However, when I actually find an instance of a PTO or a PTA doing something original and effective, I get really excited. And I want to write about it.

So, today, in the Hudson Hub Times Online, I found a short news blurb about an event the Hudson PTO held on November 9 and will hold again on November 16. Here is the blurb:

Have coffee with PTO

The Hudson PTO will offer all-new PTO Coffee Days at the Hudson Panera on Nov. 9 and 16 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. PTO members will answer questions, welcome feedback, and sign up existing Giant Eagle and Heinen’s Rewards cards in the PTO Rewards Program. In addition to rewards cards, visitors can learn how to support the Hudson schools by shopping online at favorite stores. They will learn how to get involved and details on upcoming PTO events and volunteer opportunities. For more information, call PTO President Becky Hinkle or visit www.HudsonPTO.org.

Wow. I love it! Here are a few things that really stand out to me.

1. The PTO is going to the people, rather than expecting people to come to them.

2. They are doing the work to sign people up for the grocery rewards cards, which is always an obstacle for people joining these programs.

3. They are giving people information about online shopping sites that will give the school rewards for referrals.

4. They will be having conversations with the public, which could lead to new friendships and collaborations.

5. They are driving business to Panera, which builds that relationship and will most likely lead to some kind of future donation to the school by the restaurant.

6. They are actively seeking volunteers. The atmosphere of a popular restaurant like Panera will give perspective volunteers the impression that this PTO is a fun, engaged, and active group. Way better than a school library!

7. They are doing the same event twice, so that people who miss it the first time, have another chance to participate.

Is your school’s PTO doing something radical like this? Or are you stuck, waiting for parents to show up to your school media center?

Come on! Take your show on the road! Go out and meet your parents where they are. Show them you are out in the world, too. Show them you like cool restaurants. Show them that the PTO is not a drag.

Photo by: Enokson

I came across a web site called fiverr.com.  It’s a site where people offer to perform a service or sell you a product, for the flat fee of $5.  Hence, the name- “fiverr”. (Don’t know why it’s spelled with two “r’s” but it is.)

Anyway, a lot of the stuff that’s advertised on the site is weird and not necessarily useful for a school fundraiser, but I did see a few people willing to make fliers, posters, banners, or any kind of advertisement for only $5!  This is something I have always been terrible with, so to find someone with talent willing to be artistically creative for that price definitely catches my attention.

Now, I’ve never used this service, so I can’t attest to the quality of the service myself, however, there are reviews for each provider, which should be helpful in making a decision.  For instance, in the screen shot below, you can see that this designer has a 99% approval rate.  66 people approved, while only one person did not.  For $5 that seems like a pretty good bet.  But, be sure to check it out for yourself.

Here’s a screen shot of what I’m talking about.

It’s not that I’m against alcohol in any way personally, it’s just that some people get carried away with drinking, and these few individuals can ruin the event for the rest of the audience. That can negatively impact your school’s reputation as a fundraising entity and make your job much harder.

As evidence, I included in my blog an excerpt from a news article that reported on a school auction that included alcohol sales, and some parents got drunk and started to swear loudly at each other, and they came to blows.

Today, however, I came across an article in the Times & Transcript online paper from New Brunswick, Canada, that highlights a local elementary school that has decided to hold an Oktoberfest Beer Garden fundraiser just for parents. No children would be allowed to attend.

According to the article, the planners of this event have done everything by the book. For example,

…the (Home & School) association has moved very cautiously to plan a positive, adults-only event. The fire inspector has been in to certify appropriate maximum numbers for such an event, the event is being limited to four hours, the special event liquor license limits the number of drinks that can be served, taxicabs and volunteer designated drivers will be available, and the event is scheduled to start more than six hours after the last student group, a basketball team, leaves the school that Saturday.

There has been some resistance to this idea, however. One parent thinks that the event should have been scheduled at an area tavern, instead of in the school building itself.

The organizers of the event did look into that possibility, but there would have been a financial price to pay for renting the facility, as well as other costs that would be avoided by holding it at the school. One organizer was quoted as saying, “that they looked at hosting it off-site, but the use of the gymnasium instead of a rented space will allow the event to pay for itself and be a fundraiser.”

