How to Do Elementary School Fundraiser Kickoffs

Elementary school fundraising ideas that work.

Students are your biggest asset when raising money, and there's no better way to influence them than with effective elementary school fundraiser kickoffs positively.

Selling is a numbers game; the average elementary school has at least 500 students. Therefore, the more students you can get to sell, the better. Finding ways to increase participation should be a primary focus if you want to be successful.

There's no better way to get students excited and motivated about your sale than to have a well-organized kickoff meeting. Here are some things worth considering before you start:

Make a Strong 1st Impression with Your Sellers

You only have one chance to make a great first impression. When it comes to your kickoff, why not make the most of it? Your kickoff is an opportunity to present your case to your students. The pressure is solely on you to create the sales momentum you need to succeed. Your kickoff assembly should come across like a professional production.

Plan a Successful Elementary School Fundraiser Kickoff

Pulling off a successful kickoff takes planning. You will need to know what you want to talk about and how you plan to present it:

• Who's going to introduce the fundraiser?
• What points do you plan to cover?
• When do you plan to introduce the prize program?
• How should you close out your assembly?

It would also be wise to have a dress rehearsal before your kickoff. In other words, practice what you plan to say to your students. Allow plenty of time to set up and test your equipment.

Practical Elementary School Fundraising Assemblies

There are things that you can do to enhance the impact of your kickoff:

• Have music already playing as students are walking into your assembly area.
• If possible, plan to have your principal introduce and close out your fundraiser assembly.
• If you are showing a video, make sure the screen is as large as possible and use an excellent sound system:
  • Watching an excellent video presentation is more exciting for your students.
  • Arrange to have someone dim the lights before the start of your video.
• If you plan to introduce additional incentives, have them initially covered on a table in the front.

Don't assume your students will be excited about your fundraiser. If you want their support, you'll need to earn it. This takes finding and implementing elementary school fundraising ideas that work.

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.