PTA Fundraising

[themummyonthebus]

Our PTA is currently not very active (as in 2 coffee mornings a year, the summer fete and that's it) and so next year we're having a clear out and we will all be "new" parents next year, as in no previous school aged children experience and only this year's poor showing and Mumsnet as a guide.

They didn't make any money last year at all so the goal this coming year is obviously to have regular fundraising events. But which ones work best? I've suggested a few of the MN staples but considering most of them crop up on here because people are moaning about them I'm not sure that's the best template

So tell me what your favourite (PTA) fundraising events have been please!

[Vajazzler]

We have had great success with Mother's Day and Father's Day raffles. After approaching local companies to donate items we made nearly £800 from them (combined total) and only outlay was cellophane.

Other great events have been discos and cinema nights.

[chanie44]

My son starts reception in September and I've volunteered, so I'll be interested to see all these ideas.

[BlueGoddess]

We do a cake and second hand uniform stall once a month, Xmas disco, leavers disco, and Xmas raffles. We really struggle for volunteers so can't do much more

[MrsWombat]

Secondhand uniform.
School disco.
summer/Christmas/Easter fair
Sweetie cones and cake stall on last day of each half term
Secondhand uniform sale
Easyfundraising cashback website

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

We do two cake stalls per term, two discos per year, summer and Christmas fairs (those are the big money-spinners, but a lot of work), used clothing collection once a term, 1x parents social (quiz or similar) and a sponsored event every other year. 250 pupil primary school. Also

[Vajazzler]

Oh and we've been selling ice lollys every Friday in the warm weather and at sports day. Made a fortune on those! We go to Iceland and tesco and just buy up whatever's on offer and sell them for 50p each.

[eatyourveg]

new parents BBQ at the end of sept every year,
BBQ after end of year concert
raffle at xmas
quiz in the spring term
summer ball
selling strawbs and cream teas at sports day
but the best of all has been ds2's school where every year they enter a team in the local dragon boat race
the non uniform days are always for charities the kids have chosen rather than the PTA

[themummyonthebus]

Thanks! Like the Mother's/Father's Day raffles.

I think our lot are too small for discos but I'll suggest a cinema show, that could be good. I assume you rig up a projector and screen...? I'll check what equipment the school has but that could be a low cost solution.

Second hand stall is a good one too. I've already suggested the obligatory cake sale

[blueberryboybait]

We have discos, film nights, bingo, beetle drive, Christmas fair, school fete, family BBQ, We also do bags to school, where you fill bags with old clothes for recycling and they pay you be weight - we get about £450 twice a year from it. Today we have our scarecrow trail and it had better not rain on us!

[ANLBXX]

Disco's,bingo for children,bag to school,summer and Christmas Fair's, entertainer for infant's, quiz nights for grown ups,inflatable fun day. Hope that help's x

[shutitweirdo]

We do a sponsored bounce which raises loads. Kids get a minute to bounce and people count. Cakey days, summer and Xmas fayre, discos, movie night. Liking the ice lollys on hot days ideas so may nick that one.

[Beehatch]

We do a kids raffle once a year - kids at asked to bring in a themed donation (Easter, Halloween etc) costing no more than 1. These are grouped together in a 'basket' - we usually have enough for two or three per class, then kids buy raffle tickets (usually spend 1 or so).

We are registered with easy2name labels and get 20% back on all sales made in our name (we send out leaflets in book bags)

A while back we had a race night for parents in the evening, which was run by a company that organises these events. It was amazingly successful once the booze started flowing, raised about 1k!!

Plus all the other uniform, cake sales, spring fair, discos etc.

[YaMasYaDaWithAWigOn]

Our school recently had a sponsored Bad Hair Day, the children could go into school with crazy styles in exchange for a £1 donation. It raised almost £500 for a local hospital charity. Some of the styles were amazing too, a couple of the girls in the Nursery class had their hair sticking up and coured like Whos from Dr Seuss.

[YaMasYaDaWithAWigOn]

*coloured.

[JessyJames]

Race night
Christmas fair
Summer Ball
Kid's end of term activity
School uniform sales

Raised £14000 this year.

[MrsWombat]

My son goes to an infant school, and the disco is staffed by volunteer teachers as well as the PTA doing refreshments etc, so it isn't too bad. It's basically party games with a bit of dancing for an hour and 15 mins. Popcorn and squash for a snack, and the parents can buy sweet cones afterwards.

The cake stall cakes are mostly made by PTA members with food hygiene certificates but they also buy those massive trays of doughnuts from the supermarket and sell them for 50p each. They go down well and are very profitable.

[themummyonthebus]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas. Loads to discuss with the future committee.

There are a few things I don't understand (our see where the money comes from) if someone could enlighten me?

Race night: what's that?
Infant entertainer: how do you make money from that considering the hire cost?
Sponsored bounce: on a bouncy castle or hoppers?
New parents bbq/picnic: do you provide food and charge for it, or some addition money spinning idea that I've missed?

[ANLBXX]

For the infant entertainer our pta uses school hall,it is open to all infants no juniors and charge parents £3-4 they provide a drink and biscuit but easily make enough to cover hiring cost of entertainer.

[themummyonthebus]

Oh MrsWombat that doesn't sound too bad. Did you do it right after school?

[tumbletumble]

We have:

Summer fete (money spinners are the raffle, BBQ and refreshments, coconut shy, face painting, stocks (esp if you can get teachers to volunteer to go in them!), bottle / sweet / soft toy tombola (people are always happy to donate soft toys, and we ask for bottle donations on no uniform day), bouncy castle).
Xmas fair
Two school discos
Easter celebration (an Easter trail with choc egg prizes for completing it, egg tombola, guess the name of the bunny)
Curry and quiz night for the parents
100 club
Selling refreshments on sports day

[KERALA1]

The giving machine nets us £800 ish per year

[tumbletumble]

KERALA - I'm impressed. We make a lot less than that! How do you get parents to sign up and use it??

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Family camp in the school grounds
Own clothes day
Cinema evenings

[Kveta]

following this, as my DS starts reception this year, and I've somehow ended up on the PTA already.

[UnMasterChef]

DD is at an infant school, cinema night is really popular. We sell hot dogs and have bought a hot dog machine. There's a quiz night for parents, selling ice creams in the play ground, Christmas fair, leavers disco for year 2, summer fair. The big item this year was an auction of promises, we were donated some amazing stuff and raised a lot. Over the year we raised just under £20k.