Contact your local restaurants and ask the manager about having a fundraiser. The restaurant normally gives 15 to 30 percent. All you do is get people in the restaurant.
When I became PTA President I had the same problem. I learned to come up with creative ways to fundraise. Always try to combine 2 fundraisers whenever possible. One way is to do a school dance with a holiday theme and get the children to make decorations during art class. You can charge a small admittance fee $1-$3 and during the dance you can host a bake sale with donated goods from parents.
Another good way to raise money is to host an art exhibit featuring the best art from each class and again charge a small admittance fee and raffle prizes donated by local businesses.
Also, you can use every school play, parent teacher conference, PTA meeting or honor roll assembly as a way to sell school shirts,"my child is an honor roll student at...", etc. If you want to sell shirts a good website to go to is www.mikenicetshirts.com You can design your own easily and at very affordable prices.
Hi there! Since this is your first, my suggestion would be to gear your fundraiser toward something seasonal, so that it's the most relevant. For example, earlier this month, we partnered with a local pumpkin patch, and sold Halloween decorations, and fresh-baked pumpkin goods (pies, muffins, breads, etc.) The next one we do will be Christmas/Holiday themed. Last year we had people donate so we could purchase
Christmas wreaths
and whatnot, to sell at a local Christmas Tree farm. They sold very well and funded our PTO well until the next Valentine's-themed fundraiser. Considering the time of year, I'd suggest going the Christmas/Holiday route.
Restaurant fundraisers can be fairly quick and easy. The key is finding the right restaurant with a good program -- the amount you make can vary significantly based on the restaurant's terms -- and communicating it well to parents. We have a free, comprehensive planning guide that can help you get organized and promote your event: www.ptotoday.com/restaurant-fundraiser-kit
