When I was in high school, I was the vice president of the student government. I remember our officer meeting at the beginning of the year when we discussed all the "unique and creative" ways we could raise money for the school. We thought of everything from a Sadie Hawkins dance, to carnations and heart shaped suckers for valentines day, a halloween teacher costume contest, can drive,a senior class donation, and even a school wide class competition week. But, never once did it occur to me that these were all different types of fundraisers we were organizing.
It really should have, since our main goal with each venture was to raise money for the student government and the school in general. But, you know kids, we thought we were being innovative and thinking up these grand ways of bringing the school together. Though we did succeed in creating a sense of school spirit with some or most of our ideas, we never really did raise that much money. I think the most we raised was a couple thousand dollars with the school dance, but we had to subtract a pretty big chunk of that to make up for the money we spent on transforming our gym into a suitable barn for dancing.
And I remember after each one of these, being extremely disappointed. We put in so much time and effort to make these things fun, but yet we weren't getting a large return.It wasn't until after I had graduated high school and college and started my first job that it occurred to me, high school students don't want to support a billion fundraisers, no matter how well they are disguised as something else. They don't want to spend their allowances on suckers, or halloween costume contests, and their parents don't want to be asked for money every month for some "creative and innovative" way to support the school.
Multiple fundraisers just don't work.
A mistake that many parent groups and school groups make is continuously asking parents and students for money. Even when the money is going to a great cause, even when students get to attend a fun dance or school wide carnival, even when the fundraiser creates school unity, enough is enough. Parents and students are already overloaded at the beginning of school with school supply lists, class participation fees, and exctracurriculer activities. The last thing they want to worry about is a new fundraiser that they are asked to support each month.
Yes, most parents do want to help support their child's school and even get involved in the school by working with the PTA or as a room parent. But is it really fair to demand money from them month after month? It's also not right to expect parents to participate in each and every fundraiser you host. Realistically, it's just not going to happen.
That's why it's best to have only 1 main fundraiser a year. That's right, only one.
Having one fundraiser after another creates "fundraising fatigue" in parents. That's an extremely dangerous place to put parents at your school in because you run the risk little to no parent participation in your school fundraisers. Parents get the attitude of "I'll support the next fundraiser" and then end up not supporting any at all.
But, if you make it clear that you are only going to have one fundraiser for the entire year, you will increase participation. Tell parents your goal, how much money you need to raise to meet that goal, and how if every student and parent participate, meeting the goal will be easy. But if they don't participate, they won't meet the goal and there won't be another chance to meet it until next year. The closer you get to parents thinking their participation is mandatory, the more they will participate.
It's not hard to host just one fundraiser a year. By getting rid of all the smaller fundraisers (typically fundraisers that raise less than $1,000,) you increase your chance of raising more money with just one. And let's face it, your school or parent group will get a better reputation with parents. They'll realize you care about a lot of other things besides just fundraisers, and they will know you respect them and their financial
situations because you are not asking them for money time and time again.
Really, just one fundraiser a year is the smartest choice for any school.
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