Best fund-raising solutions for school PTAs......?

[NormaSnorks]

Our PTA desperately needs to raise more cash for some essential works at the school which are unexpected.

Problem is, I think the existing members are rather stuck in a rut with regard to fund-raising, and just keep churning out 'more of the same' ideas (fairs, events, items) which basically involve the same 'core' parents buying/ sponsoring/ donating.

I want to find some examples of successful and more innovative fund-raising initiatives for schools.

So far, I've been thinking about:

• asking for people's unused items to sell on eBay under a 'school' ID name
• searching down former celebrity/ successful pupils and asking for donations
• using school premises to raise money e.g. by letting rooms in the evening etc
• offering Mums/ kids to research agencies to conduct product research (for a fee, of course)

Does anyone have any experience, or links to good sites for suggestions?

[OrlandoTheMarmaladeCat]

We're just looking into Bag for School, something to do with collecting secondhand clothes and a percentage goes to the school. Not sure of the ethics though of it so be careful (think they might sell clothes to Eastern Europe rather than donate).

Just had a fashion show with good high street names surplus stock modelled by staff and pupils, it did very well and was attended by a wider range of parents than we expected. Not just the usuals!

We're writing to charitable trusts and grant giving organisations for funds for specific things, ie Foyles for funding library update etc.

20p line - ie see how many 20ps can be saved up and then put in a line snaking around the hall.

Other than that, we've got things like quiz nights, film nights, easter disco, summer family picnic and the same old, same old....

Apparently if you join the NCPTA they're very good for ideas as well. I think there is a small membership fee but it might be worth it?

[amynnixmum]

Sparkler told me that their school did a sleepover for all the kids. Basically they paid money to have a sleepover at school to raise money.

[cleaninglady]

Non-Uniform day always goes down well at ours - £1.00 per child - especially if it has a theme! Doing red or bed non uniform day next week for comic relief - Wear red or come in your PJ's !! kids love it !! NCPTA not bad and costs £85.00 per year - I have just joined our school so will have a look see if anything jumps out as a good idea! Also doing an Ice Cream Parlour next month so serving ice cream cones after school - just call me Mr Whippy

[Balls]

Our old school used to do a cakebake each Friday as the kids came out of school, with each class taking turns each week to be responsible for the cakes and manning the stall. This was quite a money spinner, brining in c. £100 per week from a school of about 400 pupils. The PTA fixed standard pricing ie 5 small items for £1 (20p small item). Can't remember what they charged for a whole cake.

Also a lottery each week.

I've often wondered about getting local business and personal sponsors for individual items with a little plaque on it eg this playhouse was donated by X local timber yard

[LilyLoo]

Our school did an auction of promises. Got local buisness people to donate things and held auction night went to highest bidder. Was v.successful .

[Mae1]

NormaSnorks are you a registered charity? If so, any fundraising you do (eg a fair or a raffle) - the money raised can be matched by lots of banks & utility businesses - if you have an employee of one these as a parent in school. If that parent helps you out in your fundraising event they can then ask their employer to match the funds made. So far this school year we've had £3k from matched funding - that's the TOTAL amount we made in the previous year !!!!!!!!! It's worth considering. Good luck.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[Skribble]

What about a regular healthy tuck shop, where the senior kids can get involved in orgainising it eg ordering, accounts, sales, baking muffins etc. Get in touch with local grocers or farms for good deals on fruit etc in exchange for good publicity via press releases and school news letters. Similar to balls idea really, and it gives a regular income rather than just a one off.

[shouldbedoingsomethingelse]

another good fundraising idea is affiliated shopping. We use (www.easyfundraising.org.uk) you register your school on the site and any parents can do their online shopping from clicking on links through the fundraising site and the school gets a % of the total value of orders.

They offer a referral programme for organisations(schools) joining too so if anyone is interested in this I would be glad to refer them. C A T me with your email address and I'll send you an email that will explain it all a lot better than I can and my kids school will get raise funds from the referral scheme. It doesnt take any money away from your school.

It really is simple the hardest part is remembering to go on to the fundraising site first.

For Example. I ordered my printer ink from a link on the fundraising site and my school gets nearly £5. Easy money for them

There are 100's of well known firms (next, Boden, amazon, avon, toyrus, elc, the entertainer, the book people, going places, insurance firms. etc)

We are doing the bags 2 schools scheme this month for the first time. I will let you know how it goes.

[julienetmum]

As a parent the think I look forward to the most (cause it saves me money) is the school uniform swop shop.

People donate their outgrown school uniform, everything from fleeces down to PE shorts and the Friends Association sell them at approx a thirs of the new price.

You have to get there early to get the best stuff!

[Skribble]

Seconf hand uniform shop is a great idea, I have lots of out grown school logo jumpers and a school jacket, no charity shop in the town and not much point in handing them into a shop in town as not many mums from the school will find them. I could sell them through an add in the local shop , but I would rather hand them into the school and let them sell them on for profit for the school.

[jamiesonel]

There is a website www.envirofone.com who take your recycled mobile phones and pay you money for them. Also, ask local companies to donate stuff - we do it all the time.

[kaz33]

Abel & Cole fruit & veg

www.abelandcole.co.uk/AboutUs.aspx?menu1=13

Easyfundraising



Auction of promises - our biggest ever fundraiser. We raised a stonking £3,500 the first time and a breathtaking £8,500 the second time we did it. If anyone is interested I can email our brochure which has loads of great ideas and admin/legal/techincal stuff in it.

Cake sale every friday after school. We do about £100 a week.

[kaz33]

www.easyfundraising.org.uk/referral/1852

[MrsFogi]

NS - check out this site www.angeltrain.co.uk - you could register the school if it's not there already.

[nerdgirl]

Our school does a copper trail on the first Friday of the month. Brings in an average of 1 euro per child.

[MrsFogi]

sorry one handed typing so not v efficient with dd2 on lap shoulod have sauid as well that if you contact them and ask they can email all the parents for you

[sophiewd]

Our local schools do this a lot and raise a fairly large amount of money. This lot covers a wide area in South of England, don't know where you are

www.jasfashionshows.co.uk/

[sophiewd]

www.travellingtrends.com/

Sorry these are the ones that I have seen, they have fantastic designer and high street clothes at big discounts

[39andcounting]

Kaz33 would be very interested in looking at your brochure. Looking to do an auction soon at our school.

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

Dds primary raised £300+ very recently with very little effort. Every child painted a picture. These were arranged as wall display for parents' day. Captive parents led past pictures to interviewing teacher's desk which held class list, sheet of red stickers, jam jar of cash. 'These pictures are all for sale,' says teacher, wiggling jam jar about. 'Three quid each (think what they would be framed). If you chose to buy your child's to add to the 10 million you already possess at home, please put the cash in the jam jar now and stick a sticker on it on the way out. Since they are clearly labelled with artists name we will be able to tell the tight-fisted-child-humiliating-parents from the normal humanes no problem at all. Have you had any worries about dd this term? Do you believe in fairies/SATS/sending in wine for teachers at Christmas? What do you think of the latest pay offer for teachers. Do you really want change for that £10 note? If so I will arrange with the secretary to send it home with dd sometime in the distant future when she gets back from maternity leave.'

Forget cake bakes and auctions. Go for emotional blackmail.

[kaz33]

39andcounting - my email is [email protected]

Email me and I will send you a proof of our programme.