Top 3 School Fundraising Tips for 2022

Gain support from 3 critical groups of people (Updated).

What are your most crucial school fundraising goals for fall 2022? If you haven't already asked yourself this question, it's never too late to do so. When thinking about goal setting, many people turn to the acronym SMART. MindTools does an excellent job of explaining this powerful acronym. The "S" stands for 'specific'. In other words, you and your team must know exactly what you're attempting to accomplish and have a clear objective.

Once you know what you're raising money for, it's essential to 'measure' your goals so you can track them and keep your sellers motivated along the way by sharing the progress.

However, you won't be that successful unless your goal is 'achievable'. Depending on what you're raising money for, working together, everyone should be able to accomplish it with a reasonable amount of effort. You can always set higher goals for those who are willing to work harder, but make sure to reward your overachievers accordingly.

Next is to make sure your goal is 'relevant'. Is your purpose really that important? Have you surveyed others to find out where they feel the greatest needs might be? If it will be worthwhile to most others, you have a much better chance of achieving success. Everyone must be on the same page.

And perhaps most important, make sure that you set a 'time limit' on your fundraiser. Having more time to sell doesn't necessarily translate into raising more money. Too much time may be an excuse for procrastination. You must balance giving people enough time and creating a sense of urgency. In other words, how much do you expect your students to sell, and how soon do you expect them to accomplish it?

Once you've answered these questions, we can address the monetary question. Do you want to bring in more school fundraising sales in 2022 than you did in 2018? Of course, you do. Many schools are asking that question, so you're not alone. You can try an 'attention-getter' brochure that contains unique products or offer a more exciting prize program to motivate more students. These things can make a difference.

But if you want to raise more money this year, you must win over the support of the following three groups of people. Here are our tips that can help you do just that.

1. Gain School Administrator Support

The most important person that you can have on your side is the school administration. Without the support of the principal, your sale will be half of what it could be. They can become your greatest ally. They may already have a lot on their plate, but your job is to convince them that your cause will improve the school.

See 3 Reasons Principal Fundraiser Involvement Works

Take the time to set up a quick meeting to discuss your objectives with them. This shows respect and allows them to ask questions. Be sure to also ask for their feedback. Perhaps they'll be able to offer some unique perspectives. However, your primary objective is to ask for their involvement. Here are some ways they might be able to help that won't take up too much time:

• Introduce the fundraiser. It's essential to set a strong tone from the beginning. Start your kickoff assembly by having the principal address the students. Most students will respect what the principal has to say and will have a better appreciation for your sale. You will then want them to conclude the assembly with some impacting remarks.
• Perform the daily announcements. It's a good idea to have a few short scripts already prepared for them to read to the students during morning announcements. It could be as simple as reminding them about a couple of the big prizes to announcing the winners from a recent prize drawing. Make sure you have different scripts that are relevant for each day.
• Do something fun. Nothing is better than motivating your students to reach a goal in exchange for getting the principal to do something fun and exciting. It's like a challenge or a bet between the students and the principal. This is the one time the students get to be on an equal footing with the principal. Get your students excited at your kickoff assembly by asking the principal to explain their actions if the sales goal is reached.

Some ideas might include taping the principal to the wall, wearing their pajamas to school, or kissing a pig. Your students will be excited about the opportunity to see the principal do something fun.

2. Get Teacher Buy-In

Getting the teachers to buy into your school fundraising project is also very important. They are the ones who see your students the most while they're at school. Meet with them before your fundraiser and explain how the money will impact them directly. If they understand how the money will help their students and the school, they'll be more apt to get involved. They can help you:

• Remind their students to sell each day
• Collect order forms and money for their class once the sale is over
• Do something fun as a reward to the students for selling

Be sure to bring a light snack or beverage to the meeting to show appreciation for their time.

Learn How to Get Teachers Behind Elementary School Fundraisers

3. Facilitate Parent Participation

Parental involvement is critical to your success. Your parents must believe what you're attempting to accomplish will be necessary for their children. If they don't, your students won't be allowed to participate.

If possible, plan to introduce your fundraiser at an upcoming parent meeting. Some schools that utilize our Big Event prize incentives show a promotional video at their parent night. Tell them about your campaign by sending home a parent letter in your student packets and announcing it on the school marquee. Reaching out on social media is also a powerful way to reach your parents.

Raising money is a team sport; therefore, getting these people on board from the beginning will be necessary. Gaining their support for your cause increases school fundraising sales and possibly even exceeds this year's goals.

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.