I forgot to say- in the meantime, stick to your regular fundraising. By getting families involved, you will not only get steam for your cause, you will be able to raise some money, help your kids, improve the "community" at the school & maybe have a little fun!

Let me start off by saying I do not underestimate what a group of dedicated parents can do & I know that lots of small schools have raised amazing amounts of money.

There. Now, it sounds to me like your school needs more money-asap- than your parent group can raise (through conventional fundraising)in a small amount of time. I agree that you should look into some grants. There are a lot available. I would think about things like school improvement grants & small school grants. Lace is right- people can say what they want about Wal*Mart, but they really do step up to the plate when it comes to helping out the community. Larger chain companies will also encourage their employees to volunteer, so if you had some materials/equipment donated or that you purchased, they may be able to help you with the instillation.(I'm thinking about the gym floor). If you take one project at a time, say $X for 5th grade text books- ask a specific business to help w/that. I would first, assess anything that might be a safety issue & begin on that first. Let parents (&the community) know what you are doing & why- some of them might not be aware of just how bad it is. If you have a laundry list, you might be suprised by the support you get. I'm a bit confused- are you now at a public school or still at a private? If your school is public, bring your concerns (& list) to school board meetings. (Not sure how it works in a private school.) Also, if you address your concerns in writing to the board, they HAVE to address them.

Just a few ideas off the top of my head- hope I gave you something you could use.

It will most likely be a long road, but good on you for wanting to effect a change! Good luck & keep us posted!

We are a charter school that is considered a public school since we recieve public funds but we recieve less than the district's schools as they "come first".
Our school has been lucky enough to qualified for many different grants and sponsorship from different companies. In my small hometown, the Catholic school was everything. My parents had friends with children that attended the school and we were always going to a bazzar or softball game (the school ran the concession stand) so the school could put in a new floor or new windows. Many of the ideas came from the parents asking the local government for ideas and permission. Okay, it helped that the mayor's family were members of the church and school but when they all worked together they had a great school.

I feel for your plight, I really do. I would look towards some grants, maybe title 1, maybe Lowes, maybe Wal-Mart if it's you're area for some of the repairs and needs.
By far my easiest fundraiser was a Movie Night. You can order the information here from PTO Today under School Family Nights. Some people don't charge admission for this but we charged $2.00 a person. Even after paying for the license and refreshments we STILL made about $400 and it really brought our school community together and helped us raise a little cash. It's easier than selling from traditional catalogs and a fun event where people don't feel like they are being put "out".
Good luck to you!

I have taken on the responseability of finding new ways to raise money for our school. I have to say that this is my first year at this school, i came here because of a move our family made . The catholic school we came from was very large and enrolement was very high! They were allways improveing whatever they needed. This school is very small and is in a very small town. Right away my heart went out to them. The staff and the familys are tring so hard to just get by.They need so much from books, supplies, equipment, and even work done to the school. The places seems to be falling apart. There gym floor is tile that is peeling up. There lunch tables and chairs are old card tables and rusted metal folding chairs. These are just a few things I have seen. The teachers and staff have sooooooo much love and compassion for these childern and want to do what they can, but there just is no money. They do do some fundraising with cookies , and raffels,etc. It just is not enough. Do you have any big ideas to help me help them do more then just get by? Please this is my first cry for some guidence. I know I need to help them!