Many schools across the US participate in the Box Tops for Education program. Usually parents just clip the little coupons from the top of the boxes and and drop them off at the school.

One of the drawbacks to the program is that at just a few cents each, it takes a lot of box tops to raise much money.  But with a little creativity those box tops really can add up.   Seniors at an adult health center in New Jersey decided they could help.  Several times a week members meet together and spend time clipping the box tops.   It makes for a great activity for the seniors and helps local schools too.

Box Tops are dropped off at the Center by local area residents; two local retailers also host collection sites. Every few months, the stores transfer the collected packaging or Box Tops to the Health Center, where care-givers organize sessions to “rip and clip.”

“This model would work well in almost any community,” said Box Tops for Education Senior Promotion Planner Lisa Kessel. “Box Tops can also be collected from products used right in care centers, including food items, Hefty® paper tableware and personal care products like Kleenex® tissues and Depend® items.”

Read more about this Box Tops Success Story

With school out and the weather heating up, parents are eager for kid-friendly summer activities. Popcorn and cotton candy machines offer a unique way for parents, church groups and nonprofits to channel kids’ youthful energy and idle days into winning fundraisers.According to Benjamin Cohen at Liquidation Connect, cotton candy and popcorn machines work well at fundraisers held in conjunction with seasonal events.

“Cotton candy machines, popcorn makers and hot dog grillers are extremely popular at outdoor summer picnics or indoor summer carnivals,” said Cohen. “It’s a tried and true method to raise funds for youth groups, charity, churches, disease research, sports clubs and more.”

According to fundraisinghelp.com, kids do especially well raising money with freshly popped popcorn because it’s a treat they like themselves and customers see it as a healthy snack. With a popcorn machine, youth groups can successfully brave high-traffic retail locations, such as Wal-Mart stores and shopping malls.

Organizations that purchase popcorn and cotton candy machines will get a lot of fundraising bang for their buck as the margins are huge. A typical cotton candy cone costs just $0.15 to make but sells for $2-$3. The machines can be used throughout the year at sporting events, bake sales and celebrations to raise money or attract visitors to a booth or special occasion.

Some tips for community fundraisers:

• Set fundraiser goals and plan strategies well in advance.
• Be sure to schedule plenty of volunteers and alternates for each fundraising shift.
• Motivate kids and parents alike by sharing goals and offering incentives.

Instead of planning another car wash or dunking booth, tempt contributors with something that appeals to their senses. To get more fundraising concession ideas, call 800-657-1668, or visit Liquidation Connect to purchase a cotton candy or popcorn machine reseller package and sweeten your next fundraising event. About Liquidation Connect

Since opening its virtual doors in 2005, Liquidationconnect.com has earned a reputation for providing fun, unique products. Liquidation Connect deals directly with the manufacturers and distributors to deliver the highest quality products at the lowest prices. They’re proud to offer amazing gift items at affordable prices for families and fundraising organizations.

Have you heard of the head shave fundraiser? It’s a challenge where a teacher or other adult challenges kids to meet a certain fundraising goal. If the goal is met then someone gets his head shaved. Kids and teens love this challenge since they like to see teachers humbled a bit and find the whole thing pretty funny.

A band director in New Haven, Connecticut put his full head of hair on the line to challenge students to raise funds for uniforms. The New Haven Independent School District reported that:

the campaign to raise $4,000 for the first-ever band uniforms for the John S. Martinez “Dragons” was not progressing as swiftly as anticipated. (Proceeds from the production of Annie are also raising money for the same purpose.) So 20 days ago Collette turned to his young instrumentalists and said, “Kids, if you raise $2,000 in 20 days, I’ll shave off all my hair for the role of Daddy Warbucks.”

So did the kids raise the funds? You bet they did! And Mr. Collette had to make good on his promise.

An ice cream social is a fun way to raise money for your school or sports team and build community spirit at the same time. Volunteers donate  homemade or store bought ice cream for this event.  Each year the youth group at church does this ice cream social fundraiser  during intermission at its summer musical program and it’s always a hit.

Approximately 4-5 tables are set up with 2 or 3 kinds of ice cream at each table and volunteers at each table to serve. The homemade is usually the most popular, but there’s also store bought too. Small styrofoam coffee cups are used to serve one scoop of ice cream each. A donation jar is placed at each table, so people can leave whatever donation they feel like. Many people come back for more than one scoop and add donations when they do.

