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Conference moira::parenting

Title:Parenting
Notice:Previous PARENTING version at MOIRA::PARENTING_V3
Moderator:GEMEVN::FAIMANY
Created:Thu Apr 09 1992
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1292
Total number of notes:34837

159.0. "Ideas for School Fundraising" by BOOKIE::SRITE () Tue Jun 09 1992 16:10

Hello,

I'm looking for ideas for successful fundraising projects for 
elementary schools.  I have volunteered to chair the fundraising at my 
daughter's elementary school (in NH) next year and must now begin to
make plans on what we'll be doing.  

To start this off, a project that our school did this past year 
that was very successful was a Spell-A-Thon.  Each class teacher gave 
their class a word list for spelling (varying in difficulty from K-6). 
The children then sold pledges for each word they could correctly 
spell.  The school (about 500 students) raised over $3000 on this
event and the nice thing was that it was all pure profit.  We 
definitely plan to continue this and possibly do another similar one, 
such as a Math-A-Thon.

The other fundraisers were the traditional candy sale and holiday gift 
items (wrapping paper, ribbon, holiday decorations) from fundraising 
catalogs.  These generated a lot of money, but the school could keep 
only about 40% of the profits.  We'd like to replace these fundraisers 
with something new.

Some of the ideas we're considering for next year are:

o  Road Race -- one-mile walk and five-mile run with entry fees for
   participants (a neighboring school did this and raised $4000)

o  Pizza Party -- Dominos is willing to provide pizzas at a reduced
   rate

o  Cookbook (recipes from teachers and parents)

o  Calendar (illustrated by children -- however, because there are 
   only 12 or 52 potential illustrations, this might be difficult to 
   fairly represent everyone)

I'd appreciate any thoughts on these ideas, but more importantly, I'd 
really like to hear of some new ideas.  

Thanks,
Pat
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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159.1flowering bulbsGRANPA::LIROBERTSWed Jun 10 1992 09:2118
    My son's school had a spring fundraiser.  The sold Easter and other
    candy, but the best thing was that they sold flowering bulbs and
    plants.  The school made a profit of $8,000.  They were all very
    excited because this was the amount that the state had cut from the
    school's budget this year.
    
    They also offered prizes like a cook-out with the prinicpal, a coupoun
    book of things that could be redeemed at school (i.e. a free pencil, a
    day with no homework, a free recess).  These are things that really
    didn't cost the school anything.  They also got 7-11 to donate coupouns
    for free Big Gulp Sodas and buy on hot dog get one free.
    
    It really worked great.
    
    Good luck!!!!
    
    
    Lillian
159.2CUPMK::PHILBROOKCustomer Publications ConsultingWed Jun 10 1992 11:111
    There's a fundraising notesfile. I believe it's on DPE::FUNDRAIS.
159.3TNPUBS::STEINHARTLauraWed Jun 10 1992 11:4013
    I've bit my tongue and tried not to divert down a rathole, but I just
    can't hold out.
    
    "We'll know society has its priorities straight when Washington
    allocates billions for education and the Pentagon has to hold a bake
    sale to buy a new bomber."
    
    Please don't start a discussion on this folks ( -;) )  but I wanted to
    share a laugh with you.
    
    Back to fundraising technique...
    
    L
159.4Adventures In Learning Reading ProgramDEVMKO::CULLENWed Jun 10 1992 15:0213
    Discovery Toys has a new fundraising program.  It is basically a
    reading incentive program where each classroom reads books, gets
    sponsors and collects money. It is expected that each classroom will
    raise enough money to earn the New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia.
    Depending on the agreement with the DT Consultant, excess monies can be
    used to purchase other DT products or used a the discretion of the
    classroom teacher.
    
    I thought this was a great program.  Our school never seems to have
    enough encyclopedias to go around when classes begin to do research
    projects.
    
    Donna
159.5FSDEV::MGILBERTGHWB-Anywhere But America Tour 92Wed Jun 10 1992 15:522
World Book has a similar program. Sell so many encyclopedias and get a set for 
the school.
159.6DELNI::BRYDONThu Jun 11 1992 11:4618
    
    
    My niece/nephew schools held two very successful and fun fundraisers
    this year.
    
    The had a Valentine's Father(Male relative/friend)/Daughter dance and
    a Mother(Female relative/friend) Pancake breakfast.
    
