Red Hot Fundraising Ideas

One of the most important factors to be considered when planning to organize a school fundraiser is the efficient communication with your students’ parents. It is important to secure the participation and support of your students’ parents and you have to get everything planned in the right way in order to keep them updated about each of your school fundraisers. Here are some tips for you to follow in order to make sure that the parents will attend your fundraisers as well.

• Start by sending a notice to them – do this at the beginning of every school year in order to outline each of your future fund raising plans.This way, you will avoid surprises and provide the parents with the opportunity to start inquiring about all your fundraisers – you may also get them to volunteer for your cause as long as you manage to convince them of its worthiness.

• You may also try and collect their email addresses in order to make sure you know how to reach them as soon as you need their help. Once you build the necessary database that contains all these email addresses, you will be able to blast some reminders to them in order for them to find out when your next fundraiser will be organized.

• In order to maximize your students’ participation and guarantee the presence of their parents as well, you will have to limit the number of your product sales on an yearly basis. Keep in mind that most of the parents are likely to have other children involved in a wide range of non-profit groups that may be doing other product sales fundraisers. So, you will have to be considerate in your fundraiser planning.

• Also, you will have to tell parents the exact dates and numbers for each of your school fundraisers you plan to have because parents like seeing that there is a plan for every fundraiser. So, once you come up with exact dates and numbers, you will make the parents grateful for having an advance warning. Also, they will appreciate your consideration towards them because this will help them plan their own financial resources.

• The fund raising goal must be told to the parents – just make sure that you clearly state each of your financial goals regarding your school fundraisers. Likewise, as soon as you complete your fundraiser, you will have to tell parents how close you have managed to come to the fund raising goal – tell them if you have met or exceeded it.

• Conducting an informal or formal survey of your potential sales force could be a wise idea as well – go asking for wider ranges of input about the kind of product you may end up selling. For instance, you may notice that there is a really strong trend regarding the eco-friendly products and you may go for them as well. Just pay attention to what your community wants in order to choose the items you will be selling.

• Additionally, you should explain the reason for each of your fundraisers because you may find it hard to motivate the parents if they are not familiar with what you are planning to do. Just make sure that you can provide them with a really strong argument for each of your fundraisers.

• For instance, even if your revenue from the fund raising program you have selected goes into a general fund category, you must provide your fundraiser with a name and an exact purpose, a purpose that has already been approved in the school budget.

• Make your fundraiser something that may help parents get behind – go for popular and visible activities (carnival, bike a thon) that can sustain your fundraiser.