What's been your PA's most and least successful fundraising events?

[alittleteapot]

Wondering if we can create a kind of fantasy PA thread cf fantasy football! What are the best elements at creating a buzzing and financially useful events calendar for the school year.

To kick off, tea towels, xmas cards and calendars.

Xmas Fair and Summer Fair - but what stalls work best? Are bouncy castles worth hiring?

Various cake sales.

Evening events - quiz night etc?

Involving local businesses - what's the best way of doing this?

Be lovely to hear your thoughts!

bacon - our main summer and Christmas raffles have cash prizes (150, 75, 25 or something) paid out of proceeds. We ask for donations of prizes from the stall holders we book to attend the fairs, so also get small craft / jewellery / jams and sweets / candles stuff. Then we buy a couple of bottles to top up if we haven't had any other decent donations. For raffles at events we ask for donations but I'm thinking we might need to buy a few bottles for the next quiz night as we haven't put out the request early enough. I look out for 25% off 6 bottles (if none at supermarket I've bought from Waitrose Wine Direct as they are on easyfundraising so also get small percentage donation back!).

thisonehasalittlecar - we spent loads of time reading ncpta guidance and picking the headteachers' brains about licences for film night. Our conclusion was that if you charge for the film you need a licence (not certain, but that was our understanding). Therefore the letter we send to parents says we are showing a film, all year 3 & 4 welcome but need to know attendees for H&S reasons, no charge for the film but a small charge of £2.50 is payable for refreshments and a raffle ticket. Our Juniors HT is quite a stickler but is happy with this so think we're alright.

On the getting people involved front, we saw a big increase in the number of people helping when we asked them to choose a specific time slot e.g. for the summer fair, choice of set up 9-11, run a stall 11-12.30 or 12.30-2, clear up 2-3.30. If you have a list of jobs then break it down further.

People are afraid to say yes to a general "will you help at the fair" sometimes as they imagine giving up their whole day - breaking it down makes it seem more manageable, and has the bonus that some people will come to set up then stay anyway.

bacon - sorry missed your other question about local businesses. We enlisted someone's mum (has run Guides for years, worked in a school, happy to talk to anyone) to go round local shops and ask if they'd like to advertise in programme, or donate a prize.

Had about 10 takers for adverts (price range £10-£25) and most of them also donated stuff (including a chemist that was closing for refurb that donated loads of old stock of gift stuff). The local high street has about 30 businesses so it was worth asking.

You could put out a request for a parent or two to do this - there might be parents who would be happy to go out and ask businesses, even if they can't help at events or come to meetings.

Horopu I think we have 'whack the rat' here...

We also do a talent night at juniors. The kids can do anything they want - dancing, singing, stand up, diablo display, piano etc. They volunteer & we run it as xxxxxx's Got Talent.

3 judges watch all acts & then award various category prizes at end. Charge £4 to come & watch, £2 each act to enter. Kids watching cheer everyone, however good or bad they are & there are no overheads so it's a good earner but more importantly all the kids love it

One of our school favourites is the Whole School sleepover. The children bring their blow up beds and sleeping bags and all sleep together in the hall. They come at 6 after tea, they play, have popcorn and hot chocolate, then watch a movie before going to sleep ( haha!) We provide toast and juice in the morning and parents pick them up by 8.30. Last year we had 60 children ( out of 80 possibles) from Yr 1 to Yr 6 and charge £5 per child.

Christmas/ Easter hamper raffles. Mufti day is held in Nov/ Feb and each child brings something you'd want in a Christmas hamper/ Chocolate.

PTA makes up to 19 hampers and raffles them off!

wow, I'm very impressed on what I have read. Seems to me the system is well run for many. May have to mention a few of these at the next meeting (fall on deaf ears me thinks).

Thanks everyone, great advice. Now to get cracking!