Generally, we do the fall catalogue fundraiser and have Holiday Bazaar in December. The money we earn from those two events (in a district of less than 3,000 students and a school of less than 400) carries us through the entire year, fulfilling all of our budgeted items, tends to unanticipated costs and leaves us with extra $$ in the bank when June 30 rolls around.
This year, since we are replacing much of our old and unsafe playground equipment, we will need about twice what we usually earn. Therefore as an exception, we will be publishing a PTA/Faculty cookbook and also selling school T-shirts printed by a local company for us.
We have also set up at our local Farmers' Market...and are doing rather well there, I might add. All produce, crafts, and baked goods we sell have been donated to us, and with a cost of only $2 for the season, it is all profit.
The principal at our Primary school does not restrict how many fundraisers we can run, but to keep from turning the kids into little Amway people (and overcome the image of being the fundraising group for teachers' supplies), we have pretty much stuck to the "one drive per year" rule.
I'm posting this to get an idea of other schools. Our school district only allows us one fundraiser a year. We do the Innisbrook Wrapping Paper and usually make about 12,000. I'm kind of glad we are limited - it makes for happy parents!
