How to Have Great Preschool Fundraisers

Easy to implement fundraising tips for preschool groups.

Preschools and daycare centers typically raise money to cover instructional fees and educational supplies.

Group sizes range from minimal in-home facilities to a prekindergarten public school with several hundred students.

Unlike elementary school students, preschool children aren’t going to understand how they can win prizes by selling items out of their brochure.

Therefore, you’ll want to meet with your parents instead of having a kickoff with the students. Here are a few things that childcare directors can do to have great preschool fundraisers:

Have a Fundraising Policy

The first time parents walk through the door, many organizations provide a list of rules and regulations. Ensure parents understand that outside selling will be a part of what you do. Let them know how often you plan to have your sales so parents will know what to expect. Explain that many activities are planned for the children that are not covered by normal tuition fees. Many groups also use fundraising to help parents offset their tuition costs.

Have a Parent Kickoff Meeting

Your parents need to know why they’re selling and what they need to do. How much do they need to sell? When is the money due? The kickoff gives you the platform to promote the sale and explain the process. Ensure to provide advanced notice informing them of the date and time for your meeting.

Offer Additional Sales Incentives

Offer a top-seller prize, like free tuition for a month. This will encourage parents to sell more. Make sure the additional incentive you are offering is worthwhile, however. Otherwise, people won’t pay much attention to it, and you’ll be giving away something without the benefit of potentially increasing your sales.

Check in with Your Parents

Check in with your parents periodically during the sale. You are communicating that you care about the outcome. You can even have periodic prize drawings where the children can earn special privileges. For example, parents can turn in prize coupons whenever they sell five items.

It’s the little things you do can have a large impact on your fundraiser. For an additional resource on planning ideas for your next campaign, download our free fundraising tips eBook from our school fundraising tips page.

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.