We spoke for over an hour, and I learned a great deal from her. Below, I have listed eight of the best tips she shared with me for running a carnival that makes a lot of money. If you would like to see an excellent example of a website set up just for a school carnival, check out their site here.

Here are a few of the ideas I picked up from our interview:

1. Use older students in the school to promote the carnival to younger students.

Barbara told me that their planning team recruited a handful of fifth graders (who are the oldest students at Tomahawk) to go into the younger classrooms and get the K to 4th graders totally fired up to attend. They made sure the students they chose were very outgoing and personable.

These mini-pep-rallies happened just a couple of weeks before the carnival itself. Barbara said that the fifth graders have much more “influence” over the younger kids than teachers, the principal, or the PTO volunteers do. Believe it or not, the fifth graders are “cooler” than adults. (Who knew?) The lesson is: If you want a lot of kids to convince their parents that they “have” to go to the carnival, get the older kids to stoke their passion!

2. Get teachers involved in the planning process.

Barbara said she learned this lesson the hard way. Two years ago, they had a number of teachers actually sit on the carnival planning committee. As a result, these teachers were very aware of all the latest news and deadlines, and they twisted the arms of the other teachers to support the event in their classrooms.

Last year, however, there was an unfortunate mis-communication that resulted in many teachers missing some key information about carnival planning, and consequently, teacher participation was way down. This hurt the overall effort.

The lesson is to be absolutely positive that each teacher is fully aware of all the vital dates, deadlines, forms, and other news that they should know. On a practical level, Barbara strongly recommends that you make sure teachers are actually reading the fliers that they are stuffing in their students’ homework folders. Many times a teacher gets busy and can miss vital information.

3. Use yard signs to promote the carnival.

One of the best marketing tools Barbara told me they use are the campaign-style yard signs that you see during political elections. She said they spent approximately $300 and purchased 50 or 60 very simple signs that read “Tomahawk Carnival This Saturday”. That’s it. Big bold letters. No date, no time, no directions. She said that more people comment to her about those signs than any other form of advertising they’ve tried. Also, since the message isn’t date specific, they can use the signs year after year. They just had to commit to the idea that their carnival would always be on a Saturday. Sometimes, low tech is the best approach!

4. Negotiate with any organizations who conflict with your carnival date.

Barbara told me that the only conflict they found on their carnival date was a youth football league in their city. A number of the students at Tomahawk play in this league, so she was fearful that the carnival attendance would be down.

Therefore, she went to the football league organizers directly and explained her situation. She asked them, well in advance of them creating their season schedule, if they could use her date as the “bye” week. She also asked if they could delay the start of the games that would be played that day until later in the afternoon, so the kids could still attend the carnival and then make the game in plenty of time.

Because she used the right approach, was respectful, and made her request far in advance, the league officials were able to work with her, and the conflict was resolved. The moral of the story is don’t be afraid to work with people to get what you want

5. Be careful not to lose money if you sell activity wristbands.

One of the interesting observations that Barbara shared with me involved the sale of wristbands that allow carnival-goers to participate in many of the games and activities without having to buy individual tickets. I really like the wristband concept for many reasons, but Barbara did have one warning.

Just this past year, Tomahawk decided to switch from a ticket-based system to exclusively using the wristband system. However, in reviewing the results of this experiment, she noticed that the school actually lost some money.

To explain, she used herself as an example. Last year, under the ticket system, she, personally, spent over $100 total at the event with her kids. That includes food and game tickets. She spent more than many other families, because she was there all day, organizing the event, and her kids were with her.

But, when the school switched to the wristband system this year, her total outlay was under $50! Same amount of kids, same food consumption. She realized that she spent way more money buying her kids individual tickets than she did buying the wristband, which was priced at $10. That was good for her personally, but bad for the school overall.

To make up for this gap, Tomahawk will raise the price of the wristband next year to $12, sell a combination of wristbands and individual tickets, and possibly increase the number of activities that the wristband doesn’t cover.

There are many advantages to selling activity wristbands. Just don’t make them so affordable, that you lose money.

