Unique School Fundraising Ideas

unique school fundraisers for new jersey schools

Unique School Fundraisers

Fundraising Ideas for Any Grade Level

It may be early for the holidays, but school fundraising can happen any time of the year and shouldn’t be put off until just winter. When trying to raise money for various programs and a bright new school year for both faculty and staff, taking advantage of fundraising for every season can be the most beneficial way to go.

School fundraising is great all year round and can utilize a host of different school christmas shop ideas. If you’re looking for unique school fundraisers in New Jersey, companies like Kids Kastle cater to every grade level with creative school fundraising ideas. Some of the best school fundraisers are those that are simple and unique to your area, and a company based in your location can help recommend the most successful fundraisers they have helped to host.

Here are just a few holiday gift shop fundraisers that you can tweak to your liking or use as is. Whatever you choose, remember that school fundraising is supposed to be fun, and the best school fundraisers usually involve the entire school as much as possible to maximize the fun and to make the students and faculty realize that this will have an impact on everyone.

unique school fundraisers for new jersey schools

Cookie Dough Fundraisers are a Tasty Idea

Is it making your stomach growl and your mouth water already? A Cookie Dough Fundraiser could be held in a couple of different ways, but the preferred method is to sell homemade dough that can be specially made for each individual order.

It’s a lot of work to be certain, but with dedicated and capable workers and volunteers for a good cause, this could work, and be a sweet treat that could earn a lot of goodwill in the community and for the school. If homemade cookie dough isn’t an option for your cookie dough fundraiser, there are plenty of companies that offer catalogs you can utilize instead to get the word out! 

Candy Fundraisers Attract a Lot of People

Candy fundraisers are typically something you’d see for baseball, softball, and other sports’ teams, but there’s nothing like a good candy drive, especially if you buy in bulk and give people options when purchasing what they want.
 
It might sound like a unique school fundraiser, but in truth, it’s taking an idea and expanding it a bit to ensure that people have more than one choice and can buy what they want while helping with a good cause. Utilizing New Jersey school fundraising companies that offer multiple candy options is a great way to expand on the traditional candy fundraiser.
kidz kastle

A Snowman Building Event is a Great Unique School Fundraiser

Next up is creating a realistic goal and budget for your holiday fundraiser. A lot of fundraisers fall short because of budgetary reasons. As a matter of fact, as many as 43% of organized fundraisers fail because of misuse of the budget, according to a recent study. According to the study, the biggest misuse of funds came from overestimating incoming dollars and donations.

When you are creating your budget, it is very important to use dollars you actually have and not to base it off of future donations or fundraising. If you do want to create a budget based on future dollars, then set goals and only use the money if certain milestones are met.

An example would be if we hit X dollars then we are going to host a dinner but if we hit Y dollars then we are going to host a gala; only start planning the events when you hit the right dollar amounts. The most common mistake is to host an event or spend money you don’t have, thinking the dollars spent will bring in a return on the investment. If your event doesn’t get you what you thought, that is when your fundraiser fails.

This is true even for smaller fundraisers or events. If you are raffling off items, offering rewards, or doing giveaways, make sure minimum thresholds are met and that those thresholds will cover the costs of your giveaways.  

A Virtual School Party is a Fun Get Together for All Grades

Sometimes, the best school fundraisers are going to be those that will be able to promote some type of social distancing while still keeping things fun and engaging. While a virtual party isn’t quite the same, it’s a fun way to connect with people and maintain a good line of communication among the community.

Games can even be planned online that will be fun for everyone involved, for a small donation of course. Have online raffles, promotions, talent shows, and more! The great thing about a virtual party is that everyone can attend!

A Picnic Can Be a Simple Idea for School Fundraising

Although picnics may sound simple, these are easy to arrange and simple to plan with endless possibilities. The event can be the picnic itself, a competition for the best picnic meal, a picnic on location somewhere new and exciting, or something else entirely. Picnics are great for every grade level and every season.  

One of the Best School Fundraising Ideas is a Movie Night

Plenty of people still love watching a good movie with their family, and an outdoor feature is a good way to practice social distancing while raising money for your school. All a person needs is a big enough surface, plenty of space to sit, and a few dollars for concessions, and voila! Investing in a projector and some comfy blankets will really boost the level of the event, and people will be lining up to donate for access to the premier. 

fundraising gala

A School Play is Timeless

Whether in person or as a virtual showing, donations towards a school play could go a long way towards the continued education and appreciation for the arts that many children enjoy.
 
The emphasis on the arts is definitely an idea that can help an institution benefit from school fundraising, as many schools have had to cut back over the years. Get the students involved in the play and whether it’s a short production or a longer one that uses every grade level, parents and families will enjoy the show while donating to a great cause.

