The Parent Teacher Organization of Franklin Elementary School in city, state raised $25,000 to install a new playground for their children. Funds were raised over a two year period through several different fundraisers.

Franklin Elementary School PTO of Sterling, Illinois purchased a 40-by-40-foot structure with four slides, a rock wall, climbers and a bridge. They found their community very supportive of their efforts. The Wal-Mart Distribution Center donated food, McDonald’s and the Candlelight Inn donated coolers, drinks and ice for volunteers that come to install equipment for the day. What a great way for local businesses to support a school!

The Hudson Elementary School of Tempe, Arizona partnered with the Symphony of the Southwest for an entertaining and musical fundraiser to benefit the school this fall. The Hudson Elementary School PTA sells individual tickets to the Symphony of the Southwest concerts. They collect more than 35% of the sale price as a school fundraiser. The tickets are also offered to the public at a reduced price, less than 20% the original price. What a lovely way to support your local school, and have a great evening at the same time!

Cathy Bentley, owner of Capitola Coffee Roasters in Capitola, California has a unique fundraiser for local schools. She has a coffee fundraiser that allows students to raise 50 percent of the price of each bag of coffee they sell. Students at the Mar Vista Elementary School in Aptos and also at the Mountain Elementary School in Soquel have raised funds through this java based fundraising program.

You may be wondering, how can you get your local businesses involved with your schools? Get out in the neighborhood and introduce yourself to your local businesses. Ask local businesses for their partnership with your events. Invite them to your programs, plays, fairs and special events so they can see how wonderful and unique your school truly is. Just like on the playground, in order to make a friend you need to go over to the other person and ask them if they want to be your friend!

Why are discount cards a good fundraiser? 

• In demand product – Provides year-long savings to your supporters (So they are easy to sell!)
• Cards are affordable – cards retail for $10
• High profit margin – your group earns $7-9 per card!
• Small cards are easy to transport – An advantage over other product sales with bulky boxes or foods that require refrigeration
• Can be repeated every year

The discount card company that I recommend is Fast Track fundraising.  In fact in June of this year I got a chance to meet Roger and Chris of Fast Track and “grill them” about what discount cards are all about.

One of the things that Roger pointed out is that while Fast Track advises you on how to get merchants, they do not make solicitation calls for you.  There’s a good reason for this… “Other companies promise that they will get the merchants for you. That sounds easier at first, but actually we have found that when groups solicit local businesses directly they have better results. Then we are able to offer lower prices on the cards so the groups raise more money.”

This makes a lot of sense. Business owners and managers may not even take the call of a sales company. They are much more likely to speak to a volunteer directly involved with the group the sales benefit, especially if it’s someone they know.

So it it better to call, mail a letter or make a personal visit? From their experience working with hundreds of groups, Fast Track recommends face to face visits. Prepare a letter ahead of time and make copies of it and the merchant agreement form provided by Fast Track. Just ask to speak to the manager and if they are not available, leave the material and call them back later.

Chris even says that “groups who bring kids are 3 times as likely to be successful.” Wow! So school groups, sports teams, and youth have a real advantage.

Besides all their years of experience that will help your fundraiser be more successful, Fast Track has several other advantages:

1. The custom discount cards are full color, front and back, and each side is fully customizable.

   
   View more samples – card front or card back

2. They are a durable plastic, similar to a credit card.
3. Low cost, just $1-3 each depending on quantity
4. High Fundraising potential – up to 90% Profit.
5. Free to start – no initial investment.
6. 48 hour turnaround time – cards printed & shipped within 48 hours after approval for orders less than 1000.
7. Your fundraiser can be completed in 30 days or less!

So is your group ready to work with the Custom Discount Card Experts at Fast Track Fundraising? Request more information now

This guide contains many practical tips on how to make your next carnival a success. Jim provides advice based on his own experience and from those of other school volunteers like you. Besides just planning the carnival, the book helps you reach the goal of making the carnival a great school fundraiser.

This book will save you lots of time and add a fresh, creative twist to your event. Check it out: the School Carnival Guide

Here’s what Karen had to say about experiencing these whiteboards for herself:

How did I go from an interactive whiteboard skeptic to evangelist? I saw the Promethean in action and heard teachers talk about how this kind of technology changes how they teach and reach our kids.

So here’s my big take away for principals, school boards, parent organizations and teachers: Get parents pumped about the technology you want by helping us experience it! Let us know how it helps you do your job better and helps improve learning outcomes (while saving time and money, even better).  If you can do that…we will work (hard) to find ways to fund it!

7 ways to fundraise or find grants so your school can get an interactive whiteboard:

1. Take a look at some of Karen’s suggestions for demonstrating SMART Boards. Offer multiple opportunities for students, families, teachers, administrators and school board members to experience these.



2. Form a committee or work through the PTA/PTO to decide on a fundraiser specifically for these.
3. Sign up for an online donation platform such as GiveForward or Donors Choose and launch an online donation drive.
4. Create an online fundraiser so that people have an additional way to help while they will get a valuable gift in return.
5. Sign up for the Pepsi Refresh grant program.  Winners are determined by voting, so launch a publicity campaign to get the most votes possible.
6. Visit Grants Alert and search for grants that your school would qualify for.
7. When you decide on one or more of these strategies, publicize your efforts throughout the community.  With online fundraising efforts families can even request support from relatives that live out of town.

It may takes some time and work, but getting funding for interactive whiteboards like the SMART Board can greatly improve the quality of education in your schools.  With some enthusiastic parents on your side, you’ll be on your way to success.

Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) knows how hard you work for your kids and your community and we’re dedicated to helping your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe’s.

Click here to see if you are eligible!

All you have to do is go to the website www.catalogs.com/teachers and answer the question: “Why does your class deserve to win a gift certificate from eNasco.com and how will you put the school supplies to good use?”

This contest runs through runs through Wednesday, September 30, 2009.  Tell all the teachers you know to sign up for this contest.  They could win some great materials to outfit the class for the school year!

• You have commitment ahead of time so you know how many people to expect at the actual event.
• They are fun, competitive events that people enjoy participating in.
• You can hold additional fundraisers at the tournament: food/drink sales, raffles, auctions, etc.
• Tournament fundraisers are great for all ages!

Here’s a list of some of the most popular tournaments and links to resources to help you plan them:

Some of the best tournaments appeal to a wide audience:

Team sports tournaments are great for elementary to high school students (and even adults)

Volleyball: An Annual Volleyball Remembers a Special Girl

Basketball: A three-on-three basketball tournament or a Shoot for the Hoop game

Soccer: The Ultimate Guide to Running Your Own Soccer Tournament

Bowling: Bowling Tournaments for Fun and Fundraising

Not quite a tournament, but football contests can be fun!

Individual sports are also great… Tennis Tournaments a Successful Fundraiser in Any Season

And there’s golf tournaments of course: Three Important Steps to Planning a Charity Golf Outing

Think beyond traditional sports. How about…

Pool Tournaments are great for anytime of year: Annual Pool Tournament Fundraiser a Success

You could have a darts contest the same night as the pool tournament.

A horseshoe tournament might sound old-fashioned but it’s easy to add on to another outdoor event.

Dodgeball Fundraiser lets you re-live your school days.

or for summertime fun, a dodgeball tournament using water balloons!

For those who’d rather exercise brains than brawn:

Your fundraiser passes GO with a Monopoly game tournament.

Or choose another board game instead.

Bunko is a fun game that’s easy to learn.

A trivia night is sure to bring out the competitve spirit!

Art teacher Wanda Boudreaux said:

Students who are involved in the process of thinking critically and creatively are apt to succeed in more subjects. We believe in the “multiple intelligences” approach to learning and understand the importance of curriculum integration and crossover in teaching. Our experience in teaching visual art provides overwhelming evidence in support of these beliefs.

After taking inspiration from a well-known piece of art students acquire new skills and practice techniques. Students engage in projects that challenge them to create an original response. We present a wide variety of activities in order to promote discovery and experimentation with materials and methods. Among that broad range of art making experiences, grade appropriate projects have included photography, shaded drawings, paintings, collages, installation art, printmaking and sculptures.

Our goal is to help students develop a strong relationship with art, which they will carry with them as they grow.  Children’s spirits are an open door through which art is eagerly embraced. Our Art Program provides a necessary opportunity to inspire the creative and critical thinking that, while deepening their individual humanity, also gives students’ greater success in all subjects.

To recognize the importance of fine arts and this presentation in particular, we selected Will Rogers as an Honorable Mention. Congratulations Will Rogers students, parents and teachers.  Keep up the great work!

View the full page one

View the full page two

The problem the school faced was low achievement in the area of science.  Here’s how Principal Ratliff described the problem and what they are dong to solve it:

The current focus on Reading and Math in North Carolina has led to a deficit in Science instruction.  Our students scored very poorly on the Science EOG (End of Grade Test) 2007-2008.   Our teachers and students are heart-broken due to WES scoring 5% on the state science EOG.

We would like to create an atmosphere of wonder about the world of science.  The Science Learning Center Lab would enliven academic instruction by providing hands on experiments and observations.  The lab would be housed in a vacant classroom and would provide living habitats for students to explore.  We would like to include an aquarium, work stations, science kits, terrariums, plants, and technology in order to encourage inquiry based science teaching methods.  This will promote students’ understanding of inquiry based teaching, and the environmental factors that influence change.

The school has already obtained microscopes donated by a planetarium in the area.  The Top School Fundraisers grant of $1500 will provide equipment to round out the science lab including instructional materials and supplies for science experiments.

One of the reasons that we were so delighted to award the grant to this school is that they continue to work toward providing a quality education for students despite circumstances.  The economy has been tough on the area, and the community is now facing high unemployment due to the closure of several textile mills.  The school is classified as a Title I School, since 88% of the students receive free or reduced lunch. Principal Ratliff says that despite all this, “Our citizens have a history of hard work and resiliency” and the future will be hopeful.

I’ll write a special article for Wadesboro as well as each of the honorable mention schools soon.  For now here is a list of all of the schools that won.

Congratulations!

Grants awarded to these schools:

1. Fuller GT Magnet Elementary in Raleigh, NC – $2000 for 5th Grade trip to Washington DC
2. P.S. 168/M.S. 203 in Bronx, New York – $2000 for computers
3. Wadesboro Elementary School, Wadesboro, NC – $1500 for science lab equipment

These schools are recognized with an Honorable Mention. Each will receive $100 toward their project:

1. STAR Prep Academy, Culver City, CA – Computers
2. Loma Verde Elementary, Novato, CA – Elmo projector
3. Poinsettia Elementary, Carlsbad CA – Library books
4. Tattnall Square Academy, Macon, GA – Active slates
5. Will Rogers Learning Community (Elementary), Santa Monica, CA – Art Projects