6. Don’t buy expensive concessions to re-sell.

When it comes to picking your carnival menu, be careful not to pay too much for the food that you sell. For instance, in the past, Tomahawk has contracted with the fast food chain Chick-fil-A to provide their tasty chicken sandwiches. They get a deal from the restaurant because they are buying in bulk and because they are a non-profit.

However, they are still paying a relatively high price per sandwich. So, they can’t very well turn around and tack on a huge amount to make a substantial profit from their carnival customers. No one would buy the sandwiches at outrageous prices.

So, from a money-making perspective, make sure the food you’re selling is cheap enough (preferably donated!) for you to make a decent profit. Having a popular item, like a Chick-fil-A sandwich, is appealing, but ultimately, it is counterproductive to your goal to raise money.

7. Make sure parents know the carnival is a fundraiser, not just a feel-good get-together.

While this may seem like an obvious point to those of us deeply involved in volunteering at our children’s school, there are many parents who just don’t put two and two together. If your school carnival is meant to raise money, you need to make sure this message is heard loudly and clearly by everyone in your audience.

That means you’ll need to repeat it over and over again to make sure the concept sinks in. Barbara suggests putting this “fundraiser” disclaimer on every piece of written information that goes out to the community.

I would even suggest being very specific in telling moms and dads what the money will be used for. If you hope to convince parents to drop significant dollars on silly little games and to get locked up in a “jail”, you’re going to have to appeal to their logical sides and show them the bigger picture- i.e. the school’s financial need. Just don’t assume they know that you actually do want to raise some funds.

8. Don’t get too caught up in having a theme.

I asked Barbara if they used a different theme each year, like “Pirates” or “Day at the Farm”. She told me that their carnival takes place just before Halloween, so there are a few autumnal decorations, but overall, they didn’t want to get locked into the time or the expense that comes with rotating out a different theme every year.

There are many schools that do go the whole nine yards on costumes, decorations, and “atmosphere”, but Barbara thinks that by keeping themselves “theme-free” they can be flexible from year to year and never get pigeon-holed. Ultimately, by not using a theme, they save time and money.

Conclusion

Over the past four years of her involvement with the Tomahawk Elementary School Carnival, Barbara Rypkema has learned a great deal about putting on a first rate carnival event. All of the lessons above come from practical experience and first-hand trial and error. I want to thank Barbara for her time and willingness to share her expertise with me for this article.

If you would like to learn more about planning a successful school carnival, please visit my website, EverybodyHatesFundraising.com. I have many more free school carnival articles, as well as my 186 page e-book, The 2009-2010 School Carnival Money Making Guide.

Keep these ideas in mind to get parents involved and energized while working on your school project.

1. Clear Goals - When working on a school fundraiser, make sure that parents understand why you are doing this project. Do they know that the band needs new uniforms and funds to attend a special competition? Do they know your school needs new computers? Whatever the need is, make is specific and clear so that parents see a deadline and parents see a specific goal. Giving parents (or anyone), a specific goal makes it feel more achievable. Making your message clear helps them to fully understand the need for the fundraiser.

2. Make It Easy – Some parents may feel confident stepping into a fundraising assignment, but others may not have any experience. If you break down tasks into measurable goals, they may realize that this is something that they can achieve. Sometimes they may also realize that they have done something similar to this at work or for another organization – and this will make them feel more confident going into the task. Breaking down the task also gives them the opportunity to ask questions about what they feel most challenged about.

3. Good Leaders - Every project should have a leader that is concerned with the project, but they should also be concerned with developing future fundraisers for the school. How can they help new parents get involved and do their best for the school? By listening, by being available and by responding to questions. Sometimes simply knowing that someone is there to answer your questions and to listen to you gives you the confidence to go forward with your project.  So choose leaders carefully.

4. Do Less Fundraising - According to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers doing less fundraising is truly “less is more” in many ways for your fundraising efforts. If you make many fundraising “pleas” during the year, parents will grow weary of the drives and working on them. Those that donate will also grow tired of giving, or will be unable to give as often as you’d like. Having one or two fundraising efforts a year could be far more successful than many, smaller efforts.