There are many places that an ice cream booth would be successful:

• School play or musical performance (at intermission or after the show)
• Fall festival or school fair
• Chamber of Commerce Mixer
• Social event after a regular organization meeting
• At a sports game
• After a school pep rally

Variations:

1. Charge $1 per scoop instead of donation basis
2. Charge a flat fee for entry, usually $3-5, and serve smaller portions of ice cream. Give people who paid a wrist band or necklace to show booth volunteers that they have paid.

It works best to have this fundraiser during an already planned event, where people are already gathered. Many people love ice cream so this can be a great fundraiser.

Teachers are often so important when it comes to fundraising for schools and school groups!

Teachers and activity leaders like band directors, coaches and sponsors are often the ones who are looking for fundraisers. The teachers are often the ones who keep track of orders, distribute candy for sales and keep students motivated. Even when the parent led group or booster club plans a fundraiser, it just would not be possible without the teachers!

Here’s 5 Tips for Teachers When it Comes to Fundraising

1. When thinking about choosing a new fundraiser, think about the ones that your group has done in the past that the students and parents really got excited about (and that worked!) . Then you are more likely to get more volunteer help!

2. Get “buy in” from the principal, parents and other decision makers. This one is a must! Make sure those who are in authority, and those who would be likely to volunteer for your fundraiser agree with the type and timing of the fundraising program.

3. Plan ahead! Easier said than done, right? Well if you can start planning in the spring for fall’s fundraisers you’ll be one step ahead of the game. If you haven’t planned ahead be realistic about how much time a particular fundraiser will take. Events usually take several months to plan… product sales can usually be done and overwith in just a few weeks.

4. Empower volunteers…there’s nothing worse for a parent than volunteering and then feeling useless! Find out what abilities and time availability your volunteers have and tailor assignments accordingly. And really, don’t fall into the perfectionist trap of thinking you have to do all the decorating, cooking, planning, etc. yourself!

5. Check out websites that have tips for managing your fundraisers…

• Volunteer Power has great ideas for managing and motivating volunteers
• K-12 Funding News has a variety of resources for teachers
• PTO Ideas has ideas just for parent teacher groups
• Super Fundraiser matching service can cut your fundraiser search time in half!

Thank you, teachers, for all you do!

A school bookfair can be a great way to earn much-needed funds for educational programs. A school bookfair can also help your students and families create home libraries of books that they will enjoy. It is also a terrific way to build your classroom or school libraries.

There are many benefits to hosting a school bookfair. Most importantly, it encourages children to read books that they will enjoy for fun and pleasure and the joy of learning. A bookfair can also be a wonderful opportunity to develop a larger library of books for your school or classroom library through encouraging classroom or school donations.

A school bookfair generates community participation and interest on many levels, as children of all ages will show interest in reading. Finally, a school bookfair is a great way to raise funds for its school while also encouraging learning in a fun and interesting way.

The Scholastic company helps elementary and middle schools host bookfairs. If you host a Scholastic bookfair your school can earn cash, books, reward bonuses or Instructional Resource Catalog Profits (vouchers to select educational tools or books).

Scholastic Bookfair offers instructional guides to show you step by step how to manage your school bookfair. These guides cover every topic you can think of, and all that you need is at your fingertips. The guides help you to save time and they show you what other schools have done to be successful. There is a guide for Families, for the Principal, for the Librarian and for Teachers. Each guide offers specific and valuable resources that will help these families, professionals and educators make the most of the bookfair for their school.

Your school bookfair can also include other activities and school fundraisers to make the day more fun.  No matter what options you choose, you will certainly benefit your school in every way simply by holding the bookfair.

Even though high school football season is months away, it’s time to start now when it comes to planning for fundraisers.

High school football boosters are some of the most dedicated volunteers. Many parents have been supporting their children in sports activities since elementary school youth sports. They are often excited for their kids to be playing sports at the high school level and are dedicated football booster club members.

Concession stands are one of the most popular ways that football booster clubs raise funds. Most spectators want to purchase food and drinks at the games anyway, so this is a matter of giving people what they really want. Often the lines at the football game concession stand can be very long indeed!

