Fund raising ideas welcomed!!

[allison443]

Originally Posted by Art 1

At some point the parents decided it was easier to just pay for what the fundraiser was for.

I kind of agree with this....like the idea posted above where the school made $400 from a dance for a class of what - 50 kids? I would be the parent helping to organize the dance, chaperoning, donating a case of water plus snacks to sell. The benefit per kid winds up being less than $10 which is probably less than the cost of the stuff I would donate.
There comes a point of diminishing returns...

Edited to add, I am not putting down that poster's idea/efforts. It was great she volunteered to do it.

[JVL1018]

Originally Posted by allison443

I kind of agree with this....like the idea posted above where the school made $400 from a dance for a class of what - 50 kids? I would be the parent helping to organize the dance, chaperoning, donating a case of water plus snacks to sell. The benefit per kid winds up being less than $10 which is probably less than the cost of the stuff I would donate.
There comes a point of diminishing returns...

Edited to add, I am not putting down that poster's idea/efforts. It was great she volunteered to do it.

You're right-I actually was the parent that organized it, sent out the flyers, decorated, chaperoned and cleaned up along with a couple others(we had a bunch to chaperone though).
I didn't donate any food or water though..though I did buy zip ties and table cloths. LOL

Even if we bought the snacks, we'd still make a nice amount. Last night's was$260 in admission and $140 off of snacks/glow sticks and what we sold would have cost about $30-$35.

We used to buy the stuff being sold and parents were dropping off water or snacks without being asked, so now we just ask. LOL

No one minds throwing an extra case of water in their grocery cart- for some reason people may balk at giving cash, but whenever we have asked for donations of food or water people can't give enough.

Regardless of all of that... the main reason for doing something like this is to have something special for the kids, making memories, fosteringa sense of community.
The money raised is just a bonus.
The kids have SO much fun, it's a right of passage here-finally getting into 4th grade so you can go to the school dances.
The principal and the teachers come and the kids love to see them at a setting outside of the normal school day.
Just an all around good time.

[Fire14]

No kids but I'd buy:
1.00 candy bars
Local biz discount coupons/cards
KK Doughnuts
Car wash
Dine at rest. between certain hours on certain day ( I know sonic drive in, Dairy Queen, BWW) get certain % of sales.
I may buy tickets for basket Just depnds on cost and what basket has in it.
Could kids do chairty work for elderly/handicap for donatioons?

[Fire14]

I know when I was in middle school our latin class sold pop/snacks at dances.

[jenrose66]

Originally Posted by pixeemom

o/t....hi all I was hoping I can ask this question, our 5th grade class is doing a yankee candle fund raiser to help our "5th grade seniors" to go on their "senior trip", unfort. the yankee candle thing is very difficult to sell because of how much the candles are and how you can simply just go to the store and get more for your money with coupons, my question is I am looking for any and all ideas to help fund raise so I can pass the info along to our PTA, thank you for any ideas!!! (trying to stay away from candy since the school is against junk food etc.)

Our PTA has done a few different things. We sell chips from frito-lay in the fall. It's $14 a case and we keep $4. I'm not crazy about the profit margin but I keep running the fundraiser because we consistently make 2K every year from it.

We also sell easter chocolate in the spring. That made us 4k last year. It has a 50% profit margin.

We did a straight up direct donation campaign last year too. We pretty much sent out a flyer saying if you didn't like selling stuff you can write a check of support and 100% goes to the PTA. We made a little under $800 doing that, so not really as successful.

In a couple weeks we will be selling coffee. $10 for 10oz bag of ground coffee. The profit margin on that is 40%. I will let you know how it does.

[pixeemom]

Originally Posted by jenrose66

Our PTA has done a few different things. We sell chips from frito-lay in the fall. It's $14 a case and we keep $4. I'm not crazy about the profit margin but I keep running the fundraiser because we consistently make 2K every year from it.

We also sell easter chocolate in the spring. That made us 4k last year. It has a 50% profit margin.

We did a straight up direct donation campaign last year too. We pretty much sent out a flyer saying if you didn't like selling stuff you can write a check of support and 100% goes to the PTA. We made a little under $800 doing that, so not really as successful.

In a couple weeks we will be selling coffee. $10 for 10oz bag of ground coffee. The profit margin on that is 40%. I will let you know how it does.

interesting on the coffee, do you have a name or website for it?
thank you for the ideas!!!

[pixeemom]

Originally Posted by Fire14

No kids but I'd buy:
1.00 candy bars
Local biz discount coupons/cards
KK Doughnuts
Car wash
Dine at rest. between certain hours on certain day ( I know sonic drive in, Dairy Queen, BWW) get certain % of sales.
I may buy tickets for basket Just depnds on cost and what basket has in it.
Could kids do chairty work for elderly/handicap for donatioons?

thank you, i am pretty sure we are gonna do califor. pizza but not till the holidays are over.
someone told me i should call our local supermarket to see if they fund raise, never thought of that, but its worth a shot, everyone food shops, right

[StephMK]

A few things the PTA did at my kids' school were not specifically for the 5th grade but you could probably do.