5. Keep the Energy Up – Make your project seem exciting and stay positive about it. No one wants to work on something that is a real drag. Make meetings seem inviting by offering refreshments (coffee and cookies are quite inexpensive). Even if there are parts of your project that are challenging, keep a positive attitude about your fundraising project for your school and remind people that making an effort will have an impact.

6. Listen – Sometimes new volunteers come onto a project and they have ideas that could make a difference. They may be ideas that are a little off-the-beaten path, or they are not from the “tried and true” members of the Committee. Change is often necessary to be successful, and a good school fundraising project is open to change. Simply by listening to your volunteers you can be aware if changes need to be made. This will help you raise more funds and will most importantly, help you have strong relationships with your volunteers. This will keep them quite motivated.

7. Say “Thank You” – Thank volunteers early and often. What would you feel like if you gave your time to a project and people did not even say thank you when you completed it? Probably you would think twice about volunteering for them. Saying “Thank You” is a critical step in motivating volunteers each step of the way. At the end of a project it would be nice to send thank you notes, too. Parents who feel appreciated are more likely to volunteer for the next project.

Keeping volunteers motivated for your school fundraising project can take a little time and a little effort. But volunteers are valuable and our schools need terrific volunteers involved and dedicated to their success!

You would think that simply because the teachers were school employees, they would be more than happy to do whatever they could to make sure we had the funds needed to do things like purchase supplies, buy new textbooks, fund field trips, and cover payroll. Unfortunately, however, that wasn’t always the case.

I found that some teachers, not all, actually resent the fundraising process. They believe that they were hired to teach, and that’s it. I agree that teaching is an incredibly demanding job and these dedicated servants don’t get nearly the recognition nor the compensation for what they do on a daily basis.

However, a school, in my opinion, is a community, and everyone has to pitch in to make it work. One of my favorite movies is the film Gandhi with Ben Kingsley. There is a scene in which Gandhi’s wife refuses to “rake and cover the latrines” at their ashram, deeming that job for a lesser type of person. In no uncertain terms, her husband, a peaceful sort, straightens her out, and she finally agrees to “rake and cover the latrines”.

Now, I’m not saying that fundraising is analogous to cleaning a toilet, but you get the point. Nobody is too good to help at any job. That’s my motto.

So, I heartily believe that teachers should be active and cheerful fundraisers. No exceptions. If they believe enough in the school to accept a paycheck they should believe enough to sell some cookie dough, if that’s what it takes.

Here are ten strategies I used to win over the more reluctant educators.

1. Lay out the goal in front of them
If a teacher doesn’t see the end result before he or she agrees to actively participate, it’s going to be hard to get them on board with you. You have to give them more than “It all goes toward the budget…”. If you can be specific and say “We’re going to use all the proceeds from the fundraiser to buy new textbooks for next year,” you will get more people behind your effort.

2. Lay out the calendar for them
Teachers are planners, by nature. If you’re just winging it, you’re going to have some enemies. Develop a plan at the beginning of the year, think it through carefully, get others to help you review it, look for scheduling conflicts of any kind, and then set it in stone. If you can give a year-long fundraising calendar to the teachers before the school year starts in September, you will achieve the goal of not angering them later on. I discovered that teachers need notice of changes. Sudden course corrections don’t go over well.

3. Take away as much administration from them as possible
I never saw a teacher who was sitting around with nothing to do. Most often, you’d find them buried behind stacks of homework papers and tests and their weekly lesson planner close at hand. The last thing a teacher wants or needs is to be given more paperwork. If you hold a fundraiser that requires a lot of administrative work, like filling out rosters, recording money in, collecting and filing order sheets, or organizing letter-writing campaigns, you’re going to lose a lot of your teacher support. They just don’t have the time.

While there are many factors that go into selecting a quality fundraiser for your school, one of the criteria must be an easy implementation that can be mostly carried out by your school office or a reliable volunteer. Do not stick the teachers with secretarial work!

4. Make the fundraiser popular enough where it sells itself and the teacher doesn’t have to coax them to participate
It is unwise to expect your teachers to be cheerleaders of the fundraiser. You may wish them to fill that role, but you will be disappointed more often than not. This is especially true if you have an extended fundraiser that spreads over a few weeks. The enthusiasm will fade quickly after the initial roll out. So, make sure your event or sale or whatever has enough appeal with the students and their parents where the teacher doesn’t have to keep encouraging them to participate.

