Can we share ideas on PTA fundraising in secondary schools?

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Just wondering what everyone does to raise money.
-We have a Christmas Fair, which this year we did on a Friday after school 3.30- 7, so we amed it very much at the girls (esp yr 7,8 and 9- never much interest in the other years!)
-sell Christmas trees
-Spring raffle- 2 books of tickets given to all the girls in yr 7, 8 and 9 to sell
-stall/tombola at local community wwwk

We've held quiz nights for a more social evening, but it's the same old people ofcourse.
At the yr 7 parents evening next month, we hope to get a few more interested- does anyone have any good money spinners in their school?
And lack of interest from the staff is a problem, in terms of motivating the girls to return raffle tickets(we have prizes for the tutor groups). Yet they've always got a long wish list for us every year!

I'm not on the PTA committee but as a parent I know our PTA has a German beerfest evening every couple of years which does well. Beer, German themed eveing with band and food.

Wine tasting for new parents but it didn't seem very well attended.

Credit card linked to school PTA.

Monthly donation scheme.

Dancing lessons (salsa)

Valentine's Day ball at a local hotel (Dinner dance)

Staff/parents cricker match.

Other fund raising is more linked to specific events/trips so we've had auctions for charity, quizzes, hambuger stall at local Bonfire Night bash, coconut shy at village Christmas Fayre.

As well as smaller one off events like fashion shows we have an annual black tie summer ball and a Motor Show (huge event that all the car clubs come to show off at with bbq/bouncy castles/beer tent) lots of people who are nothing to do with the school come to that but I wouldn't fancy organising it!

Our PTA organises a Christmas Fair and a Summer Fair (held in May, before exams start). These are both on a Saturday afternoon. A raffle (books of tickets sent home to parents) is drawn at each Fair.

As well as stalls run by the PTA, the pupils can run their own - we usually get quite a few yr 7/8 stalls at Christmas (approx 25-30), but not many in summer. Pupils stalls don't make much money, but they get customers in for the big earners (food/drink stalls, bottle tombola, plant stall, other raffle/tombola stalls).(But it's a catholic school so drink & gambling always goes down well!)

The 6th formers are also specifically asked to help with setting up/clearing away etc.

The key problem has been getting donations in (as parents do not generally bring their children to the school, and may be reluctant to send teenage kids on school bus with bottles of drink) - however last time the school sent a reminder text to all parents & we got loads of stuff.

Other events we do are an Autumn ball (black tie at a local hotel), Quiz night and Golf day.

The quiz night is very popular (over 200 people), but it has taken a few years to get there.

The golf day is organised by the headmaster (keen golfer)

The Autumn ball always seems to get the same group of supporters - but they are v keen so we always get asked to put it on again the next year.

We also run a 400 club - with prizes drawn 3 times a year (at the Fairs & Quiz night).

We hold a Christmas/Craft Fayre which isn't particularly aimed at pupils or parents although of course some do attend. It's mainly the craft fayre enthusiasts and members of the public looking for Chirstmas presents who come along. We have about 20 external craft stalls but also run a few stalls ourselves (tombola/book stall etc) and make quite a bit on refreshments.

They have also had a couple of themed meal nights - medieval banquet and a 1940s evening and will run a barn dance next term.

Quiz nights work well but a promises auction had to be cancelled due to lack of interest.

We also have direct debit for donataions (raises over £5000/annum) and try to get Gift Aid.

Used to do weekly car boot sales but local residents got upset and we had to stop.

Our school has a few evenings for year 6 pupils and parents to come in and meet their new form tutor, everyone gets given an appointment and comes along.

The PTA sell three times as many raffle tickets on those evenings than in the rest of the school put together - prospective parents are always keener.

Our PTA also runs a cash bar at many school events and makes a lot of money from that.

Oohhh, I like the idea of a raffle for prospective parents - what kind of prize do you offer mrspnut?

It's our summer draw - open to all and drawn at what ever summer event we're holding.

This years top prize is an Acer Netbook, last year it was an ipod touch and the year before it was a Wii.

It does make about £1000 profit each year.

Greenshadow- I like that too.
Get them while they're keen.
Thank you for all suggestions- we're going to get together with local high school PFA'S in autumn to see what works- share ideas/resources.

Hi,

A school in Chester used us to raise money through a "crowdfunding" website - www.peoplefund.it

They raised £5,000 and built a solar powered outdoor classroom!

www.peoplefund.it/the-hive-upton/

It's really easy to set up and schools/PTAs can reach everyone online - even passing millionaires!!

Message me if you want any help with it.

Simon

ds's school run a 50:50 club
You set up a standing order for £1 a month, and half of amount raised is given in prizes and 1/2 goes into PTA funds.
If you get to the parents at the induction evenings before the child comes into the school, then you get a very high take up, but the key is to get it set up with a standing order. It's then too small an amount to ever get round to cancelling, so people just let it run. Just think, even if you only got 100 to sign up in each year, and even if everyone cancelled the standing orders at the end of Yr11 (they don't), you would be getting £500 in, so £250 paid out in prizes (say, 1 x £100, 2 x £50, and 5 x £10) you are still getting £250 per month, as a regular thing, into the pot, without too much work once it's set up in the first place.

The school my dc attend doesn't have a PTA but they raise additional funds through the type of 50/50 club mentioned above (information and a SO mandate goes out with the Y7 induction pack), plus termly discos for the lower school supervised by teachers and sixth formers. I think it's £3 per ticket and they must sell 300+ tickets. The only cost is for the DJ, soft drinks are available to buy. Seems very popular.

Yes, 50:50 club is a good idea and the"getting to them at the induction evening" is exactly what happened to me!!

Other than that the only fundraising our does is occasional quiz nights.

anyone used yourfundraisinggiftshop.com for secondary schools? Just wondered what the quality of the gifts is like and what experience others had. Hoping not to be left with unsold gifts!!

We used yourfundraisinggiftshop.com last Mother's Day and it was really popular. We ran the shop all week at lunch time and advertised it around school the week before, we also got some of the year 11's to run the shop (which saved on the volunteers). It went down really well and we sold most of the stuff. We had about 35 items left which we returned for a refund. We are going to do again this Mother's Day.

Where I used to work, a middle school, the upper school had a novel way of raising money for their PTA. Each family was asked in September to send in a cheque for £20.

That was it, no further anything all year! No events run by the PTA. (the children had discos etc, but organised by the school with money going to charity)

Our school doesn't really have a PTA but fundraising is done for specific projects or items. The result is we do fewer but bigger events. Black tie dinner with speaker, auction, dancing etc raised over £6000 but did take A LOT of organising! Race nights have been successful too and are quite easy to arrange.