So far, I’m right there with the fundraiser organizers. They’re trying to be creative in their approach to raising money, and they’re doing it transparently and in accordance with school district policies.

However, the main protester to this event made a very keen observation that really caught my eye when I read it. She said, that she finds is ironic “that fundraising chocolate bar sales are no longer allowed in schools because of Education Department policies on healthy living, but having students’ agendas used to send order forms home for parents looking to buy tickets to a beer garden is allowed.”

Wow. Great point.

The article didn’t go on to say how this issue was resolved, although I suppose the fundraiser went ahead as scheduled and the great people in that community just went right on, living with the irony that chocolate is forbidden, but booze is fine.

Ok, readers, what do you think of this very interesting situation? If chocolate sales are banned, should alcohol sales be banned, as well? Or should both chocolate and alcohol be ok to sell, as long as money for the school is being raised? Or do they have it right as it stands with one event allowed, while the other is not?

I’d love to hear what you think! Please let us know in the comment section!

Photo by: Maggie Hoffman

This idea comes from an article I read about a fundraiser held at the University of Maryland. However, with a few minor tweaks, it can be utilized in a middle or high school setting, as well.

Here’s the excerpt from the article:

Student organizers launched an “Ask Ryan” campaign last semester, where they chalked the phrase all over campus sidewalks, leaving students to wonder who Ryan was.

A few days later, those working with [the fundraising group] wore shirts that read, “I’m Ryan,” to get curious students to ask about the event.

So, for the cost of a box of sidewalk chalk or a few sheets of poster board, plus some cheap t-shirts you could really create some buzz in your school about your upcoming dance-a-thon, carnival, or auction- whatever event your school is holding.

Of course, the people who are organizing the “Ask Ryan” campaign will need to keep their information totally to themselves for the few days the buzz is growing.

And when they put up the poster boards or write “Ask Ryan” on blackboards, white boards, bulletin boards, bathroom mirrors, etc, they’ll need to do it before school starts, so no one sees them do it. Of course, the school administration should be informed, so they don’t accuse some poor kid actually named Ryan of vandalism.

This is a great way to get word of mouth advertising going for your event. And in this day and age where kids are hit with so many marketing messages each day, anything that will legitimately catch their attention and pique their curiosity is golden.

Photo by: o5com

So, what would I suggest then?

First of all, the PTO bulletin board should be updated regularly. I know this is a hassle, but it is a primary communications tool and shouldn’t be ignored. Think of it as a 3 dimensional Facebook page. Heck, a creative person could even decorate it as such. That would catch people’s eye when they walked bye for sure.

On the bulletin board, there should be a list of the schools fundraising priorities for the year. These are the things the PTO will be raising money for between September and June, and perhaps into the summer, as well.

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There should also be a printed calendar of what fundraisers the PTO will hold and when. I would even suggest listing the financial goal next to each fundraising event or sale.

In addition to these two items, I would further suggest that there is a clear explanation of the school’s passive fundraising campaign. Clearly state what kinds of items you are collecting, such as ink cartridges, soup labels, box tops, cell phone, or grocery receipts. Explain where the collection point is for each item and also what your goal is for the year. Be specific- 5,000 soup labels will get us “such and such” equipment. I would even create a mini-thermometer that you can color in to track the collection’s progress.

I would also try to find room on the bulletin board for updates on past fundraisers. People want to know if their donations were useful toward the goal. Don’t leave them hanging.

Of course, you can post announcements of upcoming fundraising events on the bulletin board as well. List dates, times, and any other pertinent information. And when that event has passed, write up and then post a report about it.

This bulletin board needs to be a living breathing document of your fundraising efforts. If it doesn’t change for weeks or months, I would bet that fundraising is not a priority at your school.

Besides the bulletin board, it wouldn’t take too much effort to create a few simple poster boards that encourage kids to bring in their box tops or remind them of their goal.

Some people may say, including folks at my kids’ school, that I’m placing too great an emphasis on fundraising. That the school should be a refuge from all the marketing messages our kids get assaulted with everyday.

I agree that in a perfect world it would be nice to protect our kids from all this money talk, but we don’t live in a perfect world. If our school has items it would like to purchase or field trips it would like to schedule, but the budget won’t allow it, we have to fundraise.