5. Show them a clear priority list of what things will be cut without raising the funds
I know this sounds a little like blackmail, but whatever works, right? Sometimes your hands have to get a little dirty in school fundraising! I found that some teachers (again- not all) are like children. They think there is a money tree out in the backyard and mom and dad just go a-picking whenever something is needed. It really shocked me when I discovered this mentality among professional adults. I had to explain that there was no money tree, and if we didn’t meet our pre-established fundraising goals, we would not be able to go on this field trip or have that assembly or whatever. Once they realized I was serious, the message sunk in. I know that fear is not the best means of motivation, but it does have its pluses.

6. Make sure the teachers feel appreciated for their extra effort
This is an easy one to do, but also an easy one to forget. Of course, we always stress to thank our donors and volunteers, but we can’t forget to really stroke our teachers for all they do. And in my experience, the best way to do this is to do it twice. Once in person and once in a written card. It may take a little time and attention to ensure you don’t forget anybody, but in the long run, it is well worth your effort. As I mentioned, a lot of teachers feel that fundraising is NOT what they were hired for, so they are actually doing you a favor. While this attitude ticked me off, I swallowed my feelings to ensure that I could go back to them for future fundraisers.

7. Create an incentive of a “teacher” prize
This idea works with some people and doesn’t with others, but it’s worth trying out. To keep the teachers encouraging their kids throughout the duration of the fundraiser, think about holding a private teacher contest for the class that raises the most. You could set up a prize like a gift card to a restaurant or maybe even a day off, if you have the flexibility to do that. Some teachers will hate this idea and won’t want to participate, but others who have a competitive side to them will jump at this chance and it could really increase your bottom line.

8. Make sure teachers are familiar with what’s going on with the PTO or PTA group
I was surprised to find out how little involvement some teachers had with the parent-teacher group at their school. I guess some teachers viewed this as Just Another Meeting (JAM) they had to attend, and many ended up skipping the meetings all year long. I found this a bit self-defeating as the parents likewise had busy schedules, but they still found time to meet and work on ways to get much-needed funding for the school.

So, I would highly recommend making attendance at some of the PTO meetings mandatory. Teachers should at least show up at a handful during the course of a school year, just to show gratitude.

I did find that teachers who went to these meetings were often more willing to participate in fundraisers and generally had a better experience in the social fabric of the school community.

9. Make sure you follow through with everything you promise, so they can’t fault you later
This falls in the category of “CYA” (Cover Your Backside). If you are expecting your teachers, most of whom hate fundraising, to give it their all and jump through all the extra hoops, you had better deliver on what you promise them, namely solid organization and leadership. If you screw up deadlines, miss delivery dates, lose orders, or generally drop the ball, the teaching staff is going to see you as a fraud and not give their best effort, either. Be very careful- the teachers are watching you!

10. Make sure you report results to them, so they can see the fruits of their labor
This idea goes along with the recommendation of starting your fundraiser with a clear goal. It is equally important to frame the results of your fundraising efforts for your teachers when it is all over. Teachers, like most other people, like closure. If they invest their time, energy, and money, they would definitely like to know who you did. And, you can be a little more frank with your staff than you would be with the parents and other donors.

Break down things for them. Let them know where you think you did well and where you can improve. Ask them for their input and suggestions for the future. It will make the teachers feel like more a part of the team and potentially more willing to get on board next time.

Conclusion
Of course, it would be nice to have a money tree in the back yard. And the side yard. And the front yard. But, since that is not the case, you need to gather together all the support you can when trying to raise money- not everybody’s favorite undertaking.

I always saw teachers as the “front line” of our school community, so they need to be encouraged and supported at every opportunity. In return, however, you need them to use their positions of influence over the students to keep them selling tickets to auctions, hawking tubs of cookie dough, or writing letters to their Great Aunt Sally to raise the funds that are required by our schools today.

