Benefits of Hiring a School Fundraiser Company vs DIY Fundraising

By Coryn Diehl on April 28, 2025 / School Fundraising Tips

Benefits of Hiring a School Fundraiser Company vs DIY Fundraising

Fundraising is one of the most exciting times for a school – the students, teachers, and staff all get involved to make a successful event that benefits the entire community. And, when done successfully, a school fundraiser can establish the funds needed for the rest of the school year.

Schools rely on fundraising for equipment, creative classes, field trips, sporting events, uniforms, musical competitions, and extracurricular activities. These funding opportunities fuel chances for the school to provide as many events and resources as possible to the students and staff.

While it may be tempting to host your own DIY school fundraiser to save on costs, the truth is that the benefits of hiring a school fundraising company can actually bring in more profits. See why outsourcing school fundraising to a professional company could be the right partnership opportunity for your school and help you in the long run.

What Does a School Fundraising Company Do

A fundraising company provides schools with everything they need to host either a seasonal fundraiser or a winter school holiday shop. This includes ready-made programs, products, and support services. Choose from events like Color-a-Thon or candy bar sales, seasonal brochure fundraising for food or home goods, or a fully developed school holiday shop.

At Kids Kastle, we handle key aspects like sourcing and delivering products, creating marketing materials and posters, providing a reliable app for checkout or traditional cash envelopes for purchase tracking, and responsive customer service.

We make fundraising easier, more organized, and more profitable by using proven strategies and tools, allowing schools to focus on participation rather than logistics. Ultimately, we act as a full-service partner to help maximize the success of your fundraising efforts with less stress and more results.

Benefits of Hiring a School Fundraising Company

1. Save Time and Reduce Stress

affA DIY school fundraiser takes a lot of time and resources. Coordinating gifts, products, and events can be difficult. Staff are under a lot of pressure to source gifts that appeal to a mass number of the student body while at affordable costs.

A professional sourced school fundraiser from a fundraising company takes away all of the difficult planning and gives you the final result: proven affordable products and events at price-points for every family, so no student is left out, but you still have a valuable offer that everyone wants to purchase.

2. Professional Guidance

Fundraising companies know what works. They bring proven strategies, popular products, and marketing tools that have already been successful with other schools. The experience helps maximize participation and revenue without over-the-top promotion and marketing that eat away time and costs.

Plus, you can get in touch with the professional staff at Kids Kastle whenever you need to get advice on how to make sure your fundraiser is successful. That’s the benefit of working with an established fundraising company made up of parents, PTA members, and experienced staff. We’ve been there, and we know what works.

3. Access to Better Resources and Products

Professional fundraising companies have partnerships with vendors, giving them access to exclusive products and the ability to negotiate better deals. When sourcing your next school fundraiser through a professional fundraising company, you can expect lower start-up costs and better product prices for the students and families.

If you’ve been defeated looking for your next fundraiser, you may need to talk to a professional fundraising company. You may even discover unique products, like Smencils scented pencils and markers, or sweet and salty pretzel rods, the best snack everyone can’t get enough of.

4. Streamlined Organization and Support

Fundraising companies provide you with everything you need to get a fundraiser going: marketing materials, online fundraising portals, order forms, and tracking tools. Plus, customer service support for parents and donors — not just the school.

Don’t waste valuable time and costs putting together a marketing plan when the right fundraising company has the schedule and outline you can rely on.

5. Higher Profits

Many PTAs are tempted to do a DIY school fundraiser because they believe it will maximize their profits by not partnering and investing in a professional school fundraising company. However, the initial upfront investment of working with a professional fundraising company can actually be a small percentage of an otherwise larger profit.

Because fundraising companies specialize in optimizing sales for schools and student bodies, professional fundraisers typically help schools earn more money with less effort. They know how to structure campaigns, increase participation rates, and encourage repeat donations – all of which you have access to for a more successful event.

6. Legal and Financial Knowledge

Fundraising companies often have systems in place to manage money securely, provide transparent financial tracking, and ensure compliance with fundraising regulations. This can be overwhelming for staff and volunteers who have not hosted fundraisers in the past or tracked their earnings.

Clearly marked cash envelopes, inventory tracking sheets, and secure cash register apps all help fundraising staff protect their school from errors, lost funds, or liability issues and instead show a greater tracking of costs, profits, and earnings.

7. Customization Options

Good fundraising companies can customize your program based on your school’s size, goals, and community preferences — offering everything from holiday shops to peanut-free candy bar sales.

You want to partner with a fundraising company that helps target your school fundraiser to the primary grade and age levels, parent or community buyers, and a theme that will develop the most interest. It’s not a one-size-fits-all fundraiser, but a professional company that helps you get exactly what your school needs.

8. Increase Participation and Excitement

When you’re not focused on putting together an entire school fundraiser from scratch, you can focus more on pumping up the school, community, and families for the event to come. Turn all of that promotional energy into getting the students, and families, involved.

Hold after-school meetings for planning and prep, and even put together a spirit day to help everyone get excited in preparation for the launch of your next school fundraiser.