A Parent/Student Trivia Show Is a Fun and Unique School Fundraiser

Why only allow the kids to have all the fun? This idea can go a long way towards getting kids and their parents together to do something fun that can be modified for each grade level and can possibly earn enough donations to make a difference for various school programs.
Plus, getting parents and children together to think of the answers while competing against other parent/children duos could be a lot of fun as it could test the parents’ knowledge as much as the children’s. No matter what way you frame it, everyone will have a great time!

Talent Shows are One of the Best School Fundraisers

It feels as though this type of fundraiser is overlooked quite often, when it is actually one of the school holiday shop fundraiser ideas in New Jersey to utilize! Talent shows can include singing, dance, art, or anything else! Done online or in person, talent shows use very little finances to begin and can raise a lot of money for those who wish to attend and donate. Plus, the kids get to be the star of the show! 
school santa shop gifts

A School T-Shirt Fundraiser is a Creative and Engaging School Fundraising Idea

This is definitely one of the more unique school fundraisers as it’s typically undertaken by a lot of schools in very different ways. In a lot of ways, it does depend on the grade level as to how involved a community might get, as middle and high schools tend to become far more involved in sports and overall design.

However, it is entirely possible to hold a t-shirt fundraiser for grade school, depending on the involvement of the community and the unit cost. It gets the entire community involved and is always a showstopper! 

Conclusion

There are many unique school fundraising ideas out there to pour through, and many of them are bound to pique your interest. But one thing to always think about is the community that a school belongs to and what would best serve their interests when seeking to raise funds for your institution. The possibilities are out there, it is up to you to explore them!
 

The Complete Holiday Fundraising Guide

Complete Holiday Fundraising Guide

The Complete Holiday Fundraising Guide

Tips and Tricks to Ensure Fundraising Success

Fundraising can be a daunting task. The planning, executing, and collecting of funds can seem like an overwhelming process. The good news is that when done properly, a good fundraiser can bring in money, donations, and create projects that you never thought possible.  

The best news is in this complete guide we will break down fundraising from start to finish to ease the process and set you up for success no matter what your goals are. 

We will start by breaking down the reasons it is best to fundraise during certain times, like winter fundraising and holiday fundraising. Then, we will take you through the process of planning a successful fundraiser. Lastly, we will give you some ideas to separate your holiday fundraiser from any other.

Complete Holiday Fundraising Guide

Why Do Holiday Fundraising This Winter Season

Everyone knows that Christmas and winter holidays have been coined as the time for giving and research backs this up as well. According to a study by NeonCRM, 31% of all giving is done in December. When you consider December only makes up 8.4% of the time in a year, that is a drastic increase in giving.
 
Even more shocking, the last three days of the year make up 12% of all donations and gifts received, according to the same study; remember that donations, giving to fundraisers, and gifts are all tax-deductible. People at the end of the year who are looking at tax often make the decision to donate to someone they know and recuperate the money during tax season rather than just losing it to taxes.
 
It is important to know this and to take advantage of it during your fundraising. During winter and the holidays, people are in a giving mood. It doesn’t matter if it is the holiday spirit or tax incentivized, setting up and running a proper fundraiser during this time will maximize how well your fundraiser does. Now it’s time to set up the fundraiser for success. 

Steps to Maximize Your Fundraising’s Success

1.) Define Your Holiday Fundraising Message & Cause

Your message, often times called your cause, needs to be precise and deliver a message that makes people want to help you. Having a message that resonates will not only help out your fundraising cause but will help you create the optimal strategy when you fundraise.

Here is an example:

Message A – We are running a toy drive at school X on December 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th and all toys will be donated to Children 4 Toys.

Message B – There are many kids this holiday year that will not receive any presents or gifts. Bring the holiday joy and spirit to those kids by donating toys you no longer use. We will be accepting toys on December 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th to bring holiday cheer to those who need it most this season.

In message A, all that was defined was when toys were being accepted. While it’s important to define to your audience how to help, nothing else was conveyed.. In message B however, the cause is defined, a reason to donate was given, and how to donate was told. This message is far more impactful and will lead to higher success in fundraising.  

2.) Plan Your Winter Fundraiser Before You Start

After you have your cause or message, it’s time to start planning. When you are planning, some key decisions will need to be made:
 
  • Define your target audience
  • Create a realistic goal
  • Define any spending budget
  • Determine how people will be able to help
  • If you are handling money, what will be your payment processing
  • If you are hosting events, picking the venue
  • When the fundraiser will start and finish
 
Knowing who you will be focusing your efforts on, i.e. your target audience, is critical. For the most part, a one-size-fits-all message doesn’t exist: defining a target audience will allow you to tailor your message. The basics is to figure out who will donate or give often or in large amounts.
 
