Thanks for all the great ideas. I will include this option when I send home the Fall packets!! Thanks again!!!

We have the option of purchasing fundraising items or sending in a cash donation. I would much rather give the school at check for $25.00 knowing that 100% of the money was going to the school instead of puchasing a bunch of things I don't really need and the school only getting 50% of the money.

Plus if you make a check out directly to the school, you can use it as a tax write off!

Give parents an option. At our last PTO meeting, I mentioned that our schools would accept a check made out to the school and a lot of parents didn't know you could do that .. they were thrilled.

I've thought about doing this. I had seen this idea on here a couple of years ago. It was frowned upon when I mentioned it. I am not ready for my child to sell anything.

We are starting our fundraiser next month. I was the minority in not want to sell. Last year they made $7,000.00 with this fundraiser. I am afraid sales will be way down due to some trouble they had with it last year on top of our bad economy. I wonder if we do an opt out would more people just send in a few dollars and that lower the profit? When you offer an opt out choice do you usually have a specific amount? If the avg amount per student is selling $50 worth of merchandise and you opt out for $10 wouldn't that hurt the fundraiser or would those parents more likely pay the opt out as opposed to not doing anything at all? Just curious.

Just make sure that you indicate that their opt-out payment is due with the form. We tried this last year and had a couple of parents say that they wanted to make a donation but never sent the money in.

I know many schools add that provision to their packet for a fundraiser.

ie.
School XYZ Fall Fundraiser is approaching. Start date- End date.
We realize not everyone has the time, resources or transportation to have friends, family and coworkers participate, or would not like their children selling due to the amount of extracirricular fundraisers their children are involved in (ie. Baseball, Soccer, Boy/Girl scouts) We have been asked to include an option of a donation (cash, check) in Lieu of actively participating in this Fall Fundriaser.
I would like to donate $____ to School XYZ Fall Fundriaser.

Or something to this effect.

At our last two meetings a mother mentioned a school that sent home letters for cash donations instead of selling things. She said they raisied $33,000 in one week. I asked for info,and have not recieved it yet. Has anyone tried this?