In 2020, research by The Century Foundation (TCF) showed that American public schools are underfunded by nearly $150 billion per year. While the impact is felt more in some regions than others, there are underfunded schools in nearly every state. This speaks to an incredible need for school fundraising across the country.
That’s not to mention the need for fundraising at private schools, which depend even more on donations since they are entitled to less federal funding.
Every day, members of booster clubs, PTAs and PTOs dedicate their time and energy to raising these much-needed funds. But how do they do it? Whether you’re interested in volunteering at your kids’ school or taking on a PTA/PTO leadership position, here’s everything you need to know about school fundraising.
School fundraising basics
Forming a fundraising committee
It’s near impossible to pull off successful school fundraisers without a dedicated team of volunteers. It’s fair to assume that the PTA or PTO will cover fundraising, but which PTA/PTO members will spearhead the efforts?
To ensure success, form a fundraising committee. Appoint a capable leader and assign clear roles according to members’ strengths and interests. These fundraising heroes will be responsible for creating fundraising goals, planning and executing events, managing volunteers, and all the little details in between.
Setting goals
Trying to organize fundraisers without goals and plans is like going for a road trip without a map. The fundraising committee should set clear fundraising goals from the start. These goals will help guide the fundraising strategies and planning so that all your hard work pays off.
One of the best ways to start a successful year of fundraising is to meet with the school board before school starts. This gives the fundraising committee an opportunity to review the school’s budget and needs. In turn, the committee can then generate fundraising goals based on what the school needs and how much it will cost. Never start fundraising without a clear idea of how much money you need to raise and how the money will be spent.
Some of the most common things schools spend fundraising money on include:
- STEAM and enrichment programs
- Facilities improvements, such as new playground equipment
- New technology, such as computers
- Field trips
- Special events
The possible uses of school fundraising money are endless. Beyond meeting with the school board, create surveys for teachers, administration, and even parents and students to find out what the school needs most.
Types of school fundraisers
There are just as many types of school fundraisers as ways to use the funds. Some types of fundraisers are more profitable than others, and the types of fundraisers you hold may depend on whether you are raising funds for an elementary school or secondary school. Finally, some fundraisers happen as a single event while others occur on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Most schools raise money through a mix of types of fundraisers, including one-time events and ongoing campaigns. Below are some of the most common types of school fundraisers you’ll find yourself planning or working on if you volunteer at your child’s school or join the PTA/PTO:
- Fun runs
- Restaurant nights
- Auctions – Live, silent, or virtual
- Dance marathons
- Spirit wear sales – e.g., school t-shirts
- Car washes
- Corporate matching
- Crowdfunding
The type of planning and work involved greatly depends on the type of fundraiser. Hosting a fun run or restaurant night will require a lot of event planning, while hosting a crowdfunding event may call for designing an attractive webpage and social media skills to promote the campaign. Your fundraising committee and pool of volunteers should include a diversity of skills and interests depending on the types of events or campaigns you choose to execute.
Volunteer management
School fundraising can’t happen without the volunteers. Showing your appreciation are central components of school fundraising.
First, the fundraising committee will need to recruit volunteers. Start by distributing parent volunteer forms, these can be passed out to students to take home at orientation or during the first week of school. Use the forms to gauge volunteer interest, communicate fundraising needs, collect contact information and availability, and determine where volunteers’ efforts will be best used. Once you have volunteers in place, then it’s beneficial to use software like www.galaxydigital.com/blog/volunteer-management to help you with all the admin tasks, organizing events, and tracking volunteer hours. This will help in creating a positive volunteer experience by focusing the volunteer’s efforts.
And don’t forget to always, always thank your volunteers. Treat them with respect, listen to their needs, and send notes of appreciation after the event is over. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Promoting your events
No matter what type of event or campaign you’re planning, you’ll need to promote your school fundraiser. After all, no one can donate if no one knows about your fundraiser. Appoint someone on the fundraising committee to be in charge of promotion.
These days, social media is one of the most powerful school fundraising tools. Create a Facebook page for your event, and use channels like Instagram to remind people about the event as it approaches or encourage people to visit your crowdfunding page. Create unique hashtags for your event so new users can find it. Encourage volunteers and parents to share on social too!
But don’t forget about more traditional forms of promotion, such as email and flyers to send home. Just remember that parents are busy and emails can get lost in the shuffle. It’s best to use as many promotion channels as possible to get the word out.
Don’t forget the “fun” in fundraising
School fundraising takes work, but that work is well worth it. Not only do school fundraisers make schools better, enrich students’ education, and strengthen the bonds between schools and communities, but they’re also a lot of fun.
Whether you’re in a leadership position or just volunteering a few times a year, don’t be afraid to let your unique ideas and personality shine through. Through your fundraising efforts, you’ll likely gain new skills, great memories, and some wonderful friendships to boot.