An example would be if you are running a fundraiser to improve drunk driving awareness among teens, target audiences could include parents age 30-45, teens ages 16-19, and high school teachers. Each one of these groups would have a different message you would want to deliver and target in different ways.
coin collecting

3.) Create a Realistic Budget

Next up is creating a realistic goal and budget for your holiday fundraiser. A lot of fundraisers fall short because of budgetary reasons. As a matter of fact, as many as 43% of organized fundraisers fail because of misuse of the budget, according to a recent study. According to the study, the biggest misuse of funds came from overestimating incoming dollars and donations.

When you are creating your budget, it is very important to use dollars you actually have and not to base it off of future donations or fundraising. If you do want to create a budget based on future dollars, then set goals and only use the money if certain milestones are met.

An example would be if we hit X dollars then we are going to host a dinner but if we hit Y dollars then we are going to host a gala; only start planning the events when you hit the right dollar amounts. The most common mistake is to host an event or spend money you don’t have, thinking the dollars spent will bring in a return on the investment. If your event doesn’t get you what you thought, that is when your fundraiser fails.

This is true even for smaller fundraisers or events. If you are raffling off items, offering rewards, or doing giveaways, make sure minimum thresholds are met and that those thresholds will cover the costs of your giveaways.  

Holiday Fundraiser Ideas

Now that you have a defined message, a black and white budget, and realistic goals, it’s time to determine what type of fundraiser you want to do and we will give you school holiday shop ideas or holiday fundraising ideas that will blow people’s minds.

Holiday Gala

This is one of the go-to event fundraisers for a reason. Holiday Galas can achieve so much for a community and have everyone leaving feeling good. When you are doing a holiday gala you normally have food and blind auctions for your guests, along with some entertainment.
 
What you can do is set a holiday theme and then go around your community and ask businesses in the area if they want to donate something to the silent auction. It is a form of advertising for them and at the gala, they get to network. You, on the other hand, get to keep the proceeds from the silent auction for your cause.  

School Concerts

If you are fundraising for a school, then concerts can be an amazing way to reach your goals. Meet with the music departments and do one concert a week highlighting the band, orchestra, choir, and school talent. You can charge a small amount at the door and do a raffle at the concert for extra money.

kidz kastle

Decoration Workshops

Decoration workshops are a great way to provide relief to parents while helping your cause along the way. For a small fee, offer ornament or gift wrapping workshops for children.
 
Parents can drop off their kids and you can teach them how to create ornaments to hang on the tree or, if parents drop off presents with the children, they can learn how to wrap gifts. As a parent, nothing is nicer than to take a break from the kids for 15-20 minutes and also get all the present wrapping done in one trip. 

Santa’s Workshop

An oldie, but a goodie. Creating Santa’s workshop for children to come let Santa know what they want for Christmas is a great fundraiser. Getting in line and telling Santa their Christmas desires is free but be sure to take photos and charge a small amount for the photos. Parents will love being able to put the picture up on the fridge and the money earned will help your cause.

Bonus Tip: Hot Chocolate, popcorn, and other refreshments while waiting in line is a great way to earn a little extra during your workshop. 

school christmas store

Holiday Fun Run or Walk

These are always fun and you can add fun prizes to make it even better. Fun runs and walks are perfect for charity causes but can work for any type of fundraising. Charge a fee to enter, walk, or run, and encourage people to dress up in a holiday outfit. Give out prizes for different categories. You can also ask around your community to see if anyone would want to sponsor the event.

If you are doing a school fun run and walk, have your students go out and get pledges. A great way to raise money is to ask for donations per step and hold a timed walk. Then your students can go back and tell friends and loved ones how many steps were walked or ran during the event and collect donations along the way.  

Coin Collecting

This is often overlooked but a coin drive can bring in large amounts of money for your cause. Run contests among workers, students, or whomever you are getting to participate.
 
Everyone is to bring in coins and ask around for coin donations and the group with the heaviest Santa Sack full of coins wins. Competitions bring out the best in people and are a fun way to liven up your office or school.  

Lastly, the Plain-and-Simple Year-End Ask

If you have the right message, simply asking for holiday, winter, or year-end donations can do the trick. Remember, we talked about this being the season of giving and a good time to donate for tax deductions. Simply asking for people to help out your cause during the end of year can be surprisingly effective.

Conclusion

We hope these tips and tricks put you on the right track for your holiday fundraiser. If you are reading this and it is not the holidays, you can still put a lot of these tips to good use. Remember to craft a message that will resonate with people, properly plan, and liven up your fundraising and you will get the results you’re looking for. 
 
