Are School Fundraisers Affected by Health Policies?

How the new health guidelines affect school fundraising.

Childhood obesity is a definite problem. As a result, more and more school districts are becoming stricter about what their students eat, at least while at school. School health policies enforce changes to cafeteria food, vending machines, and even what parents can bring for birthday celebrations.

Some feel these guidelines are helpful, while others don't think they make a difference. Many attribute the problem more to children not getting enough exercise. Regardless of your views, the effects are widespread.

So how are these health policies affecting school fundraisers?

Affects on Candy Fundraisers

The impact has been felt with direct sale products like lollipops and even the popcorn fundraiser. These programs have historically enjoyed success because students found it easier to sell to their peers, who readily had money to pay for the items.

Many students can no longer sell these items during school hours because of the school health policies. Has that affected candy fundraising? Perhaps some, but students have made the necessary adjustments. People can still sell them, as long as it's before or after school. Attempts have been made to remove the candy bar fundraiser entirely from the community, yet this attempt has been met with opposition.

What about Brochure Fundraising?

How have the school health policies affected brochure fundraisers containing chocolate, candy, cookie dough, and dessert products? Because most brochure items have historically been sold off campus to family members, neighbors, and workplaces, the health initiatives have not had the same effect as direct sale programs. However, this doesn't mean that requests for more healthy alternatives have not been made. Many people feel that even though cookie dough sales have proven highly profitable, these products send a mixed message to the community about proper nutrition.

Despite stricter policies, are frozen food and cookie dough still popular? These policies have had little impact on these fundraisers. Frozen food has probably seen the most significant growth compared to other brochure programs. People still buy these items because they're convenient for today's fast-paced society. As a result, demand for frozen food brochures remains high.

See additional food fundraising ideas.

Nonfood Fundraiser Alternatives

Are there alternative types of brochure programs offering healthy food alternatives or not containing food at all? School fundraising companies have tried offering items like low-fat cookie dough, gluten-free desserts, and sugar-free chocolate, yet these products have not sold very well. As a result, few companies offer them. One alternative that works well in the secondary school market is discount card fundraisers. Discount card programs provide value by saving people money whenever they frequent their favorite local establishments. They typically sell for $10.00, making them less affordable to students than candy bars; however, plenty will readily purchase them.

If schools had to choose between a successful candy bar or cookie dough fundraiser instead of offering a healthy alternative, they would probably choose the former. Whether this is right or wrong must be left for another discussion.

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.