And if we have to fundraise, then let’s do it right with a full, concentrated effort.

Photo by: ilovebutter

But, as with any other product, you can’t just expect consumers to beat a path to your door- even if the product is as important as their children’s future. You’ve got to go out and grab their attention.

Therefore, it is vital that your sales pitch is interesting, attractive, and convincing. If you don’t give any thought or put any effort into your marketing campaign to raise money, then you won’t have the success you’re hoping for.

I was reminded of this just recently when I went into my own children’s elementary school. I was a few minutes early to pick them up, so I stopped by the PTO bulletin board in the front entrance way area. There was a picture of the five smiling ladies who are on the board of the PTO tacked up there. There were also a few fliers stapled up from various kids’ sports leagues, and I saw an old notice about a father/daughter dance put on by the local 4H.

And that was it. Pretty bare.

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There is a drinking fountain right next to the bulletin board. I saw that there was a plaque on the wall, right above it. It said “Drinking fountain provided by Your PTO”. That was nice.

Then I scanned the rest of the main entrance area, right outside the school office. It’s a decent size space, with a large aquarium, a seating area, hallways leading off to the classroom wings, and a set of double doors that open into the gym/cafeteria.

Sadly, in the rest of that large space, there was no other sign that our school had a PTO. When I walked down to my kids’ classrooms, I continued looking for signs of their existence. Nothing. There were lots of finger-painted masterpieces taped up on the walls, but nothing from the fundraising arm of the school.

Now, I have met the ladies on our PTO, and all of them are very nice. They give of themselves much more than most parents at the school. If it weren’t for them, even less would get down around there. So I greatly appreciate their efforts.

However, none of these ladies are salesmen. Neither is our school principal, for that matter. We have a school that is being run by people who care deeply about kids, but they don’t know how to sell, sell, sell.

So, what would I expect from a PTO bulletin board? What should be taped up on the walls?

To be continued…

To read a checklist of PTO items I’d like to see around the schools, check back here tomorrow!

Photo by: PlayfulLibrarian

“School Resorts To Over The Phone Fundraising”

Now, my immediate reaction to this headline was that something bad had happened. A fundraiser had failed and now the school has to “resort” to raising money by phone.

I even checked the dictionary to make sure the word “resort” had that kind of negative connotation I was imagining. And, indeed, old Merriam-Webster said that the definition of “resort” is “to have recourse”.  Sort of like having a “Plan B”.

The article itself, although very short, didn’t help to lessen the tone of desperation. Here is the text in its entirety.

A recent spending freeze at the Santa Barbara School District is already having an impact in the classroom.

Parents of students at Santa Barbara Jr. High are trying to raise money for programs the district can no longer afford.

Parents and Principal John Becchio will gather Tuesday night to call as many parents as they can. They’ll be asking for money.

PTSA members say budget cuts are starting to impact students in the classroom. So, they stepped up their fundraising efforts to make ends meet.

Only 85 words. And some of these 85 words struck me: “… are trying to raise…”, “Parents and Principal will gather Tuesday night to call as many parents as they can.”

Oh, boy.  This does not sound good.

Obviously, I don’t blame the school for trying to raise much-needed revenue. I’m glad they are addressing the need. However, whenever I’ve been part of planning a fundraiser, we’ve always managed to muster a little more enthusiasm and put together more of a plan than what this article is suggesting.

So, as I read this and thought about it a little bit, I knew I had to write about it.

Obviously, I can’t know for sure what the mood around this particular school is. Maybe it’s just a lousy press release, and the school really does have enthusiasm and a solid plan. But, as I said, all I know for certain, is what I read in this short article.

Given that, I’m going to list all of the things I can think of that could go terrible wrong with a phone-a-thon fundraiser that’s been put together at the last minute, as a last “resort”. I’d love to hear any suggestions that you might have, as well. Just leave them in our comment section!

Eight things that could go horribly wrong:

1. This could come off as poorly planned and haphazard in execution. According to this article, the phone-a-thon is planned for Tuesday, which I’m guessing would be right away. And with the overtones that this attempt is something that has to be “resorted” to, I smell a rush job. And rush jobs never turn out well. Lots of room for mistakes.