If there is something you think that we might have missed or have questions or comments, do not be shy to leave it in the comment section below and we will get back with you as soon as we can!

5 Ways to Simplify School Fundraising

5 Ways to Simplify Fundraising

Easy School Fundraising Tips

It is about to be that time of year again — your child is coming home with a school fundraiser and is full of hope to earn all the great prizes they could get by being a top seller. Now it’s your turn to help with the holiday shop fundraisers. The question is — where do you start? 

Don’t worry, we have our top 5 tips to simplify your school holiday store fundraiser. Follow along with our guide to make it easy, stressfree, and successful this season. 

holiday gift shop fundraiser

Step 1: Define Your Selling Audience

The first step in your fundraising journey is to identify potential people to sell to. 

A lot of people envision school fundraising by going door to door and asking strangers for money. Door-to-door selling is hard and doesn’t lead to a lot of success. Taking the time to get your target audience set up will make the whole process much easier. 

Who Are the Two Target Groups To Sell To?

The two target groups you are going to want to talk to are Friends and Family and your Product People. By working in these two groups you should have your Christmas shop fundraiser off the ground and running immediately.

Friends and Family
A study showed that people who have a close relationship are 400% more likely to spend money on a fundraiser than strangers. Take the time and write down or put into a spreadsheet all the people you consider your friends or who you spend a lot of time with – consider people you interact with at your jobs, hobbies, volunteer work, church, sports organizations, and so forth. 

You will use this list to reach out and ask for help with the fundraiser. The best part is these friends and family are far more likely to help you and the conversations are so much easier to have than if you were talking with a stranger.

When you are talking to people you care about, it is important to make sure to let them know why the fundraiser is important to you or your child. They will be more likely to spend money if they know why and how they are helping you and your child out.

Product People
Product people are the people you think will want whatever your holiday gift shop is selling. If your fundraiser is selling food products then think of all the people you know that love food. If you are selling other items, go through your parent groups and think of anyone who might have mentioned an interest in what you are selling.

When you reach out to your product people remember your main selling point is the products. Make sure they know all the items your child is selling and the quality of the products. Instead of just directing them to the store to look for themselves, have a couple of items you think will interest them already picked out to show them.

Step 2: Ask For Referrals and Help

After you have talked to your two groups, it’s time to ask them to help out by spreading the word. Let them know how much it would mean to you and your child if they would reach out to their own group(s) of people and help the fundraiser.

One of the biggest mistakes of working a fundraiser is trying to do everything yourself. Try asking for referrals; it will cast a bigger net and allow you to reach people you might not have met before.

When talking to your product people, they might be a part of groups that have similar interests as they do. Tapping into the groups can be a gold mine since they are likely to be a product person themselves.

Tip! To make referrals easy, have extra copies of the product pages or the website URL handy. Referrals are more likely to be successful if you make it easy and quick for people to pass on your info, so have extra copies of the brochures (you can ask your child’s school) or have an email you can copy/paste with all the ordering info that you can send out and forward as requested. 

Step 3: Remember to Follow Up on the School Fundriaser

Keeping organized is key! You want to start a spreadsheet or write down everyone you talk to. Keep a list of who you’ve contacted, if they’ve ordered, if they’ve requested more info, and any other notes about your conversation. This sounds time-consuming but doesn’t have to be — keep a document on your phone’s notepad or have a notebook with your fundraising brochure to scribble notes in. 

Once a week or every two weeks, follow back up with people you’ve talked to. You’ll want to ask them if they’ve decided on a purchase they were thinking about or see if their referrals have asked for any more info. 

Calling people back is important because life happens and your fundraiser, more than likely, has taken a backseat and possibly been forgotten. Giving them a reminder might be the only way you get them to make an order so don’t be shy about following up. People will be excited to help out and will appreciate your follow-through. 

Step 4: Use Social Media

Use social media as a tool to announce to any and everyone about your holiday shop fundraisers. You never know who is looking at your posts and tapping into a new audience could be huge.

When creating a post include: who the fundraiser is for, why it is important to you and your child, and what products you are selling. Since social media is not targeting a specific audience, you need to try and pitch to everyone’s needs.

At the end of your post encourage people to leave comments. The more comments on a post the more Facebook will show to new people in their formula. Don’t be shy to take orders in the comment section or just tell people to comment if they are interested. 

Step 5: Set Realistic Timelines and Have Fun

Many parents think school holiday shop fundraisers are stressful because they need to deliver the products or items quickly. However, you can set-up a timeline that works for you when talking to your friends and taking orders.

Let them know when products are supposed to be delivered and organize the best that works for you to get products handed out. Don’t make it too fast or too busy all at once – remember, this should be fun!