9. More Fundraisers a Year

Because fundraising companies handle logistics, sourcing, and planning, you can run more than one fundraising event per year without overburdening your staff or volunteers. The streamlined access to proven school fundraisers helps PTAs plan more events a year that don’t break the bank or over-stress volunteers.

Take a look at all the school fundraisers you could host in 2025 to help promote school field trips, new equipment, and bring together school spirit.

10. Build Long-Term Success

A professional fundraising partner like Kids Kastle can help you develop a sustainable fundraising plan year over year, with each event building momentum for the next. When you work with a company you trust that delivers results, your student body and community get excited for the same events every year.

Find a partnership that works for you and embrace school fundraising in 2025 and take it to new heights.

Get Started Today - Contact Kids Kastle for School Fundraising

The right fundraising opportunity is waiting for you. You can begin with a school holiday shop that brings together the joy of shopping while encouraging a child’s independence or you can ask about seasonal brochure fundraising that provides food, home goods, and other special items for families to purchase.

Get started today and request free info from Kids Kastle – school fundraising based in NJ but serving schools across America.

School Fundraising Dos and Don’ts

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on January 23, 2024 / School Fundraising Tips

School Fundraising Dos and Don'ts

School fundraising is a fantastic idea for all grade levels. Students, faculty, and families get to join together to celebrate their school pride and raise money for activities, supplies, growth, and more within their school system. School fundraising is about community and achievement as much as the funds raised.

In order to ensure your school fundraiser goes off without any issues, take a look at our expert list of Fundraising Dos and Don’ts. By keeping track of what works and what doesn’t, you can better optimize your time and energy, budget, and community effort. See more success and more enjoyment with your school fundraisers by checking out our fundraising dos and don’ts tips.

The Dos of School Fundraising

Here are our best tips on what you should be doing for your grade school and high school fundraising events. Share these with your faculty, volunteer families, and students to optimize your success. Remember, the more efficient and streamlined your school fundraiser, the more fun your students can focus on having during the school fundraising event.

1. Strategic Planning

Before starting on your next fundraiser, you want to have your fundraising strategy created. Work on a detailed roadmap that outlines your goals, target audience, and fundraising methods.

Think of what event you want, brainstorm marketing methods, write down what audiences this is geared towards, and how all students, faculty, and families can play a role. The better your upfront planning, the better success you can build towards.

2. Engaging the Community

A successful fundraising campaign involves the active participation of your local community. Foster relationships with local businesses, parents, and community leaders to get them excited about your fundraising and goals.

Their support not only contributes to financial success but also strengthens the bonds within your school community. Work with news stations, radios, businesses, and more for sponsorships to help promote you, hold space, or donate fundraising items and events.

3. Utilizing Online Platforms

Work with your tech-savvy students to establish a strong online presence through social media, dedicated websites, and email campaigns for your school fundraisers. Students who are working towards a career in tech will be excited to practice their skills and be a part of the marketing and promotion. The online presence will not only help share the word about your fundraiser with easy-to-find details, but you can also optimize it to accept online donations directly.

4. Diversifing Fundraising Channels

Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to school fundraising. Explore various fundraising channels, including events, product sales, and donation drives. School holiday shoppes appeal to grade school students while active charity events and dances are great high school fundraising ideas. Be sure to switch up your fundraising to engage new community members and raise new interest seasonally.

5. Transparent Communication

Maintain transparency throughout your fundraising journey with all faculty, volunteers, students, and engaged audiences. Clearly articulate your goals, how funds will be used, and the impact on the school community. Build trust by keeping stakeholders informed and engaged. Always let people know how their money is being used, where the energy is going, and if you have any roadblocks along the way.

The Don'ts of School Fundraising

Even with a perfect plan in place, you want to be aware of common school fundraising pitfalls that could be detrimental to your event. Be sure to check out our don’ts for school fundraising so you can stay compliant, safe, and successful throughout your event.

1. Overlooking Legal Requirements

Neglecting legal considerations can lead to severe consequences for your school fundraiser. You want to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations governing fundraising activities. This not only protects your school but also builds credibility among potential donors. Talk to your faculty and other fundraising groups to source what you can and cannot do under your school’s umbrella to raise money.

2. Ignoring Data Analysis

Your school fundraiser relies on data just as much as any other business. If you run a continuous school fundraiser year after year, make sure to save and compare data so you optimize your school fundraising event for the most success.

Do so by seeing which businesses are most active and why; better target your marketing towards donors of the past; and see what items or events sold out. For high school fundraisers, you can have your marketing and tech students help compile the data and create new marketing strategies.

3. Relying Solely on Traditional Fundraisers

Virtual events, online auctions, and crowdfunding campaigns can breathe new life into your school fundraiser. You don’t need to stick with traditional ideas like dances, car washes, or bake sales.

Explore how new technology allows for virtual holiday shoppes, online auctions, 48-hour movie streams, and more. Take into account how virtual fundraisers can maximize your budget to allow for more fundraisers a year.

4. Neglecting Donor Recognition

Donors appreciate recognition for their contributions, especially in local communities. Implement a robust donor recognition program to express gratitude to those who pitch in a high or consistent dollar amount.