2. With so little time to prepare, the volunteer phone staff would probably receive very little training. So, they would have little opportunity to work on a high-quality script. As a result, each person could have a different spin on what the school’s message actually is. I’m reminded of the children’s game “Operator” inwhich a message is whispered along a line of people, and the original message is completely changed around by the time it reaches the end of the line. For a fundraiser, this could be BIG TROUBLE.

3. This one is going to make me sound mean, but if you are scrambling to put together a last minute phone-a-thon, you’re invariably going to wind up with volunteers who have absolutely no business making phone calls to other human beings. And if you get one of these folks on your call team, you are likely going to end up causing more harm than good. I don’t think the families at home who get called by one of these nuts will appreciate it.  You know what I mean.

4. Another risk you take with having an untrained staff, is that asking people for money is not an easy thing. It takes preparation, experience, tact, sensitivity, patience, enthusiasm, and empathy. You can offend someone pretty easily if you say the wrong thing when asking for a donation. By holding the phone-a-thon “this coming Tuesday” there’s probably not the time to get the staff who have all these qualities. There is a real possibility that some of your potential donors will be offended, even unintentionally,  during this phone fundraiser.

5. I’ve participated in phone-a-thons before, and one thing that is very difficult to do well is keep good records of who’s been called, whether you got through to the person, if you had to leave a message, if there was just no answer at all, if the number has been disconnected, and so forth. With a whole team of people making dozens of calls at the same time, there is a huge risk of totally making a mess of all these notes. It’s highly likely that all kinds of errors will be made. And, of course, errors like these, make the folks placing the calls in the first place look stupid.

6. The next problem is that millions of people in this country do not like getting unsolicited phone calls at home in the evening. That’s why there is a national “Do Not Call” list. I understand that these calls being made are for their children’s school, but it’s still a call that can interrupt a family’s evening. Therefore, there will be a percentage of the school’s call list that will be angry.

7. Building on this last point, I think that the results from a phone-a-thon could be negatively skewed because so many people have caller ID functions on their phones. It would be very easy for them to just not pick up the phone and not return the call.

8. A possible unintended side effect of a last minute phone-a-thon is that all of the possible anger coming from the people being called, the overall disorganization of a haphazardly planned event, and the general ineffectiveness of the method could actually turn the volunteer callers off of volunteering in general. You could lose some really devoted helpers because they had such a terrible experience working the phone-a-thon. Be careful.

Conclusion

Did I forget anything? Can you think of any other ways a phone-a-thon of last resort could go wrong for this school? I certainly hope none of what I wrote above comes to pass and that this school makes all the money they need. My only goal with writing this article was to point out that fundraisers need to be well-planned and thought-out. Let me know what you think!

Photo by: Trace Meek

One of the most popular posts on this blog over the past two years has consistently been “You’ve Been Flocked by the Famous Flamingo Fundraiser”.

In case you haven’t read this article or you are unfamiliar with what a flamingo fundraiser is, the concept is this: a non-profit, many times a school group, will purchase several pink plastic flamingo lawn ornaments. (By several, I mean, like, well over 100.)

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Then the members of the group will place these flamingos in the front yard belonging to a family in their organization. This is usually done under the cover of darkness, so that when the family wakes up the next morning, they are surprised to see the new flock on their lawn.

The group will also leave the family a “ransom” note, which makes clear the details of the fundraiser once again. The letter also explains that the birds will be removed for a fee/donation of $20 (or whatever affordable amount the group chooses). This money will be passed along to the school or the charitable organization. Along with the ransom note, the group includes a donation envelope that can be picked up when they return to collect the flamingos.

This process is repeated for several nights in a row. All of this is done in good fun, and if a family really doesn’t want to pay up, the group will remove the flamingos without charge, but with frowns on their faces, of course.

Many non-profit groups have tried this novel fundraising event with terrific success. Not only do they raise a lot of money, but they also have a great time planting the flamingos, which builds up a wonderful community spirit.

So, if your school would like to try Flamingo Fundraising, here are ten helpful hints to make it safe, enjoyable, and profitable.

