When the housing bubble burst, and home values plummeted, the tax dollars our school melted away, leaving school budgets desperately short. Some schools are passing the shortfall to students and their families, making them pay for basic supplies, books, and sports. But other schools are stepping up their fundraising efforts to make up the difference. If you’re looking for ways to help raise money for your school, I can help! I’ve been helping raise money for my daughter’s school, and here are 7 ways you can raise money for your school!
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Box Tops for Education
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So many of the prepared foods we buy, from Totino’s Pizza Rolls to Cheerios, come with a tin coupon worth about five cents each. Clip those little “Box Tops” coupons, collect them, and earn money for your school for things like sports equipment and books. A nickel per coupon doesn’t seem like much, I know, but if each child only brings in 20 coupons a year, for a school with only 250 students, that’s $250 a year!
Paper Recycling
Lots of waste management companies offer schools and other non-profits free paper recycling dumpsters, and pay the schools for each ton of paper they recycle. These bins are particularly successful in communities that don’t offer curbside recycling, and can pull in a lot of money, while doing something great for the environment.
Frequently asked questions
Vendor Night
In every school, there have to be a number of parents who are small business owners, selling Avon or Mary Kay or Tupperware or Candles. Some might own coffee shops or movie theaters, too. Ask the parents to all come in and sell their wares at the school for a vendor’s night. Each vendor either pays a fee for their table to sell their wares, or pays a percentage of their sales to the school. At the same time, the merchant parents can each donate an item or gift card from their business to offer at silent auction, with the proceeds going to the school. The parents get to earn money and spread the word of about their businesses, and the school gets to earn money… it’s a win-win!
Campbell’s Labels for Education
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Photo Credit: JennKstep
This program works just like the Box Tops for Education, only with Campbell’s Soups and related products. It’s been going for a bit longer, and each label is worth a little less, but it’s still a great program, and easy for the parents to support.
Family Movie Night
This one’s so easy and so much fun! Host an after-school or Friday night movie, and charge only a dollar per person to get in. Choose a new-release Disney-Pixar release, and it’s sure to sell out! An even more enterprising school can offer soda in a can and other snacks for a tidy profit, too.
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EcoPhones
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Photo Credit: Ravages
What happens to the old cell phones when we upgrade or buy new ones? Typically they just sit in a kitchen drawer, along with the used and empty inkjet cartridges from our home printers. Why not recycle those cell phones and inkjet cartridges, and other small electronics that are old and broken? You get your kitchen drawer back, save the environment, and earn money for your school.
Dances
Kids love dances, especially pre-teen and teen kids. For the younger crowd, ghost Daddy-Daughter dances, and for older kids, host dances with a theme, like a Halloween dance. Change a fee at the door, and refreshments. It’s easy, fun, and can make a lot of money!
These are just a few of the ways our school raises money, and I know there are so many more out there! How do you raise money for your school? What works best for your school, and why? Please let me know, so we can give it a go!
Top Photo Credit: educationdynamics
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