We sell magazines through American Publishers each spring. Our sales rep, Fun Services, offers many wonderful incentives, one being cash. We have three order turn in days and there are different prizes associated with each day. But there is also a progressive jackpot for those days. On the first day, we put ALL students names into a drawing and pull one out. IF that student turned in even one subscription or renewal, he/she wins $50. If they didn't the pot grows to $100 for the second turn in day. Again, if the name drawn didn't turn in an order, the pot grows to $150 for the third and final turn in.
Also, two of the turn in days have cash prizes. For one, if a student turned in at least 9 subs/renewals, they get to grab a handful of coins from the silver bowl. Lots of nickels, dimes, quarters, and half dollars in there and this year, the rep added gold dollars also. Another cash incentive is the weigh in. If they brought in 9+ subs/renewals, then we weigh them and pay them 10 cents per pound. The kicker is that they get to add to their weight with any inanimate objects they can hold IN their hands. We've had them bring in bowling balls, a backpack weighted with bricks, a portable typewriter. It's great fun.
At our middle school, the PTSA offers the CD players, Gift Cards to music and book stores, etc. That also seems very popular.