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Raise Smarter: 6 Tips for a Successful School Fundraiser

How do they do it? Those parents who seem to have all the time in their world to lend a hand at school events, extracurricular activities, and sporting events, that is. You barely have enough time to tie your shoes in the morning — how do they seem to be everywhere at once, nary a hair out of place?

If you’re looking for a definitive answer, you won’t find it here. If, on the other hand, you’re keen on getting more involved at your kids’ school, you have no shortage of options that won’t monopolize your limited downtime.

One particularly impactful way to give back is to raise funds for your kids’ scholastic and extracurricular clubs, teams, and interest groups. Of course, with so little time to spare, you’ll want to make sure your fundraising efforts are as efficient as can be. Here’s how to maximize your impact without ceding your entire calendar.

1. Solicit Ideas from Your Kids’ Peers

Your kids and their friends know their teams and extracurricular organizations better than anyone. Why not let them lead you to the most efficient fundraising ideas, or at least help guide the schemes you put in place. They might suggest ideas you haven’t yet thought of, or steer you clear of misguided plots likely to waste your time.

2. Stoke Friendly Competition

Recruit your kids and their team- or clubmates to raise funds alongside the adults in their lives — and give them an incentive to shine.

According to ABC Fundraising, a leading fundraising distribution company, “it’s great to create competition between different classrooms or grade levels.” For instance, you might consider giving out a gift card, cash prize, or pizza dinner to the winning group or top seller. This won’t add much to your fundraising costs, and it could pay off many times over.

3. Get Your Fellow Parents’ Input, Too

Chances are good that those always-everywhere parents have been around the fundraising block — or at least know the way. Don’t neglect their input, and don’t be afraid to ask the friendlier ones whether they’d like to help you put your fundraising plans in motion.

4. Hold an Old-Fashioned Pep Rally

You don’t have to be a cheerleader or coach to hold an old-fashioned pep rally. If you’re raising funds for any sort of team — football, basketball, flag, you name it — a pep rally is a great way to build enthusiasm ahead of a major fundraising push.

5. Target High-Traffic Locations Around Town

Off the top of your head, you can probably think of the top three or five highest-traffic locations in your town or school district. Reach out to those responsible for them — grocery store or shopping center managers, parks and recreation departments, and so on — for permission to set up tables or flyering stations near their entrances. Simple math dictates you’re likelier to reach more potential donors in these places than in more out-of-the-way areas.

6. Use Visual Aids to Track Fundraising Progress

Sure, they might seem trite, but fundraising thermometers really work. Set one up in a public location designated for such purposes — or, if all else fails, outside your house. What better way to tell the neighborhood you’re all in on giving back to your community?

What’s Your Fundraising Secret?

Do you see your fundraising secret on this list? If not, perhaps it’s time to give one or two of these tips a try and see how things develop.

Or perhaps you feel you’ve got this fundraising thing all figured out. Either way, your kids — and their teams’ and clubs’ coffers — are sure to appreciate your efforts. Happy fundraising!