Any experience of setting up a regular giving scheme to support a state primary school?

[Quangle]

Like everyone, our school is seeing cuts coming down the line and there are some parents who are willing and able to give on a regular basis but the infrastructure isn't there. We have a PTA obviously, and have registered for gift aid etc, but we were thinking of doing more and setting up some sort of "friends of..." arrangement where people would sign up to give by DD whatever they could (or nothing). I could give £20 a month and I'm sure others could give more and then for some £1 a month would be as much as they could do.

We're a relatively small school but if we could get the majority of parents to sign up for a small sum, but regularly, it could really help. Unfortunately this would have to be in addition to the current voluntary donations such as the governors' fund.

I thought if we set up a page (a JustGiving page maybe??) we could build some momentum around it.

Just wondering if anyone has done this and if so, what works and what doesn't.

[mikkii]

Ok, as I understand it, there are charges with just giving.

direct debits can only be generated if you are registered. Standing orders are easier as the donor I instigates them.

One word of caution, whilst you may be ble o afford more, some parents may not. At the moment I have friends struggling to pay for the basics, like food and utilities. Be sensitive about how you request additional funds.

I have just raised £50 for the school/church by agreeing to have an estate agents board outside the house for 3 weeks to advertise the summer fair. Think outside the box

[Quangle]

Thank you Mikkii. I do agree about people who can't afford it. I can afford it and even then, the passive aggressive letters about the governors' fund get on my nerves. I know we have a group of ten parents in one class who would be willing to start something and then we'll see how it goes from there.

I'd guess there are ten easy wins in every class in the school and ten who might and ten who would struggle. Increasingly our school has a wealthy middle class profile because it's extremely high achieving so other families are being crowded out. Not good in itself but that is increasingly our demographic.