Notes About Business

Your PTA or PTO members usually do not “get it” the first time… or two… or three. The reason you are doing the fundraiser is important and should be “shouted from the rooftops” over and over again. You might find it hard to believe how long and loud you have to “get the word out” in order to get even a respectable number of PTA or PTO parents “in the know” on a particular point or event. Following are some guidelines to help you make sure that everyone knows what’s up.

Be specific. If you are kicking off a fundraiser and you know what you’re raising the money for, let your parents, teachers, and volunteers know. If you aren’t sure what you’re going to do with the money yet, tell them what you did last year. If parents and teachers know that they will benefit they will be much more likely to support your sale.

Methods: Take Home Backpack Flyers, There are several things that should always be done in preparation for your fundraiser. One action is to send a letter (take home packet) to parents shortly after school starts telling them about the PTA / PTO fundraising plan. Mention in the letter how you’re going to accomplish your money making goals. Mention to them what program or procuts you will be selling. ie catalogs sale, cookie dough sale, car wash, candy sale, smencils etc. Most will feel a sense of ownership in the PTA or PTO plans.

The second thing you will want to do is write and attach to your sales brochure a letter to the parents of your students. In this letter you will tell them again why you are doing a fundraising project. You might even take this opportunity to tell them what you spent the money on that was raised in last year’s fundraiser.

Methods: E-Mail If your school has a school wide email system or a call out system, use it to announce your sale. This is a great way to let parents know to check their children’s backpacks for their selling kits. I can’t tell you the number of times people have said that they didn’t even know a fundraiser was going on. That is missed opportunity every time it happens.

Methods: School Sign or Marquee Use your school’s marquee to announce when your sale is starting, ending, and delivering. Your parents live in your neighborhood and so they will look at the marquee every time they drive by the school on their way to work or the grocery store.

Methods: Reminders via students In most schools students go home once or twice a week with a “Take Home Pack.” This is an excellent opportunity to have the teachers in the school include a note about your fundraiser. Remember that you don’t have to include lots of details in this note. These are simply reminders to the parents.

Methods: Signs Use signs advertising your fundraiser in bus lanes and your pick up and drop off points in the school. Your parents and students will see these every day.

Place signs in the school with pictures of the prizes to keep the students motivated. Place them in key places where the students will see them daily in common areas. People are very visual and notice things that are different or new in their environment.

Methods: Do a live kick off Doing a live presentation will affect your sale positively, especially if the students see or hear things that they don’t normally experience in a “standard” assembly. If enough of an impression is made on the minds of the students, they will certainly be sharing that with their parents when they get home.

Methods: PA System Remind students daily via regular morning announcements about the ongoing fundraising drive. This is an excellent opportunity to keep students motivated for the duration of the sale.

Working closely with your fundraising representative is paramount to your success. How you run your sale is literally as important as what you choose to sell. Planning and execution is the key to fundraiser if you want your parents, faculty, and students to support your fundraising drive. Your goal is to raise as much money as possible for your group in the particular sale you are planning. Remember, if you raise all the funds you need in the first fundraiser, you won’t have to do a second one!