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.
