Unfortunately, schools are generally underfunded. There doesn’t seem to be enough money to make sure that the kids have everything they need to get a complete education.
This is where fundraisers come into play. There are many ways to raise money for your school to stay on budget and even offer some extras if the campaign is successful enough.
Fundraisers are a great way to not only raise enough money for field trips and supplies, but also for people to get involved and create a sense of community centered around the school.
Here are some ways that your school can approach fundraising.
Sell some shirts and other merchandise to raise quick money for your school
School shirt designs are an easy way to build up some quick revenue. Have some always ready to sell so when there is a pot luck or some other type of event, there is something somebody will want to buy.
Hoodies, shirts, fleeces and other apparel are popular so they are easy to sell. As long as you have a good logo and a catchy slogan, people will want to wear your gear.
If your school has a website, and it should, then they can be sold through it. Have a shop page that sells all kinds of school-branded gear and the money should be coming in year-round.
Sports sponsorships to raise quick money for your school
Youth sports are an easy target for sponsors. Local businesses love to sponsor the school team sports to look like a part of the community. They also get some nice advertising in the process.
Make sure you have an easy system for local businesses to be able to sign up and donate to get their name on the uniform or on banners at the games.
Run periodic phone drives to call the owners of the businesses and pitch them on the idea.
Discount cards
Coupon books that offer a discount to local businesses are very popular. It is a win-win for everybody involved.
The way it works is that a school partners up with some businesses in which they will offer a discount to people with a coupon. Then all of these deals are bundled up into a coupon book.
Then the book is sold, with the school keeping the proceeds. Buyers get discounts that come out to savings that are much higher than the cost of the booklet. The school makes money without paying anything besides the cost to make the booklet. And local businesses get a boost from extra business from the coupons.
Use social media
Having a solid social media following for your school is something of a must-have. It is a way to keep the public informed about school news and alerts. And it is also a way of raising quick money.
Combining a social media platform with an online fundraiser can generate money almost at will. Start a Go Fund Me campaign and then put the word out on your social page. Ask everybody to share the post even if they can’t donate to reach as many people as possible. It is effective because even if people can only give a few dollars it all adds up.
