School Fundraising Tips

School Fundraising Dos and Don’ts

By on January 23, 2024   /   School Fundraising Tips  
School Fundraising Dos and Don'ts

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. 

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School Fundraising Dos and Don'ts

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. 

successful school fundraising

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. 

what to avoid in school fundraising

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. 

how to organize the best school fundraiser

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.  

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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.

 
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School Holiday Shops: The Basics of Getting Started

By on December 9, 2021   /   Holiday Fundraising, School Fundraising Tips  
benefits of online fundraising

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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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How to Promote Your Virtual School Fundraiser

By on November 20, 2020   /   School Fundraising Tips  
simple and easy school fundraising

How to Promote Your Virtual School Fundraiser

7 Easy Tips for Promoting Your Online Holiday Shoppe

Putting together a school holiday shop fundraiser virtually can feel like a challenge. Parents and schools are tasked with finding a way to raise money for their schools while giving kids their dose of holiday cheer — all online. 

Here at the Kids’ Kastle, we’ve put together three school holiday shoppe options that run the gamut from safely hosted in-person, entirely virtual, and a hybrid for schools that need both. Opting for a virtual holiday shop is just the first part of putting the fundraiser together, however.

In order to ensure your holiday virtual fundraising is a success, we’ve put together 7 great tips for how to promote your virtual holiday shop, so kids get all the cheer and the schools can raise their much-needed funds with low stress and great success.

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Announce Your Virtual Secret Santa Shop via Email Marketing

Email marketing is a tried and true method that we can’t recommend enough. Whether your school is in-person or online, every parent is checking their email frequently so they don’t miss out on important updates.

Send out a newsletter to all parents announcing the virtual holiday shop for this year. Even if you go with a standard or hybrid in school holiday shoppe, your newsletter can outline all the precautions you are taking and how parents and kids can order this year.

Make sure the newsletter uses bright colors, bold text, and gets straight to the point. Include a line asking parents to forward news about the virtual fundraising events to all of those who may be interested, to create more hype and further interest in the event. 

Share Your Secret Santa Shop on Social Media

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 virtual fundraiser ideas for schools 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.
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Take Advantage of Partnerships for Your Holiday Shoppe

Are there any local businesses that are helping you run your school holiday shop this year? Ask them to help you spread the word!

Whether they do so on-site at their business, mention it in their newsletters, post about it on social media, or just talk about it with their clients, it’s another great way to get news about your virtual fundraiser out there.

Partnerships for school fundraisers are generally focused on promoting the school as much as possible, so don’t be shy about asking for a little social boost from your school fundraising partners.

Even if your school is hosting its holiday shoppe on its own, reach out to other partners you’ve worked with in the past and see if they’ll include a link to your virtual fundraising on their website, social apps, or email newsletters. 

Don’t Forget Mailed Newsletters & Postcards for Holiday Gift Shops

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!

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When in Doubt, Use Word of Mouth for Your Secret Santa Shoppe

Nothing works better for school fundraising promotion than a personal recommendation via word of mouth. Hype up the hybrid or virtual holiday gift shop to parents, teachers, and even the students. The more excited everyone is, the more they will talk about it, share the news, and encourage others to get involved.

At the end of the day, the results are all focused on the kids, so if this is your highlight for your Secret Santa Gift Shop, snifty pencils people will be more than willing to share the news with others in their life. This year, people could use holiday cheer more than ever! 

Holiday Gift Shoppes are Easily Promoted with a Catchy Tagline

Another way to spread the word about your school’s holiday gift shop is with a catchy tagline. Mention the fun for the kids, the great gifts, or just include something optimistic and fun that makes people smile!

If your promotional materials bring joy, more people will choose to get involved with the virtual holiday shoppe and tell their friends about it. 

Make Sure Your Virtual Fundraiser Has a Great Graphic Design

No matter what avenue you opt for for your holiday fundraising, make sure you have a great graphic to promote it! Something with bright colors, a big title, and a fun image will capture everyone’s attention and make them want to be apart of the fun.

Include a stellar graphic as part of your to-do list when organizing the virtual fundraiser, as this is more likely to get people involved. 

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