    The expenses were covered by area business donations, all the K-6
    grade schools in the town participated.  There were nice door prizes
    from gift baskets to oil changes to ski lift tickets.  Kids made
    decorations for these events in their art classes.  
    
    Because almost everything was donated, profits were the tickets at
    the door.  Mothers did the work for the Father event and Fathers did
    the work for the mother event.
    
    
159.7Thanks for the ideas!!!BOOKIE::SRITEFri Jun 12 1992 10:0123
    Thanks everyone for the ideas -- they all sound good.  We plan to
    meet next week to make some decisions and I'm thrilled to have
    some more good ideas to offer.  I especially like the idea of
    the dance and pancake breakfast because our school has a very low
    percentage of parent participation.  One of my reasons for volunteering
    for fundraising was to try to do things that raised money while
    getting parents acquainted and into the schools.  The dance and
    breakfast sound like a perfect match for this!
    
    I also like the idea of selling spring bulbs and plants -- this is
    a nice change from the traditional candy sales and something I'd 
    love to purchase.  I'll also follow up on the encyclopedia idea
    and see how great a need there is for this.  I do like the idea
    of having fundraising linked to a specific purpose.
    
    Mike, thanks so much for the pointer to the notesfile -- I never
    would have thought to look for this!  I've scanned it and come
    up with a couple ideas, but I like the ideas in this note the
    best for our school's needs.  So, everyone please keep the ideas
    coming!  I really appreciate the help!
    
    Thanks,
    Pat
159.8FSDEV::MGILBERTGHWB-Anywhere But America Tour 92Mon Jun 15 1992 13:0317
	Here's a couple we've used successfully:

	1. Book Fair - at elementary and middle school level - you buy from
	wholesaler and mark up. 

	2. Holiday wrap and giftware - In the fall take orders from Parents,
	friends, neighbors. Delivery is timed around both sets of Holidays,
	Xmas and Chanukah. 

	3. school sponsored activities at town-wide functions - Dunk booth
	featuring local Pols. 

	4. New this year. "kiss the pig" contest. Local luminaries were 
	nominated last September. Voting costs $1.00 per vote. The winner
	will be required to smooch with "hulk hoggin", a rather large sow,
	donated by a local farmer. 
159.9GIDDAY::BURTDPD (tm)Thu Aug 03 1995 21:486
There was a conference mentioned some time ago, DPE::FUNDRAISING - this node 
no longer seems to exist.  Is there another, similar conference around 
somewhere?


Chele
159.10CSC32::P_SOGet those shoes off your head!Fri Aug 04 1995 09:328
    
    Chele,
    
    1This isn't a file but notes 165, 227, 230 and 409 in the
    NOTED::SCOUTING notesfile are on fundraising and may help.
    
    Pam
    
159.11GIDDAY::BURTDPD (tm)Sun Aug 06 1995 20:177
Thanks Pam,

The P & F  at the school are trying to raise money *fast* for a kiln
- a chocolate drive is now under way... at least it's Mars bars this time, 
Maltezers are becoming _very_ old.

Chele
159.12POWDML::VENTURABad spellers of the world, UNTIE!!Mon Aug 07 1995 17:195
    Chele..
    
    what type of school is it?  Elementary?  High School?
    
    H
159.13GIDDAY::BURTDPD (tm)Tue Aug 08 1995 01:2410
Infants/Primary school - ie K -> 6  (I don't know if that is U.S. elementary?)
It's a _very_ small community/church based school - 125 kids approx. (Which is 
_really_ nice - everyone knows everyone - and cares)

The SCOUT notes were interesting, but the age group makes most of the 
suggestions there unworkable.


Chele

159.14WRKSYS::MACKAY_ETue Aug 08 1995 11:2311
    
    When I was a kid, the school I went to had an annual
    fundraiser that benefit the hospital that the nuns
    also ran. The kids would make bookmarks (kids drawing
    stuff on paper, laminated, punch-holed and tie with ribbon),
    tie dye T-shirts and scarfs, handcrafts, etc, and the
    stuff would be sold. I find that more meaningful and fun 
    than the generic chocolate and wrapping paper fundraisers.
    
    Eva
                                          
159.15STAR::EVANSTue Mar 25 1997 17:018
When I was a freshman in high school, we sold panty hose as a fund-raiser. 
Several people thought it sounded a little nuts, but we raised WAY more money 
faster than any other class before us.  What was great was that most families 
were willing to buy and sometimes in surprising volumes.  We also had an 
arrangement where we could return whatever we didn't sell.

Jim