-Barnes & Noble Day - this is my fav - they let the chorus, orchestra & band do a concert in the store and the school gets 10% of all sales that day if people mention the school name at checkout. You could do this with or without the music but it adds a nice festive atmosphere.

Volunteers from school hand out a quick flyer to all shoppers that will accept one and it costs the shoppers nothing. They do it in early Dec. and I always make all my gift book purchases that day. I only had three people decline a flyer during my shift.

-I cannot remember the name of the organization but one that transfers pictures the kids create onto mugs, tote bags, mouse pads, luggage tags, magnets, etc.

-local party performers - they have a school dinner or breakfast and the performer is there

[pixeemom]

Originally Posted by StephMK

A few things the PTA did at my kids' school were not specifically for the 5th grade but you could probably do.

-Barnes & Noble Day - this is my fav - they let the chorus, orchestra & band do a concert in the store and the school gets 10% of all sales that day if people mention the school name at checkout. You could do this with or without the music but it adds a nice festive atmosphere.

Volunteers from school hand out a quick flyer to all shoppers that will accept one and it costs the shoppers nothing. They do it in early Dec. and I always make all my gift book purchases that day. I only had three people decline a flyer during my shift.

-I cannot remember the name of the organization but one that transfers pictures the kids create onto mugs, tote bags, mouse pads, luggage tags, magnets, etc.

-local party performers - they have a school dinner or breakfast and the performer is there

awesome more ideas, thank you!!!
compiling a list, thank you so far!!

[bellebud]

how about a yard sale at the school? items donated by the families of the fifth grade, and it's run by the kids.

[pixeemom]

Originally Posted by bellebud

how about a yard sale at the school? items donated by the families of the fifth grade, and it's run by the kids.

ooh that is a good one!!!
will have to put that idea out there in the spring time i think.
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pls5286]

We did this for scouts one year. We had some parents shoot mistletoe out of trees and we tied Christmas ribbon around a branch of it. We put a few boys outside of Lowe's and Wal-mart on a couple of Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas and we sold it for donations. We raised lots of money (around $500) on a fundraiser that cost us around $15 for ribbon at most and a few shotgun shells.

[dislal]

I haven't been involved with our school PTO in a few years, but our school is now doing a walk a thon. It has been very successful and 100% of the money raised goes to the PTO. They have completely done away with the fall fundraiser (overpriced wrapping paper and other junk) because of this

They go to local stores(walmart and toys r us target) and get a few donations of gift cards and make that the "prizes" for the kids.......they make it so each grade only walks so many laps on the track and parents and relatives give so much per lap or a flat donation. I know my son is in 7 th grade this year and he walked 8 laps which was two miles the kindergarten and first grade only walk one lap.

They have sent letters home saying this is one of their most successful fundraisers yet.

[pixeemom]

Originally Posted by dislal

I haven't been involved with our school PTO in a few years, but our school is now doing a walk a thon. It has been very successful and 100% of the money raised goes to the PTO. They have completely done away with the fall fundraiser (overpriced wrapping paper and other junk) because of this

They go to local stores(walmart and toys r us target) and get a few donations of gift cards and make that the "prizes" for the kids.......they make it so each grade only walks so many laps on the track and parents and relatives give so much per lap or a flat donation. I know my son is in 7 th grade this year and he walked 8 laps which was two miles the kindergarten and first grade only walk one lap.

They have sent letters home saying this is one of their most successful fundraisers yet.

that's a good idea to, what do they give the gift cards for ?

[bellebud]

Originally Posted by dislal

I haven't been involved with our school PTO in a few years, but our school is now doing a walk a thon. It has been very successful and 100% of the money raised goes to the PTO. They have completely done away with the fall fundraiser (overpriced wrapping paper and other junk) because of this

They go to local stores(walmart and toys r us target) and get a few donations of gift cards and make that the "prizes" for the kids.......they make it so each grade only walks so many laps on the track and parents and relatives give so much per lap or a flat donation. I know my son is in 7 th grade this year and he walked 8 laps which was two miles the kindergarten and first grade only walk one lap.

They have sent letters home saying this is one of their most successful fundraisers yet.

I'm not bashing this one at all... that's great that it's so successful.

I just don't get these things (not just as school fundraisers)... it's just saying "I'll walk in a circle, and you give money", right??? It's just really funny to me.


OH and OP, and for the yard sale, the school could let you use the cafeteria and/or gym, and you could have it any time of the year. Then you don't have to worry about a rain date. AND, you wouldn't be competing with the multitude of yard sales in the spring. People would probably love to go to a yard sale in the winter.