Photo by John Spooner

I would also guess that you have a pretty good relationship with your child’s teacher. After all, the teacher sees your child for six or seven hours a day for 180 days per year. That’s a lot of influence he or she can have on your offspring. Of course, it’s a good idea to know who that person is.

As a former elementary school principal, I witnessed the spectrum of relationships that parents have with teachers, and I’ve heard the “secret” teacher lounge chatter about those relationships. Therefore, I think I can offer a few suggestions on ways for parents to say thank you that will be truly meaningful to and appreciated by your child’s teacher.

1. Volunteer in the Classroom
Most classrooms are overcrowded. That is to say that the ratio of teachers and aides to students is higher than anyone would want. This isn’t only distressing to the parents, but it is also a source of great concern for the teachers. By and large, teachers really do desire excellence, but many times, the numbers make that an elusive goal.

Therefore, I would find a way to volunteer your time as a part-time classroom aid. I’ve seen a mom volunteer one hour per week to listen to students read. The teacher really appreciated that, because the kids got more individualized instruction.

Maybe it’s something you can only do once per month. However, if you pool your time with three other parents, that’s a once-per-week help the teacher is getting, and that’s significant.

2. Volunteer to Sub
This idea may work more easily in a smaller private school. At the school I worked in, we could only offer our teachers a handful of paid days-off per year. It wasn’t fair, but we didn’t have the budget to pay the teacher and a sub for the same time.

Therefore, on a few occasions, we had parents volunteer to sub for the teacher with no pay. Of course, the parents had to meet our guidelines for substitute teachers, but we didn’t have to take a hit in our budget. The teachers felt like they were playing hooky. It was great for morale. This was easily one of the most popular gifts any teacher received all year.

In a public school setting, I’m not sure if this would work, given teacher union issues or concerns by state regulations. If this interests you however, discuss it with the principal of your child’s school to see if it’s feasible.

3. Volunteer to Grade Papers, Prepare Craft Projects, Etc.
One of the biggest drags on a teacher is the whole paper grading thing. I was always seeing teachers lug around big stacks of papers they had to grade. They graded during staff meetings, they graded during lunch, they graded during dental appointments. (Just kidding.)

I also noticed that for teachers of younger students, craft projects usurped a lot of their time. They always seemed to be cutting out odd shapes from colored construction paper. Some people carry a cell phone on their belt. Kindergarten teachers carry a scissors holster.

Therefore, I would propose that a great way to express your thanks to your child’s teacher would be to volunteer to take some of this burden away from them. Offer to grade a stack of papers or to prepare two dozen art projects. This will be a huge time-saver and will allow the teacher to focus more on teaching and less on the busy work.

4. Gift Card to Wal-Mart
Ok, I know this will sound a little bit cheesy, but I’ve seen a lot of gifts given to teachers and while I don’t want to be a spokesman for Wal-Mart, I would have to say that the most popular token of appreciation given to a teacher was a simple gift card to Wal-Mart.

I think it’s ok to forego the need to get a personalized gift somehow. Teachers have enough mugs. They have enough paperweights. They have their own schedule books. Trust me. A $25 gift card to Wal-Mart is very much appreciated. It’s practical, useful, and flexible. You don’t have to worry about getting the wrong size or wondering if someone else already gave them one of “those”.

5. Make Sure To Send in Snacks
Before I had kids, I read all the parenting books. I was a lit major in college, so I love to read, and I thought I would learn everything I would ever need to know though these guides.

However in all the books I read, there was one item that was consistently omitted, forgotten about, and dismissed. And, here I’m going to give it to you free: The Snack. The second your child becomes part of a group activity involving other children, “The Snack” becomes the central focus of all attention. When my son joined soccer, he was first handed the snack schedule and then the game schedule. I’m not kidding.

Anyway, many teachers ask that parents take turns sending in a healthy snack for the entire class. A lot of parents blow this off and the cupboard is often bare. This puts the teacher in a tough spot of either not giving the kids a snack or else she has to spring for it herself.

So, if you can remember to send in a box of Goldfish crackers once a month or so, you’ll be doing the teacher a great favor she will really appreciate it.

