Almost every elementary school in the United States will hold 1 or more elementary school fundraisers every single year. That’s a lot of fundraisers! There are more school-wide fundraisers in elementary school than there are at any other grade level. Which prompts the question, what are the best elementary school fundraising ideas? Also, how do you go about choosing them? That’s where we come in.
We are here to help. Thousand of groups started their fundraising journey right where you are now. Those groups raised more than $10,000,000 last year alone. Many of those funds were raised with elementary school fundraisers. Whether you are planning a school-wide fundraiser or need help with smaller fundraisers that are held throughout the year, we are your best resource.
On this page, we provide a starting point to locate the best fundraising ideas for you. You will see some of the most successful fundraising ideas that other elementary schools have used to raise the money they need to meet their funding goals. One of our most successful fundraising ideas for elementary schools is Welch’s Fruit Snacks.
We have attempted to include fundraising ideas that do not require any upfront money, others that offer extremely high profits and still others that have very low minimums.
If you don’t find the perfect Elementary School fundraiser on this page then we invite you to continue to browse our website to look at other fundraising ideas. Or call one of our experienced sales specialists toll-free, 866- 874-8383, and they can offer more great insights for you.
Elementary School Fundraisers Can Be Easy
If you have ever been in charge of an elementary school fundraiser, then you know that it feels slightly like being the director of controlled chaos; elementary school fundraising is not for the faint of heart. But that doesn’t have to be the case you can plan, execute, and finish a successful fundraiser at your local elementary school, with ease.
There are three main things to keep in mind.
First – think ahead. When you are in the planning process of your upcoming elementary fundraiser, consider choosing a program that will be appealing to not only those buying, but to those selling. Frozen cookie dough is a winner with everyone – children and adults alike can agree on the benefit of cookies! If it is a product that is easy to buy AND easy to sell, it will likely be a success.
Also, think ahead to how much money you need to raise. Is there a dollar amount you are reaching for; an arbitrary number, or simply as much as possible?? Make sure that the program you chose will help you reach your goal.
Second – be enthusiastic. If you want the kids to be excited, you have to be excited. And you have to be excited every time you mention it. Nobody likes a dreary salesman, including kids. Before they ever go out and try to sell the cookie dough, or flower bulbs or pizza cards, you have to sell the idea to them!
Third – repeat everything. Children tend to forget things ? even important things. So make sure that they know exactly when, where, and how they need to turn in their orders and the money they have collected. Make flyers, make announcements, make phone calls if you have to just make sure the kids are well-informed, and you are less likely to have little Johnny turn in his cookie dough money late.
So don’t be afraid the next time you hear “elementary school fundraising”. Take a deep breath, call your fundraising consultant, and start spreading the word it’s time to raise money!
Advertise Your Fundraisers on Elementary School PTO Websites
The Internet is a great way to show information about your organization and if you are going to have an elementary school PTO website, there are a number of things that you should include.
First and foremost it should include some information about the school that the PTO is associated with. Of course, you should clearly advertise all of your PTO Fundraisers on the website. The odds are that anyone visiting our website will be interested in PTO activities. So advertising PTO Fundraising programs there is essential.
Of course, there’s lots of other basic information that should be included.
In some cases where the district is very small and there is one PTO for every school, then make sure that every school is represented. It is a great idea to have a picture of the school. If this is done then you can set the site up for when someone clicks on the picture of the school, it takes them directly to the school website. Have some of the pertinent information about the school next to the picture. This can include, but by no means is limited to, the name of the school, address of the school, and the principal for the school.
Another thing to include on the PTO website is the PTO board. This should include all positions such as the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Program Coordinator to name a few. A good thing to have next to each of the positions is a way to contact that individual. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a phone number, but at least an email address would be very helpful. In this section of the website put a place where others can see how to be a part of the PTO, how to run for one of the positions, and what the membership fee is if there is one. Display when the next elections will be so that those who are interested can be prepared.
In another section of the website have the minutes for the meetings. Yes, this might be a little bit of work to keep up to date, but having this displayed will let others know exactly how the meetings went, what was voted on and what is to come in the future for the PTO.
Of course, you know that one of the major tasks of the PTO is to organize the fundraisers in order to raise money for the school. Having this displayed is very helpful. This way parents can see what is coming up. Have what fundraiser the school is going to be doing, the dates that that fundraiser will be held, and most importantly, have displayed what the money is going towards. This is a good idea for all money raised by the PTO, whether it is from the fundraisers, membership fees, or simply donations made to the PTO. The parents want to know where the money is going and how their kids will benefit.
Although anything you desire can be displayed, hopefully, what was just mentioned will be very helpful in designing your elementary school PTO website. When it comes to the parents and kids you can really never be too informative.
