In this age of dwindling funds for education, you might be trying to figure out a way to raise some money for your school. The administrators, teachers, and staff work very hard and deserve to be compensated for that work. Also, you want to provide the best, most inclusive learning environment for your students. However, that all requires money. Perhaps, it requires money you don’t have. That’s where a school fundraiser comes in. A fundraiser can fill gaps in the budget that perhaps don’t have funding at the moment, or you can even raise extra money for field trips, faculty, staff, and events.
Organization, planning, and execution are all very important parts of pulling off a successful, lucrative fundraiser. You have to have a team of creative and engaged participants to make the whole thing happen. However, none of that is relevant until you get a good idea. School fundraising ideas are the first step in the process.
Bake Sale
The bake sale fundraiser is a classic. Faculty, staff, parents, and local businesses provide baked goods to be sold at a predetermined event. These sales can be at the school during school hours or after hours. Often, they are set up in a public location with the permission of the city or relevant authorities. Sometimes even private businesses with close investments in a community such as grocery stores will allow the baked goods to be sold at their locations. These sales can be very lucrative because of the low prices for the raw ingredients to make baked items. This means you’ll make more money for your school.
Raffle
Raffles are another of the classic school fundraising ideas. In a typical raffle, parents, faculty, staff, and local businesses donate items of value. In addition to items, some will donate services. For a small fee, usually around one dollar, someone can buy a ticket for a raffle item. At the end of the prescribed period, one ticket is chosen at random for each item or service. Usually, these prizes are products from local businesses such as gift cards. Or they can be services such as massages, vacations, or lessons in a specialty. The appeal of a raffle for the ticket buyer is the prospect of obtaining something for a price far lower than its value. The small price of a ticket means that there is a very little risk for the ticket buyer. For the school, the appeal is the number of tickets sold. The number of tickets will ideally cover the cost of the item or service and leave some left over for the school; that is, if the business does not outright donate the item and gift all of the money to the school.
