Connecting Schools With Great Fundraising Ideas.

One of the greatest challenges non-profit organizations face today is keeping up with technological advancements. As we saw in the Obama campaign for president, a non-profit armed with the latest gadgets and gizmos can really accomplish something amazing. Of course, no computer program or instrument is ever going to replace human passion and drive, but the bells and whistles certainly make the job a little easier.

However, most of the non-profits out there are not as well funded as the Obama campaign, so creative means must be found to underwrite the expense of acquiring such technological tools.

In the first part of this article, I want to identify a handful of the items that are very popular right now in the educational realm, although many of these devices can be adapted for use in other non-profit environments, such as museums, senior centers, or community-based organizations. In the second part, I’ll look at some solutions for finding help funding these rather expensive items.

I saw first-hand how in-demand these items are, when we were going through the applications for the 2009 Top School Fundraiser educational grant program. Schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade, all across the United States and Canada, were invited to share with us a particular need in their school that was related to learning. (To find out more about the grant click here.)

Here are some of the ways we saw computer-based technology being introduced in classrooms. You’ll clearly see why educators would want these items. continue reading

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I am happy to announce the next award recipient is P.S. 168/M.S. 203 in Bronx, New York.  This school serves children from Kindergarten to 12th grade who have disabilities, such as autism, emotional disturbances and learning disabilities.   Many of these students also face other personal struggles as well.  95% of the students are on the free or reduced lunch program.

Teacher Nicole Sivilich who applied for the grant said, “Students with these disabilities are more likely to learn using computer technology over the standard lecture classroom teaching. We would like to see more of our students increase their social and learning skills using technolgy.”

Unfortunately this school is severely lacking in working computers.   High school grade students need computers for preparing for state tests, doing research and writing papers. Children in grades K-2 use a reading program called Preventing Academic Failure and practice basic reading concepts like sight words. While this $2000 grant may only provide a few computers, the school is also applying for other grants as well.

Teachers and administrators at Bronx schools have shown resourcefulness in other areas as well. 23% percent of schools in the Bronx are without a gym or safe area to have physical education.   Some schools are doing fundraising on their own to get a gym while others like PS 168 are using other available facilities.

The Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation (SASF), a non-profit based in Queens, which has received funding from the City Council to connect schools with nearby – and often underutilized – community centers. In the 2007-08 school year, the program served 2,000 students from 40 schools in Brooklyn and Queens. And in December, two Bronx schools – PS 168 on Morris Avenue and PS 754 on Jackson Avenue – enrolled. Students are bused to Bronxdale Community Center on Rosedale Avenue in Soundview, where they play basketball and other sports in what is a state of the art gymnasium.

From: Educators Seek New Ways to Put Physical Education on the Menu

Just like with the challenge of providing physical education and play time, Principal Rosa Nieves Greene and her staff are being resourceful to get the technology to aid student learning in the classroom.  Congratulations P.S. 168/M.S. 203; may you be encouraged in the great work you are doing to help children in your community!

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At my daughter’s elementary school, she is taught “The Be Rules”. These are:

1. Be Responsible
2. Be Respectful
3. Be Safe

They are painted on the wall near the main entrance to the school. You can’t miss them when you walk in. Little bumble bees are painted along side of them. (Break these rules and you’ll be stung by a bee? Just kidding, kids!)

I pass by these rules everyday when I go to pick her up. I genuinely like how most of the other rules in the school can be boiled down into one of these three categories- responsibility, respectfulness, and safety.

Since my mind is always thinking about school fundraising, I started to wonder if we could reduce all (or at least a bunch of) the fundraising advice we give on this site into our own “Be Rules”.

For starters, I’ll steal one of the Be Rules from my daughter’s school- “Be Respectful”. Here are some examples of ways you can be respectful in a fundraising context: continue reading

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Welcome to another edition of the Top School Fundraisers Resource Round-up! Here are some interesting articles I’ve come across recently about the topic so near and dear to our hearts. Enjoy!

First of all, here is a creative waythat two schools in Boca Raton, Florida, have raised thousands of dollars, but now city officials have something to say about it. From the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Next up, I found this article in the Bellingham (WA) Herald about how religious private schools are faring better in raising money than non-religious private schools or public ones, for that matter.  Very interesting.

Here’s a short and funny article about admitting your grown-up fundraising fears and how to overcome them for the sake of your child.

This is a topic I’ve talked about before. Make sure your school’s PTO/PTA has adequate safeguards in place to protect the group’s financial assets from embezzlement. From KHSL-TV in California.

This article’s title speaks for itself- “10 Reasons I Hate School Fundraisers”. It’s from the blog Thrifty Mommy and brings up some good points, although I think each one of her points are solvable. Hmmm… Maybe some future blog posts…

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Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a really interesting guy, who has a really interesting take on fundraising.

His name is Michael Gibbons, and if there is a more enthusiastic guy about his own cause out there, I haven’t met him. Michael is the founder and president of a new company called Buttons of Hope. He lives with his wife and children in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I caught up with Michael on the phone just a few days ago.

Before we spoke, however, I took a few minutes to read over all the great information posted on his website, buttonsofhope.com. I learned that the company motto is “Putting a Face on Fundraising” and that is exactly what they do.

Basically, the idea behind Buttons of Hope is very simple. Let’s say a cheerleading squad needs to raise money for equipment. Somebody, like their coach or a parent volunteer, would take individual head shot photos of each cheerleader on a digital camera. Then the photographer would email the raw, unedited photos to Michael at Buttons of Hope. Michael would crop the pictures, add whatever text was desired to the photos, and then turn them into 2.25 inch buttons that can be pinned on shirts, jackets, or backpacks, for instance. continue reading

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