If another organization is in charge of the concession stand, football boosters can work with them to man the booth and split the profits. Otherwise, with the support of the other organizations, they can host their own small booth once or twice during the season.

Another popular fundraising idea for football boosters is the sale of spirit items. These are items that school team fans can buy, wear or use to show their support. T-shirts, stadium seats, noisemakers and buttons are just a few of the popular spirit items. These items are sold at pep rallies, through fliers sent home with students and at the games.

These are just two of the many fundraising options that school athletic booster clubs can choose. Groups should evaluate all of the options to find the most effective and profitable fundraiser for their school.

Every year many school groups such as PTO, booster clubs, and other groups need to plan fundraisers to keep providing excellent learning and extra curricular opportunities for students.

When your group is looking at different fundraising options, consider the following questions to evaluate whether it will be a good fundraiser for you or not.

1. Is the fundraiser a good match for our school?

The type of fundraising program your school group chooses should be consistent with a positive learning environment.  It should also be a good match for the interests and background of people in your community. Consider what type of event or fundraising program will generate the most excitement in your students and their families.

2. What are the costs associated with this fundraiser?

Fundraising programs such as sales and events can have significant costs associated with them.  Before committing to a particular fundraiser, create a rough projection of expenses and income.  Are there expenses that can be underwritten by sponsors or donated?

3. Do we have the volunteer power needed for this fundraiser?

Consider how many staff and volunteer hours it will take to organize and hold the fundraising program you are considering.  Is there a core group of volunteers that you can count on to make this work?  Can you reach out to a broader network of people who could each contribute for just an hour or so?

4. Will the costs and work involved produce significant revenue?

Based on your answers to questions 2 and 3, will the fundraising program produce significant revenue compared to the cost and work required?  Will this fundraising drive produce a significant portion of the funds needed for your year?  If not, consider how many other fundraisers will be needed in order to reach your goal.

5. How will this fundraiser impact our future fundraising programs?

A negative fundraising experience can decrease your audience desire to participate in future fund drives.  On the other hand a fundraising program that goes well can build momentum with increased results the following year.  Always consider what is best for your students, parents and community and how the fundraiser fits into the schools long term objectives.

There are a variety of independent fundraisers going on in a given community at any one time. If your fundraiser overlaps with another’s, your group’s fundraising success could be in jeaporady. You definitely don’t want to try to do a candy fundraiser during Girl Scout Cookie Time!

This is espcially true for schools. Getting your school group’s plans onto a central calendar will help make sure that there are no overlaps. It also helps publicize your fundraiser in advance.

An Illinois school recently decided to go one step further and put its fundraising calendar online:

Last week, the school board approved an online fundraising calendar. Superintendent Marvin Warner said the calendar will be open to the public, so businesses can check to make sure it is supported and sanctioned by the school.

“We’ve had a little trouble in the past, not a big problem, but it happens occasionally,” Warner said. “More importantly, the calendar allows people to know what’s coming. You can’t support everything, but you’ll know what to expect.”

The calendar will include any fundraiser sanctioned by Highland schools, parent-teacher organizations and booster clubs. There will be procedures for getting fundraisers approved and put on the calendar, which will include documentation of the cost and profit for the event. Warner said that will be a “better tracking mechanism” to monitor school fundraisers.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat

When raising funds for any group, finding a good match between the organization and the type of fundraiser is crucial. A program that is in harmony with the mission of the organization and preferences of supporters will result in higher fundraising success.

A recent gala held to support the School for the Creative and Performing Arts is a great example. Items up for bid at the auction included items related to the arts, a clear link between the fundraiser and the mission of the organization.

The Les Paul Studio guitar was donated by Gibson Guitars and was signed by rock artist Peter Frampton, who served as honorary chairman of the event along with his wife, Tina.

The Les Paul guitar was a symbol of what the famous guitarist contributed to American jazz, not only as a performer but through the development of modern electric instruments and recording techniques.

The guitar sold for $8,000, said Judy Recker, chairwoman of the Fur Ball.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

Of course many people who attended the event were likely musicians or other people who are strong supporters of arts education.  This is a good example of matching the group with an appropriate fundraising strategy.