Why Smencil Fundraisers Make Sense

Why selling smencils should be at the top of your fundraising list.

Smencils are scented pencils that are made from 100% recycled newspapers. The scents are the same as those used to make soaps and candles. The product also uses corn-based biodegradable plastic and erasers.

Smencils have been around for over 15 years and are popular amongst preschool and elementary school students. Since being introduced in 2003, similar products have joined the smencil line, like smens, smanimals, and even scented flash drives.

Here are some reasons why smencil fundraisers make sense:

Students Love Smencils

Since their introduction, smencils have taken the elementary school market by storm. Selling smencils makes sense as a fundraiser because students can relate to what they’re selling. Parents who buy the product for their children purchase a safe and enjoyable product.

Smencils are Environmentally Friendly

Students are selling a product that is good for the environment. This is consistent with what they should be learning at home and school. Here are some interesting environmental facts taken from smencils.com:

1. A standard-size cedar tree will make about 172,000 wood pencils.
2. This same amount of smencils can be made from about 430 newspapers.
3. About 75,000 trees are saved by recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times.
4. A single tree can filter about 60 pounds of air pollution per year.
5. Seventeen trees can be saved for every ton of recycled paper. This is the equivalent of 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water.
6. Two hundred fifty pounds of carbon dioxide will be absorbed from the air by these same 17 trees each year. On the other hand, burning that same amount of paper produces 1,500 pounds of carbon monoxide.

See our smencil 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.