So often people will say “Oh that’s a good idea” but when it comes to them actually helping out, they’re nowhere to be found. Some people are just lazy and will always let other people do all the work. I’d suggest a form going out to parents, asking what they would like to see as fundraising ideas, and what they’d be prepared to help out with. Maybe try organizing a Monster Garage Sale, and promote it to parents as a way for them to get rid of stuff they don’t want, while the profits go towards the school fundraising.

I hope you have more success

Having a competion would get more people to donate

maybe there needs to be more consultation – I wonder if there is a way you could do a survey to see what the parents say directly

maybe ask what the parents and the kids would be interested in – whether it be books or seeds etc. of course it is also important to explain how important the funding is and what it goes towards

I’ll be following this post I am the only parent at our school interested in organising the fundraising and am not getting much support. It is so hard to know how or what to do to get the support up!

I find that book fundraisers always do well at schools and child care centres. A great way to encourage kids to read too and for parents to get birthday/Christmas gifts for children.

• • 
  • • hopefullyheidi replied
    • 12 Apr 2014 , 1:21 pm

  ---

  Books I find are always a great idea. I’m a big one for not being able to help myself when I see those Lifetimes Distributors collections at different places.

Why not survey the parents rather than the kids?

Our school has had success with
-Popcorn & icy poles for sale for $1 on wed & fri every week.
-A fete once a year, a couple of rides (wristbands for unlimited rides were $20 or $25 can’t remember) lots of stalls & donated goods eg; food, lucky jars (donated jars filled with random things lollies, toys etc, you buy a raffle ticket & get the jar that matches), trash and treasure, auctions.
-Friday nights at the local rollerskating rink, the kids love it.
-Mothers Day lunch (Mum and Nannas get 3 course meal served by kids for $15 a head) & Fathers day breakfast ($7 ea for Dads, Grandpas and kids for bacon & egg sandwich & drink) These days are really popular and everyone loves getting involved, the grandparents also look forward to it every year.
– For a gold coin donation they have done – Casual clothes day, wear PJ’s to school day, Crazy hair day & Football/NRL day – wear your teams colours or jumpers & they get a sausage sizzle & drink for lunch for $3

The parents club at our school is fantastic and they work so hard to keep it interesting and fun for the parents and kids. Sounds like you’re doing a great job already, hope this helps

It always helps when parents know where you intend to spend the money (such as new Ipads or play equipment), but you can’t make people get involved. Have you considered getting surrounding businesses involved? My old school gave all the parents a loyalty card for selected businesses and whenever we bought anything such as coffee, we’d just show our card and at the end of the year, a percentage of all those sales would get donated back to the school. It ensured that the parents chose to support those particular businesses, but didn’t spend any money they wouldn’t normally have spent and the businesses won too.

Maybe it would help to know what the money would go towards (like sports equipment etc) and let parents know that even just by contributing $5 you’d be able to reach your goal. We did this recently at my daughter’s playgroup (was a lolly one) and just between grandparents and my brother we got a good amount of money raised.

Throw a party or something and have them contribute. You get to spend time with families and doing fund rising at the same time!

You could try doing a survey and asking families what types of fundraising activities they would be interested in.

could you have a family day at school and get to know some mums.

I have the same problem at school, sports groups etc. It’s the same when asking for volunteers, people need to contribute more to society both with their time and money.

i have no idea. we have the same problem at our school

It can be difficult. To be honest, if there was a fundraising event around my place, I myself wouldnt even take part… I just cannot bring myself up to go with it

it is hard no days to sell alot of things as people are on such tight budgets and things like chocolates and pies you can buy alot cheaper shopping. People get so over alot of the raffle tickets and sponsor thing as we live rural we have our whole street that comes to the door with the same thing around 17 children all within 2 days so we do the first one and that is it as we do not have a money tree to be able to do for all of them. When mine have these things we buy the book of tickets and so forth ask Nanny and family but that is it as we also do not like our kids going door to door these days. Look at thing every day people can afford to buy and I am sorry but as for sponsoring it would be cheaper to buy the kid the prize they would get. Sorry seems I am not that much help. Stalls always have been a winner.