seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,838
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Sept 4, 2022 17:39:19 GMT
Another great idea that's worked well for us is local food trucks.
One parent donates EVERYTHING back to the school when she does her taco truck sales. And she SELLS OUT every single time! We love her!
We have a snow cone place that donates back 20% profits minimum and if you hit certain incremental sales amounts it goes up to 50%.
There's a kettle corn/corndog/lemonade/funnel cake truck that does the same. At least you're getting food out of the deal and supporting someone local.
The bonus is that the money is almost immediately handed over. Sometimes right after the fundraise is completed! The taco truck just handed us her cash box.
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,564 
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Post by MerryMom on Sept 5, 2022 14:50:35 GMT
The best one I’ve ever heard of is a fundraiser where the kids are sent home with a sheet asking families to pledge the max amount they want to give to NOT have to do any other fundraisers for the rest of the year. Many parents will pay a lot to not have to deal with all that other nonsense! After that there are no more asks. I was a PTO officer for 6 years at a school that 48% of the students were on free or reduced cost lunches. Although people say they would rather just donate rather than buy something, very few people actually DO that. We tried that option one year and we netted less than half of previous fundraisers. |
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Post by epeanymous on Sept 5, 2022 15:01:40 GMT
The best one I’ve ever heard of is a fundraiser where the kids are sent home with a sheet asking families to pledge the max amount they want to give to NOT have to do any other fundraisers for the rest of the year. Many parents will pay a lot to not have to deal with all that other nonsense! After that there are no more asks. I was a PTO officer for 6 years at a school that 48% of the students were on free or reduced cost lunches. Although people say they would rather just donate rather than buy something, very few people actually DO that. We tried that option one year and we netted less than half of previous fundraisers. I think it depends on the school. My kids have attended a lot of different elementary schools (we moved once and most of them attend a magnet program that has been ping-ponged from school to school); when they have attended majority-FRL schools, direct donations from parents were a tough ask, but at the very-low FRL school a couple of my kids attend now, eg, the school raises $250,000+ per year from asking parents to donate (and that was true at the other wealthy-neighborhood public schools they have attended as well). I mean, that fundraising reflects that the parents have funds, and that's about it maybe, but direct asks at affluent schools may well work. |
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casii
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,517
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Post by casii on Sept 5, 2022 15:07:05 GMT
I'm glad I'm out of the fundraising game, well at least until my grandkids are in school.
Our 2 oldest went to private school for their first couple of years and the fundraisers felt like they came home twice a month and that didn't include the bake sales we were asked to make items for. Drove me insane.
Once they were in public school, I was so thankful for the comparatively rare fundraisers as opposed to private school. But still, I wish we could just fund our schools without tapping the families several times a year.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 5, 2022 16:04:57 GMT
The best one I’ve ever heard of is a fundraiser where the kids are sent home with a sheet asking families to pledge the max amount they want to give to NOT have to do any other fundraisers for the rest of the year. Many parents will pay a lot to not have to deal with all that other nonsense! After that there are no more asks. I was a PTO officer for 6 years at a school that 48% of the students were on free or reduced cost lunches. Although people say they would rather just donate rather than buy something, very few people actually DO that. We tried that option one year and we netted less than half of previous fundraisers. I think it depends on the school. My kids have attended a lot of different elementary schools (we moved once and most of them attend a magnet program that has been ping-ponged from school to school); when they have attended majority-FRL schools, direct donations from parents were a tough ask, but at the very-low FRL school a couple of my kids attend now, eg, the school raises $250,000+ per year from asking parents to donate (and that was true at the other wealthy-neighborhood public schools they have attended as well). I mean, that fundraising reflects that the parents have funds, and that's about it maybe, but direct asks at affluent schools may well work. Both of these scenarios make perfect sense. For the parents with more discretionary money and less discretionary time, I’m sure many would just opt to pull out their wallets because it’s just easier and takes less time. At the public elementary my kid attended, the PTA would routinely raise $50-70K a year with just one of their major annual fundraisers (an in person, adults only evening event), and that was on top of being in a very well publicly funded district where school property tax levies routinely pass. I can totally understand why it wouldn’t work as well for schools where there is a high percentage of FRL families, they simply don’t have the cash to spare no matter how much they might like to. I think any type of fundraiser is going to be a hard sell in that environment. |
