Should Schools Accept Fundraiser Donations Instead?

Find out if only accepting donations is your best option.

Many sponsors wonder whether or not they should accept school fundraiser donations in place of students having to sell and turn in order forms and money. Some parents don’t want to hassle with having to sell and find that simply writing a check is their best option. They may not have time to go out and make sales, or they would instead support the school in another way.

While this is convenient for some people, others may not be able to afford to write a check but will still want to help the school raise money. So how should you handle parents that only want to contribute through fundraiser donations?

Here are some things to consider before you decide what you should do.

Donation Only Fundraisers

Many schools have attempted donation-only fundraisers and eliminated the brochure sale altogether. While on paper, there are reasons why some may want to consider this, the results have been mixed at best.

Instead, we recommend not putting all your eggs in one basket but making both options available. However, parents who want to donate should be encouraged to do so.

Only Reward Your Sellers

The one thing to remember is that many students are motivated to sell because of what they’re being offered in exchange for their efforts. Any awards or prizes you provide should only be given to those who took the time and tried to sell. Students should not be rewarded the same way when their parents make fundraiser donations because it takes away from the students who sold. It’s also a given that students will not receive any credit towards any company prize programs either.

Fundraising is Voluntary

Remember, participating in fundraisers should always be optional anyway. If you demonstrate that you are willing to work with people differently, you will always be better off from a PR standpoint.

See our brochure fundraisers

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.