The South...
Aug
9
2007
Raising MORE at Restaurant Nights
Thanks to Danielle for posting the list of restaurant fundraisers last Friday. There are so many places that will help schools and other groups with fundraisers.
Each restaurant chain has its own rules about how the fundraiser works. Sometimes you have to recruit a minimum number of people to the restaurant. At the Sonic most of the time the volunteers just work for tips from drive-in customers. Of course there might be some differences at each location because of franchises.
Sometimes groups don't make much at these kind of fundraisers though. Less than $100... is that really worth it? So I'm not always real excited when I hear that a group is doing one of these. I take the trouble to go and they just get pennies. Can't I just send a check?
Well I started to get more positive about restaurant nights when I saw this news article. A high school band in Michigan holds their restaurant fundraiser at Big Boy. They get a healthy 10% of sales... but the great part is that they raise more by doing other fundraisers like a raffle:
Aug
7
2007
Please, No More School Bake Sales
Everyone loves cookies, cakes and pies right? So many school groups see the school bake sale as an easy fundraiser. Actually, while it may sound like a good idea to have a bake sale, I believe it’s actually one of the worst. Find out why...
5 Reasons NOT to Have a School Bake Sale
1. Potential Funds Raised - Bake sale items are typically priced quite low. After all, you can only charge so much for a little zippy bag of cookies. Prices generally range from 50 cents to $10 for a cake. So let’s do the math, how many baked goods does your school group have to make in order to raise the money it needs? Unless you only need to raise $100 or less your group is never going to reach it’s goal with a bake sale. Why would you spend so much effort on something that produces so little results? 2. Too Much Work - Anyone who’s ever baked items for a sale (and I have) knows how much work it is. Even if you like to cook you spend all afternoon in the kitchen making cookies...
The great games of golf and the football make for a great match for the University of Hawaii booster club.
The official football booster club for the University of Hawaii football team is called Na Koa, which translates to “The Warrior.” They put on several fundraisers but one of their most popular is the golf tournament.
Even the head football coach June Jones and athletic director Herman Frazier played golf in the most recent event on July 20th. There were many football players, parents and alumni in attendance. There were some great prizes too. A Harley Davidson motorcycle prize was up for grabs if someone was lucky enough to make a hole-in-one on the 13th hole. Plus there were autographed football jerseys, helmets and football tickets, too.
Even though co-founder of the booster club, Ben Yee, was at the latest tournament he didn't play golf. The online newspaper The Garden Island quoted Yee as saying: “I’ve seen Na Koa evolve from raising $26,000 the first year to raising half a million dollars.”
Of course those funds didn't come from just the one golf tournament! Actually, the golf tournaments are so popular that the booster club has three...
A great way to bring in some needed funds with little effort is by hosting a 'restaurant fundraiser night' at local chain restaurants in your town.
Many restaurants will give a percentage of the profits from a specific evening, while others may give $1 from certain entrees ordered. The key to this event is that your group will do the promotion of the event at the restaurant on an off-night, which brings in more paying clients to the restaurant on a night when they normally would not eat out. It's a win-win situation for both the group and the restaurant.
Here's an updated list of restaurants that typically host restaurant fundraising nights. As with any franchise, it would be up to the local owners and managers. My son's Kindergarten school gave us a listing of restaurant nights for the entire year, so in some areas, these nights are highly sought after and should be scheduled well in advance.
ALSO- hosting a special event at a local 'mom n pop' restaurant or other independent or locally owned restaurant/ pub is another great idea! Don't get discouraged if you live in a small town or have no chain restaurants. The local restaurants may want to...
Aug
1
2007
Ice Cream Fundraiser
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
- Charge $1 per scoop instead of donation basis
- Charge...
Jul
26
2007
Tug for Tots Fund-raiser Benefits Youth Programs
Four determined tug-of-war teams battled it out on Saturday, July 14th in the first Tug for Tots fund-raiser. The event benefited Harmony Youth Programs.
The event was created to replace a canceled Corporate Challenge event held by the charity. Teams fought it out, but the reigning champs this year was The Integra Technologies team which won the tug-of-war event.
The Sarnia Ontario, Canada charity anticipated raising approximately $5,000 from collected pledges. Funds will go to the youth outreach programs at the South Sarnia...
Jul
24
2007
Will There Always Be a Funding Gap?
Even states that are able to fund school basic needs and even teacher salary increases still seem to need more funds.
Wyoming's mineral wealth has pushed the state into the nation's upper echelon of per-pupil school funding. The money is going largely to fund research-based initiatives that directly support student learning, such as more teachers, tutors and classroom materials. Districts can use the money as they like, but state guidelines steer them toward efforts education experts and lawmakers have determined will help boost student achievement. That means there's not necessarily more money, or enough money, for all the playground equipment, sports equipment, computers, choir trips, field trips, graduation trips and carnival nights schools want.Source: Casper Star-Tribune Today our society demands so much out of the educational system, it's not just reading, writing and arithmetic anymore. Families expect schools to provide students with learning experiences in computers, technology and college preparation just to name a few educational requirements. And that is just the educational aspect of school. Then there's athletics, band, symphony, drama, and so many other extra-curricular activities. It's no wonder that school groups continue to fundraise, even when the government does manage to provide basic funding. It is...
Jul
20
2007
Teachers – We Couldn’t Fundraise Without You!
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. ...
Jul
13
2007
Football Contest Fundraiser
Contests can be done at half time or before the football game in an effort to increase attendance and raise funds at the same time. A numbered ticket can be given to fans as they enter the gate if this is an effort just to increase attendance, or chances sold if this is a fundraiser. If used as a fundraiser, then sell tickets for several weeks before the event. A grand prize and secondary prizes are donated by local businesses. Advertisements including newspaper ads promote the event and the sponsors. Tickets are drawn at random and 1-6 contestants will get the chance to win the prizes. Contests are a fun and memorable high school football fundraiser.
Field Goals and Football Kicks - Contestants have a chance to kick a field goal for the grand prize (donated by a local business). It can be a natural field goal, through the uprights or through a two-foot target hole in a sign.
Football Tosses - Contestants try to throw a football through a target hole in a sign from various yardages for a prizes.
When it comes to high school football fundraising, with some creativity you can easily come up with a great event. Anything...