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Post by littlemama on Sept 5, 2022 16:10:48 GMT
When I’m asked to donate/purchase/fundraise, I let whoever it is know that I pay out over $500/mo in gym expenses for my kids so I have no extra money but I’d gladly take a donation from them to help support my kids extracurricular sports. They walk away. [br "No, thank you" is also a perfectly acceptable response. I cant imagine being a child required to do this fundraising (that they dont want to do either) and receiving your response. |
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,838
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Sept 5, 2022 16:23:21 GMT
When I’m asked to donate/purchase/fundraise, I let whoever it is know that I pay out over $500/mo in gym expenses for my kids so I have no extra money but I’d gladly take a donation from them to help support my kids extracurricular sports. They walk away. [br "No, thank you" is also a perfectly acceptable response. I cant imagine being a child required to do this fundraising (that they dont want to do either) and receiving your response. The response is for the adults who push after I’ve turned them down. For the kids, I simply say, “not today.” |
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Post by littlemama on Sept 5, 2022 16:49:29 GMT
"No, thank you" is also a perfectly acceptable response. I cant imagine being a child required to do this fundraising (that they dont want to do either) and receiving your response. The response is for the adults who push after I’ve turned them down. For the kids, I simply say, “not today.” Ah, in that case, carry on. 😂😂 it is rude of them to ask once you've declined. |
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,564
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Post by MerryMom on Sept 5, 2022 17:41:50 GMT
I was a PTO officer for 6 years at a school that 48% of the students were on free or reduced cost lunches. Although people say they would rather just donate rather than buy something, very few people actually DO that. We tried that option one year and we netted less than half of previous fundraisers. I think it depends on the school. My kids have attended a lot of different elementary schools (we moved once and most of them attend a magnet program that has been ping-ponged from school to school); when they have attended majority-FRL schools, direct donations from parents were a tough ask, but at the very-low FRL school a couple of my kids attend now, eg, the school raises $250,000+ per year from asking parents to donate (and that was true at the other wealthy-neighborhood public schools they have attended as well). I mean, that fundraising reflects that the parents have funds, and that's about it maybe, but direct asks at affluent schools may well work. Our school would be thrilled if we netted $18,000 from a fundraiser. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Sept 5, 2022 17:58:38 GMT
My kids are out of the K-12 system now but we also had the requested email thing with marching band. They also sold mattresses. Not sure how many people are going to buy a mattress in a band room.
It always irked me too when the top seller of Girl Scout cookies got a neat prize when it was the parents that took the order sheet to work. My kids never had that option since their dad worked for a family business. It wouldn't be proper for him to hit up unrelated co-workers under that circumstance.
I like the idea of a straighr-up donation. I have done that with Scouts before.
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dantemia
Full Member
Posts: 315
Jun 27, 2014 19:28:17 GMT
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Post by dantemia on Sept 5, 2022 20:09:08 GMT
I don’t mind the dine and donate fundraisers. if it’s a restaurant I like.
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Post by dudleypippen on Sept 6, 2022 12:50:13 GMT
The very first year my kiddo brought home a fundraiser form I wrote a check to the PTO and sent it back, thinking it would buy me out of participating. They called me to ask what the check was for and if I meant to send it!
I have mixed feelings about fundraisers, partly because the schools that need the money the most also have the parents with less discretionary funds so it seems to fuel an unequal system. Our current school has a main fundraiser of a big fall festival for our little community. Each grade sponsors a game booth and there are food sales. Other community businesses and organizations participate, there’s an antique car show, and it’s really well attended.
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