Personalized thank-you notes, acknowledgment in newsletters, and public recognition events all play a role in fostering lasting donor relationships. Make sure to work out advertising and sponsorship deals to allow your fundraiser to go further.

5. Inconsistent Marketing

Consistency is key in the world of fundraising. Maintain a cohesive marketing strategy across all channels. From social media posts to event promotions, presenting a unified front strengthens your brand and resonates with your audience. Be sure your school fundraising event has a color scheme, clear message, and recognizable promotion.

You’re Ready to Begin Your Easy School Fundraiser

Mastering the dos and don’ts of school fundraising requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. By incorporating these principles into your campaigns, you not only enhance your chances of success but also create a positive impact on your school community. You can easily integrate students into your fundraising planning and have them aid you in your marketing, ideas, data, and more.

Explore new fundraising ideas, school holiday shoppes, and more with the help of Kids’ Kastle. We’ve helped schools fundraise easily and effectively for years, taking out all of the stress so you simply have the joy.

School Holiday Shops: The Basics of Getting Started

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on December 9, 2021 / Holiday Fundraising, School Fundraising Tips

School Holiday Shops: The Basics of Getting Started

A school holiday shop is a great way to involve parents, teachers, students, and the wider community to come together and celebrate the spirit of Christmas. It also helps children get familiar with important life and social skills early on, making it a fun learning experience.

So, if you are planning to host your own school holiday store this year, this article will help you brush up on the basics to make it a success.

What’s a school holiday shop?

A school holiday shop is a place where kids can go to buy things for their family and friends. The shops are usually set up in the school itself or in an outside building nearby and sell items such as toys, books, and stationery that are affordable for students.

Also known as in-school gift shops, these shops may be run by charities, community groups or individuals, and small business owners. The aim of the shops is to help children pick out presents for their loved ones on their own and learn more about the responsibility that comes with shopping for the holidays.

Another beautiful thing about having a school Christmas shop is that it allows children to get familiar with important social skills in a controlled environment. They are a great opportunity for children to learn how to effectively communicate and interact with others when purchasing goods.

Tips to get the most out of your school holiday store

Before You buy the merchandise - Budget, Plan, Partner

Before you begin purchasing merchandise for the school holiday store, it is important to have a plan. First, you will have to decide where you will purchase your merch from. You can either handpick it by yourself, which is a very time-consuming task, or you can find a vendor that dedicatedly sells school Santa shop gifts.

Another thing to remember about buying your merch is that you need to decide on a budget and stick to it. Otherwise, you may end up with a lot of cool things that you may not be able to sell because there are too many.

That’s also why it is recommended that you partner with a school holiday shop company. You can select the items you want and the provider will deliver them to the school one week before the event so that you have enough time to set up your store. And if you don’t sell all your merch, you can always send it back to the provider without paying extra on freight costs.

Setting Up the Store - Location, Visibility, Accessibility

To get the most out of your school holiday store, you need to ensure that you get the fundamentals of selling right.

Make sure you book your stall early so that you can pick a strategic location for maximum exposure. A common piece of advice is to set up your store in a high-traffic area that is easily visible and accessible to kids as well as has footfall that is consistent throughout the day.

Another tip is to look at the past years’ sales of the stall and use that as a guide. It will not only give you information on how many people will come to your stall but also insights into how successful shops get the job done.

In addition, work on your signage. Make sure that is clear to read and has a color scheme that can draw attention to the stall. Also, ensure that the name of your store is visible to let people know exactly who’s running it.

Even if this is an in-school holiday shoppe, you want it to be visible, easily accessible, and inspiring! Get the students to help design signage and make the store accessible to parents who may visit, too.

School Partners - Teachers and PTA Members

To run a popular school holiday shop, you need a volunteer from the school staff to help you connect with the kids. Teachers can perfectly guide you on how to interact with the students and help you establish trust among your little shoppers.

You can also talk to the teachers about how much they think each student will spend and plan your pricing accordingly. For example, if each child is only going to be allowed $5, you can stock up on fewer items than if each child gets $25 for gifts because the budget will affect their spending potential.

Working with the teachers will also ensure you have enough people to man the stall on the days of the sale. Many schools will also talk to the PTA to get a better understanding of what the students want. School holiday shoppes like Kids’ Kastle even have a dedicated process for working with PTAs.

Promotion - Advertise Early and Often

Once you have outlined the responsibilities of each person, get to work on your marketing plan. Plan how you want to promote your shop. You can either individually talk to parents and families to let them know that you will be hosting a school holiday shop or send out messages or emails to simplify your promotion process.

Make sure you give out as many details to families about your store as possible, including the gifts that you are planning to stock and the dates you will be operating.

How working with elementary school holiday shop companies can make your job easy

Holiday shop services are designed to make running a holiday shop easier for you. The provider will not only supply you with merchandise but also provide you with materials needed to run the store successfully, right from bags to posters to tablecloths.

Therefore, even though you will not be creating selling or marketing materials yourself, you will still have a good-looking and inviting shop that will draw people into your shop. They will also take care of the shipping and returns so that you can focus on having a good time running your school holiday store.