Let The PTA or PTO Members Know All About The Fundraiser

Don't Assume PTA or PTO Members Get It The First Time. When you are trying to get the parents of your students behind your fundraising efforts, never be afraid that you are covering the same ground too often. Tell them many, many times why you are doing the fundraiser. It will surprise you how little makes it into your parents minds, even after they have read or heard something twice. Here are some tips to help you make sure that your important announcements get noticed and noted.

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.

Second, write a letter for your fundraiser that is geared specifically for the parents of your students. In this "cover letter," you will remind the parents what you are raising the money for. This is one more time that you have to make sure the word gets out about your purpose for raising funds.

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 Sending a note home in the student "take home pack" is another good way to get the word out to parents. I recommend that you send a reminder note on Friday's.

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.

Inside the school is where you want to do promotions that appeal to the students. The very best promotions will be geared toward the prizes that the students can earn. Things that are "different" will stand out to the students as the walk through the halls.

Methods: Do a live kick off This is much more motivating to students than a video presentation. They can see how the prizes work and it means that something different happened at school today. When parents ask their children about the day, they will remember this much better than sitting at their desk and seeing someone on a TV screen in their classroom.

Methods: Public Address System Do reminders on the daily announcements. This is a great opportunity to keep students motivated which in turn keeps them selling.

Work effectively with your fundraising representative. Organization and planning is key to communicating your fundraiser and your goals to your parents, faculty, and students. If you know what you're going to do and when you're going to do it, running a profitable fundraiser is easier to do. If your goal is to raise the most money possible for your group in the particular sale you are planning, your fundraising professional is your best resource for making that happen. You can achieve your goal by working smarter, not harder.

About the Author

AIM Fundraising is a nationwide fundraising company that takes great pride in the fact that most of the schools and groups it works with increase 40-400% over previous year's sales. Go to this link for complete fundraising information.

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