6. Volunteer to Be a Chaperon/Driver for Field Trips
Because so many parents have to work, this is a much harder role to fill. However, classrooms do need volunteers to chaperon field trips or in some cases act as drivers for these outings. Teachers are often put in the tough position to have to find these people. Trust me; this is a thankless job, and not one the teachers were dreaming about when they first decided to enter the teaching profession.

If you are able to be a reliable chaperone/driver, you will make a friend for life in the teacher!

7. Stay in Touch, Be Involved
This may seem like a cop-out when it comes to an expression of thanks, but in all actuality, this one’s very important to teachers. Being a teacher is more than just a job. It’s a calling. Therefore, teachers really pour their hearts and souls into what they do. But, this isn’t a one-way street. If they send home a newsletter, read it. If they ask you to sign a report card, sign it and send it back the next day. So many times, even at a private school, I’d hear the teachers talking about parents who never sent stuff back. Or about those who had no clue what was going on. It really depressed them.

The thing is, I knew these “deadbeat” parents, and they weren’t bad people. Most were just busy. If this description applies to you, please find a way to carve out a few minutes each day to go though your child’s backpack. Most nights, there won’t be anything to worry about. But on those occasions when the teacher does send something home, you’ll be on top of it, and that will be a huge gift to your child’s teacher.

8. Take Lots of Photos
If you are a parent who is able to spend some regular time in the classroom or on field trips, I would suggest that you bring along a digital camera. Take lots of photos of all the kids in the class. Get lots of close-ups and action shots. Make sure you don’t miss anybody.

At the end of the year, organize the best of the pictures and organize them onto a CD or even a scrapbook that you will give to the teacher. This kind of a virtual scrapbook is a wonderful keepsake.

9. A Cuppa Joe
Here’s one that’s pure pleasure. Find out what kind of morning drink your child’s teacher likes and make a point to pick one up for her on occasion. A specialty coffee or tea is really a nice way to let the teachers know how much you appreciate them on a daily basis.

10. Introduce Her to Top School Fundraisers
Finally, if you really love not only your child’s teacher, but all of the teachers and administrators at the school, I would whole-heartedly recommend turning them on to TopSchoolFundriasers.com. You already know what a great resource this is. Plese share the love with anyone who would benefit from our unique brand of educational wit and wisdom!

Conclusion
Even though there is a whole week devoted to Teacher Appreciation, I would suggest that you engage in this practice during the entire school year. Think about all the times your own kids have caused you some stress. Now imagine 25 of them all day long! Have a heart! Love your kids’ teachers!

“We really think this fundraiser will be an efficient one. It differs from the classic cookie dough and catalog sales that we do every year and it is very educational and beneficial for the participants.” says Mark Kennedy, Treasurer and past-president of the PTA Board. “Music is a very important art at Hudson and we are glad our children will be able to get involved with the Symphony of the Southwest,” added Andy Gutierrez, president of the PTA.

As a special prize for students, whoever sells the most tickets will be invited to attend a dress rehersal performance at the Ikeda Theater of the Mesa Arts Center.

“We are very proud of our recent accomplishments and profoundly grateful to our supporters for their loyalty and generosity. Because of them, we are here today as a vibrant and growing ensemble and we look forward to continuing to enrich lives and engage with valley communities for decades to come,” says Skip Carney, SSW board of directors’ president.

Source: EVLiving.com

So many organizations, schools and various causes are now fundraising. They also seem to be fundraising more frequently during the year, or running year-long fundraisers. It is important to keep your fundraising efforts motivated and focused so people do not feel burned out and tired.

Although some may feel fundraising fatigue, many Americans support their schools’ efforts enthusiastically according to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers. In the 2005-6 school year, 8 out of 10 Americans purchased a consumer item to support a school fundraiser. 9 out of 10 parents purchased a consumer item to support a school fundraiser.

One suggestion for fundraising according to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers is to do less fundraisers and to do them more effectively. Many fundraisers are a strong cause of burnout. Setting a time limit for your fundraiser is also important. This encourages full participation during the time limit, along with the guarantee that there will not be another fundraiser within a certain amount of time. The Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers suggests two to three fundraisers a year for a school’s strongest fundraising success.

Source: AFRDS.org