offer "Friends of XXXX Elementary School" Program
Through this program students would collect $10 sponsorships from friends and family.
Friends and Family Sponsors will have their name printed in the school newsletter and on the website. They will each receive a certificate of appreciation and will be entered for a "large" prize should we meet our target goal.
Students who collect 10 friends and family sponsors or turn in a donation of $100 will automatially receivea $50 savings bond. As these savings bonds only cost $25, the PTO is still making 75% and sponsors will feel that the student is being compensenated quite well. I have connections at a local bank who has agreed to let us pay for the savings bonds up front, giving the bank a list of students who will be coming in to "redeem" these. Students then will have a two week period to visit the bank branch and complete all of the personal information paperwork (ie. social security numbers, etc) needed to receive the savings bond. That way the PTO does not have to collect personal information from the students.
we offer this every year in conjunction with our gift wrap campaign. If they just want to donate an amount, it gets coded from the vendor and they are still eligible for prizes.
parents always say they'd rather donate, but when you ask them to put their money where their mouth is... we've had a huge awakening.
we only had 5 parents donate this year rather than purchase the holiday items. I've enticed them how the school would get 100% of the profits and it's a tax break for them.....yaddy yaddy ya da..... the results are still small.
if you need 38K and you've got 1200 kids, that's $31.66 per kid and any parent would much rather write a check for that then to sell chocolate, tshirts, popcorn, gift wrap etc....
but the bottom line for our demographics was Nadda..... you will have some parents waiting for others to step up.
even if you put your budget out there and they can actually see what is being spent.
we can't enforce it, we can only encourage it. District has a policy for asking monetary donations to a non-profit organization was a no no.
good luck, let me know how it works out for your school.
