We do a Membership Drive in the beginning of the year and throughout
Parents donate $5 or $10 per family. Basically give them a form including a breif description of school organization and goals for the year (i.e. new playground equipment, indoor recess games, teach supplies, etc.) Let them know that the money raised by your Membership Drive will help achieve your goals as a parent teacher organizaion that cannot be supported by the normal school budget. We raise on average $1500-$1700 each year. Always let your parents know what your raising funds for and when purchases are actually made.
So I have heard about these online shopping fundraisers, and they sound great, but I feel like there has to be something I am missing. I have done some research, but has anyone used these online shopping fundraisers before? How much do you make? I know there are also ones that do online shopping and searching like goodsearch and give2network, but I am not sure if parents will be receptive. Any thoughts/advice would be helpful! Thanks!
Our middle school does a "virtual fundraiser" like the pledge idea. We ask for $50 but accept any amount, outlining what the money goes to (from last year's financials). This year we took in almost $3,000 less than last year, probably due to the economy. So at conferences in January, we will raffle a donated gift basket of educational stuff, books etc., for any donations over $25. They will get a piece of candy for their donation, and the chance to win the basket. so we won't be selling anything.
Here's are blurb, and it's followed by a chart from the prior year, showing income/expenses by category.
"Would you please make a contribution to our annual “virtual fundraiser†this fall?
Our PTSO does not conduct ANY OTHER FUNDRAISING EVENTS. By collecting donations directly from our families, we won’t be selling any other products!
We invite parents to donate $50 per student to the PTSO, but any amount is greatly appreciated.
Funds are used to directly support students and staff at SMS.
Thank you for your support!"
We' ve done a Walk-a-thon without a company--- and get volunteers to help run the event.
This way you get to keep all the profits from your event-- 50% is a lot to give a company for 1 day's worth of work from them--- you can make a flier and get volunteers to help out--- but as we found out-- you might not make as much as you think you would--
In our school district 1 school did the fun run and said it would be their only fundraiser for the year--- they made 15,000--- which was great, but the problem was that their budget for the year was 32,000 so now they have to come up with other fundraisers to make up the difference after they said they wouldn't do any other fundraisers...
And we had parents suggest doing a pledge drive where they just give 1 donation of money-- but we had so many people being laid off, not doing well as it is that they can afford to give that money themselves, but they can sell items at work or to neighbors--
Not sure if there is a one-time answer to needing so much money for a school year!
I'm new to all this but have been doing a bunch of research. You might even try out funrun dot com - it is a pledge program but the kids get to do a 30 minute "fun run" and get pledges for it. A friend of mine told me about it and her school raised over $34,000 - they keep 50% and the other goes to pay for all the company does to promote the run and pledge drive. Gifts are tax deductible here also.
The schools in our area have pledge drives. If the amount raised reaches a certain amount, the parents are promised that no other fundraisers that year will be necessary -- that creates a lot of motivation to give to the drive.
