Fundraising Chandler Boyd, Tim Henderson, and Kimberly Martin

Fundraising  Group discussion, What fundraisers do you remember from grade school? Which ones were your favorite? What were some positive and negative aspects to the process?  Fundraisers are important in schools:  School Budgets  Equipment  Supplies  According to a survey by the National Association of Elementary School Principles (NAESP), more than 90% of school have fundraising activities to raise extra money.  Another Nationwide survey in 2000, conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that 80% of schools (sports teams, music programs, etc.) sold food to raise money.

Fundraising is a Business  Marketing in schools is a big business.  School aged kids are a captive audience.  Schools are more “uncluttered” marketing places rather than television or the radio.  School marketing adds credibility to the company’s name and brand since students and teachers are trusted models.

Types of Fundraisers  Individual and Group Fundraising  Individual Focused activities: profits go into the individual’s account  Group Focused activities: profits go into the group’s account  Event Fundraising  School sponsored event in which profits are put into group’s account.  Continuous Fundraising  Year-round fundraising.

Types of Fundraisers  Individual and Group Fundraisers  Cheese and Sausage Sales, Candy Sales, Fresh Fruit sales, Flower sales, Lawn Services for donation, Calendars, etc.  Event Fundraisers  Car washes, silent auctions (You get entire amount! Everything is donated but you have to put on the show), Concert Gala, Benefit Dinner, and/or Gift wrapping.  Continuous Fundraisers  Market Day, Scrip, Pledge cards, Concessions, and Program Ads.  Group Discussion: Match your fundraisers to these categories!

Reflection of the School  Be mindful of what you are fundraising.  If the school is trying to limit junk food, limit the junk food fundraising as well.  How is the school being represented in this fundraiser?  Are you sponsoring only one group or the entire department?  Communicate with administration, especially if you are event fundraising.  Be sure to check administration for guidelines, expectations, or restrictions. EX. Selling raffle tickets is considered illegal gambling in some states.  Watch out for similar fundraisers throughout the school!  How often are you fundraising?  Some school advocate for a one-time pledge of X amount of dollars because the parents do not wish to fundraise.

Reflection of School  Student representation and preparation.  It would be helpful to create a script for those who are nervous but also to make sure the students are reflecting the school appropriately.  Hi my name is ____ and I am fundraising for Sunshine High School. We are trying to kick the junk food habit so please help keep us healthy by participating in our fun, calorie-free event…”  After the fundraiser, find opportunities to send “Thank you” notes to donors and parents who have helped organize it.  Delegate the responsibility for record keeping, product handing, collection of funds, and accounting in accordance with school policies.  A rule of thumb, the profit margin should be at a minimum of 40%. Especially when working with Fundraising Distribution Companies.

When choosing a fundraising company  How long has the company been in the product fundraising business?  Is a company representative available 24 hours a day?  How does the company address the question of state sales tax requirements?  What is the return policy for unsold products?  Does the company have solid references?

Promotion  Individual vs. Event Sales  Individual motivation. It is your job to promote but be sure they are being safe when selling.  Group talk, make sure to mention how it helps the school and the organization.  Make sure the pitch is indicative to what the program needs.  Event Sales  Signs to get attention, be representative of the school  Send out adds if event is far enough ahead.  Make sure to promote the school in a positive manner.

Promotion  Fundraising through concerts, calendar announcements, school newsletters, social media, flyers, and radio announcements when promoting other aspects of the program.

Works Cited  Sweet Deals: School Fundraising Can be Healthy and Profitable, Center for Science in the Public Interest  Contzius and Feldman; Instrumental Music Education: teaching with Musical and Practical in Harmony  raising-position-statement/fundraising/ raising-position-statement/fundraising/