Fundraiser Planning Archive

  • District Management of Fundraising Efforts

    Very interesting article from Michigan about a district trying to bring some central controls to the wide-ranging fundraising practices in its schools.

  • Rate Your Fundraiser

    Not all fundraisers are created equal. Does yours fit your needs? Take the quiz to find out.

  • Picking Your Fundraising Partner

    By following some key steps before committing to a fundraising company, you'll ensure that your group ends up with the right match.

  • Save Your Sagging Fundraiser

    How to revitalize a fundraiser—or make a smooth switch when the time has come.

  • Succeeding in a Crowded Sales Marketplace

    How to maximize your profits at a time when more organizations are fundraising more frequently than ever.

  • Fundraiser Ratings: What's Right for You?

    A comparison of various fundraisers based on the amount of work needed, the potential rewards, and other key factors.

  • Funding Inequities?

    Robin Hood needed?

  • PTA and PTO Fundraising -- the annual treatise

    Every year at this time, someone writes the big national feature on the pros and cons of fundraising. This year it's the Washington Post with this pretty comprehensive look at Sally Foster sales in the DC-area. Good coverage of the many variables and the pros and cons that go along with fundraising in our schools.  Like many things, moderation is such a key.

  • Exclusive Fundraising Party -- OK?

    Here's an issue I haven't heard discussed much, but it's quite interesting. Seems that Tennessee department of ed. officials are ruling that low-income kids can't be excluded from fundraising celebrations, even if they didn't participate in the fundraiser. The regulation is unique to Tennessee, but it brings up a real philosophical question for all parent groups and schools.

  • Fundraising Burnout?

    I guess you can call this circular blogging. Last year, I wrote this column bemoaning the annual spate of predictable articles about how fundraising goes too far. Now comes an editorial from Oklahoma, as this year's version of that tired complaint. But -- for balance -- they quote my defense of fundraising. So they know the article is predictable and easy, but at least they admit it, right?

  • The Small-Budget PTO

    You can accomplish great things without raising big money.

  • The Fundraising Myth

    “Fundraising fatigue” isn’t a national trend that you can’t fight. It’s a problem that can be addressed by rethinking the way you conduct fundraisers.

  • Expo Time

    May 3 = Massachusetts event.

  • Fundraising Makes It Happen

    Fundraising shouldn't be your group's main focus. But fundraising the right way can make a significant difference in how well you're able to fulfill your mission.

  • Funding Our Playground

    How one PTA met its goal of raising $40,000 in a single year to update the school playground.

  • Partnership Approach Pays Off

    One school reached out to local businesses and governments to raise funds and create excitement within the community. The result: a new $80,000 playground.

  • Keys to Fundraising Success

    Taking a businesslike approach to fundraising can lead to higher profits, less burnout, and better parent involvement.

  • Give Your Fundraiser New Life

    Do your fundraisers generate little enthusiasm, even among your leaders? Use these methods to bring back the excitement.

  • Make Local Businesses a Resource

    With the right approach, companies in your neighborhood can become great partners for fundraisers and other events.
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