School fundraising has become a fact of life, for private and charter schools and even for public K-12 schools that are increasingly and chronically short of money.
Fundraising can support virtually any need, small to large, from the mundane to the otherwise-out-of-reach:
- General school supplies, especially now that many kids are returning to classrooms
- Cleaning and personal hygiene supplies, especially now that schools must meet COVID-19 sanitation and protection standards
- Art supplies
- Musical instruments
- Computers or tablets that facilitate remote learning
- Digital teaching tools such as interactive whiteboards and other presentation items, video conferencing and curriculum apps
- Library books (or a new library)
- Sports equipment
- Extracurricular activities such as special events or field trips
- A facilities upgrade or an entirely new building or sports field
If your school needs it, you can raise money to get it.
Give ’em a reason
Of course, you don’t just raise money and then figure out what to do with it. No matter how much they love and support you, donors want to know why you’re asking them to help. That gives credibility to your fundraiser -- you really do need the money.
But it also gives donors a sense of belonging – they are literally part of the team working to complete your project. That feels good, so they want to give. And they’ll give even more of their time or money if it’s a project especially dear to them.
Big-ticket items and extras that go beyond daily necessities will have the most appeal.
Kimberlie Autry, Community Liaison at Elizabeth Cobb Middle School in Florida, understands that. She told us her school is working to raise $30,000, to restore their clock tower and buy a digital marquee. “We are about half way,” she reports. “The pandemic has certainly put a damper on our plans [but] we have been able to restore our clock tower and are on our way to that digital sign!”
(Read on to learn how you can be as successful as Kimberlie.)
How do you get all that money?
That’s the fun part! Not to say fundraising doesn’t take strategy and planning, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Or boring. Collecting box tops, etc. works, but it doesn’t exactly pin the excitement meter. You want maximum engagement.
Making emotional connections between donors and your fundraisers is important. But getting them physically involved through a fun event of some kind is even better is. For example, when was the last time you got to participate in an old-fashioned scavenger hunt? So fun, yes?
GooseChase
In our recent webinar on how PTAs are beating fundraising goals (even in these challenging days of distancing), we talked about GooseChase, a cloud-based platform schools are using to conduct fundraising scavenger hunts. Such a great idea.
If you’re wondering how that works, our webinar gives you an inside look, complete with an actual hunt and straight-from-the-source shared tips on how schools are using this entertaining platform to raise money.
Penny war
Kimberlie Autry watched another of our webinars to learn about fundraisers based on collecting the coins we all hoard at home. Watch the webinar she did on how PTA Organizations Are Beating Fundraising Goals →
"We did a penny war as you suggested, to put coins back into our community. We raised over $1,000 in coin AND the community-building we did inside our school was amazing! The teachers and students alike got really into it!"
-KIMBERLIE AUTRY
The penny war is, indeed, a ton of fun. It’s an easy project that boosts school spirit by pitting one grade level or class against another, to see who can bring in the most coins. Kids rob their own piggy banks, parents empty their coin jars, and everyone benefits:
- The coins are turned over to a bank, where they can get back into circulation (something badly needed by local merchants).
- The school gets a check for the amount raised.
“This was such a great success for us as a school community,” Kimberlie told us, “not just because we brought money in but because we were laughing and having a great time.”
SquadLocker online store
Once again, Kimberlie Autry says it best: “Signing up with [SquadLocker] to do our spirit store was a blessing, not just because our students can go online and buy Cobb goods but because you guys offer so much more!”
One of the simplest and most appealing ways to raise money is via your SquadLocker Store. We can help you set things up to raise cash for a specific time period and goal, or to bring in extra revenue on an ongoing basis.
We love hearing your success stories!
We always have a good time presenting our SquadLocker webinars, along with our special guests. But we do it for a serious reason.
We know there are so many of you out there looking to boost your school and team fundraising efforts. There are so many ways you want to improve your school to benefit your students. We also know there are so many out there who have excellent, proven ideas to share. Webinars bring everyone together to fuel more successful fundraising for everyone.
So, what’s your great idea? Let us know, and we’ll help you spread the word!
