Does your school put on funrasing events, what works for you?

[TeeCee]

We've got a few things lined up for 2007 inc Golf Days, Race Nights, Dinner & Dance etc and I wondered if your school does the same sort of thign and if so what has been really successful for you?

We have planned a Spring Fair
Ice Rink in Dec for the kids
Easter Coffee morning
Golf Day
International Day / Evening
An auction
Race night
Dinner & Dance
various raffles

Our two big money spinners are the fun run and the summer fete. We get sponsorship from local companies, and people not associated with the school join in so it's not all on the parents.

Oh yes of course, a quiz night thanks

Our race night went down really well actually. We ddoin't have as much interest as we would have liked but the people that did come raved about it so much that we think the next one will be even better.

ohhh a fun run is a good idea.

Our school had a christmas disco for the children, it was on saturday afternoon for the infants and saturday early evening for the juniors, my 2 dds have a fantastic time, the school sold loads of tickets and made a lot.

Yes we had a Halloween disco actually, it was a bit chaotic and not sure how much was raised int he end but think we'll probably do it again anyway.

Summer fair and Christmas fair are our big money spinners. We did the ice skaing recently btw and it was a big hit but didn't set out to do it as a fnudraiser iyswim, more a fun event for the kids.

Our school, or rather the PTA, does quite a lot. Regular end of term discos for the kids (great success); car treasure hunt last Easter (fairly succesful and apparently great fun); fashion show (using partents, children and teachers as models) at local Matalan (another great success). They have also tried to organise quiz nights and race nights for the parents, which for some reason have been stupendously unsuccesful, so much so that they have had to cancel quite a few of these due to lack of interest. I know that other schools have run such events without any problems, so I don't know why this has happened at ours. I think the PTA have decided that for us, the answer is to run events that include children and we are running a family ceilidh next month. Oh, and another surprise success was a flower arranging demonstration, which apparently was 'brilliant' according to everyone who went but I know that the PTA had to do an awful lot of hard sell to get people to buy tickets for it (probably because it sounds a lot less interesting than it obviously actually was)

Oh and we have an annual Xmas fair, which is a good money-raiser too. This includes a raffle.

Yeah the ice skating won't be a huge money spinner but we always end up0 making money when we don't mean to, like the mums night out. Somehow we made nearly £600! £160 of that was on corkage. We used the church hall, had a disco and kareoke and decorated it all but still made money!

We also do Santa letters, and a xmas shop/presents.

Thanks for those ideas bogwoppit

Can I ask more about the car treasure hunt please, how did that work, do you know?

TeeCee, I don't know a great deal about it because I didn't take part (will do this year though).
From what I've heard, it involved everyone who had bought a ticket (and I think it was per car rather than per person) turning up at the school at a pre-determined time and then being given a list of clues, which led them to particular places (or it may have been that they got a clue to lead them to the first place, where they got the clue for the next place etc, etc) and they then had to answer some kind of question or check in to prove that they arrived at each point. Does this make any sense? At the end of the whole route (and I think there were maybe about 15 - 20 locations, they returned to the school where I think food and drink (don't know exactly what) were provided.
I also know of people who have organised a walking treasure hunt, along similar lines, which was very successful too.
If you want more definite details, I can certainly try to find out for you - just let me know.

That should be fine for now, thanks very much, will let you know if I do need more info thouhg, thanks

You know this fun run idea - how did you actually raise the money. Did each runner get sponsors to do the run, is that how the money was raised?

Is that me?

Pay to enter.
Runners can get sponsorship.
Businesses sponsor mile markers.
Programme
Food/drink/band afterwards.

Big job to organise. We get hundreds of entrants, some pretty serious runners. Have to liaise with police and council about roads etc. Doctor on standby. Proper timekeeping. Drink stations en route.

You could do it on a smaller scale though.

Sorry Becku, yes it was you, thanks for that

Just seen this - our primary school PTA have just published their annual accounts. They made a profit of £14,000!!! The really big event is bonfire night - a huge event in the social diary of the neighbourhood. It involves dozens of parents. Ticket sales are supplemented by the sale of food, drink and small toys on the night.

Just come across this. We do the Christmas fair - always successful, tried Race Night for the first time in Oct - great night & successful in money terms! If your PTA is a registered charity have you tried going down the route of asking parents to ask their workplace (employers) to match any fundraising they take part in? Lots of the banks & utilities do this. Since Oct we have raised £2250 just by this method alone - with a possible additional £1200 to come in.
We need to consider some fundraising event for tspring / summer - don't know what yet!

TC, our school's biggest event was always family barbecue, on a Friday in early July - it used to clear well over £1000 (but only if the weather was OK!)

Have a look at this thread

Agree with Pamina about quiz nights too - wildly popular

Our school does barn dance in the summer, always hugely popular bringing in around £2000. With tickets, bar, ice creams, fish and chips, and the good old raffle!

Childrens bingo night, but children must be accompanied by adult. £1 for a strip to play all night ask for donations for prizes and also have a raffle as well. Kids love it. Take your own drinks and snacks - or you could sell them i suppose.

forgot to say - adults play as well but send their kids up for the prizes