1. Clearly communicate to your group what a Flamingo Fundraiser is well before you actually plant the birds in someone’s yard. You don’t want unsuspecting homeowners thinking they are being vandalized or robbed when the kids show up to set out the flock. This method of fundraising might still not be widely known to most people, so you’ll need to clearly spell out for them in the letter how your fundraiser works. Put all this information in a letter, on your website, on flyers posted at the school, and be sure to tell all the kids about it. They will help tell their parents.

2. Buy a lot of birds to plant. The more flamingos you have in play, the more money you will make. Although you will have to pay for the birds the first time, they quickly pay for themselves and the profits start rolling in. Let’s do some  math: If you had 10 flocks of 12 birds each and you received $15 per day to remove each flock you planted, and you did this for 30 days, you’re group would raise $4500 in one month!

3. Create two different flock sizes- one for residential homes, which would be smaller, and a larger size flock for businesses. Of course, you can get away with asking for a bigger donation from the businesses. Good business targets are doctors’ offices, lawyers’ offices, and accountants’ offices.

4. Coordinate the timing of your flamingo event with a holiday, like Valentine’s Day. This is a good idea for a couple of reasons. First, most people are in a good mood around the holidays, so the “grump” factor is much lower, so you’ll probably encounter less people refusing to pay. Second, for an extra fee, you can add on to your fundraiser by offering to deliver a holiday card along with the flamingo flock.

5. When you plant the flock, you should also plant a yard sign (you’ll have to get these made up separately) that says something like, “You’ve Been Flocked by the Lincoln High Volleyball Team!” This will give your group an extra shot of publicity when people drive by the flock.

6. When you announce the ground rules of the event to your community, tell them that once they have been flocked, for an extra fee, they can choose the next family to get the treatment. In addition, this family can purchase “Flamingo Insurance” which will protect them from retaliation.

7. You can also sell flock insurance ahead of time for any families that don’t want their lawn to be invaded by flamingos or the people who plant them there.

8. Make sure you inform your flocking teams to be ultra-polite and courteous of the families they are flocking. If they encounter the targeted family during the raid, they should be friendly and explain what they are doing. There is nothing malicious about this fundraiser, but sometimes young people can get carried away in the “undercover” nature of the mission. Along these same lines, anyone planting flamingos must promise to be 100% respectful of the people’s property while they are on it. Any damage to property, even inadvertently committed, can spell the end of this fundraiser for your organization, along with a negative reputation in your town.

9. That being said, make sure the groups have a good time doing this. They can dress up in camouflage gear and wear face paint.

10. When recruiting volunteers for this fundraiser, you should split the overall group into smaller teams, each one responsible for managing an individual flock of 12-15 birds. There must be a RESPONSIBLE adult assigned to each group who will enforce the rules, keep the kids safe, and protect the homeowners’ property. There should also be an alternate or back up adult for each group in case the primary parent can’t make one night.

11. You should also set a specific time limit and hours of operation window for the flamingo planting missions. This will depend on the time of year (when it gets dark) and the age of the kids on the raid. Take into account safety, local curfews for youth, and just the general level of comfort parents would have with their kids being out of the house. Once your organization has established these time policies, make sure all the individual groups are aware of them and promise to stick to them. Any group caught plating outside of these time frames should be suspended from participating in the fundraiser.

12. The overall coordinator must keep in good contact with the adult from each team and make excellent record of who has already been flocked, who has purchased insurance, and who absolutely doesn’t want to participate. The coordinator will also collect and keep track of all the donations that come in during the span of the event.

13. Create a press release about the flamingo event you are running with all the important information about your group and their goals. Write a little about the nature of this kind of fundraiser, as well. Then send it out to all the media outlets in your community. A flamingo Fundraiser is a fun, light-hearted story and they might pick up on it. That could result in people calling your directly and requesting to be flocked or to send a flock along to someone else. That’s more money for your group, so spread the word!

I’ve read about things like shaving the principal’s head and making the principal sit on the roof of the school in a lawn chair for the entire school day. These things sounded fun and unique, and I really didn’t see the harm.

But, now I’m wondering about that. In recent weeks, I’ve come across a handful of news articles that are reporting incidents of principal fundraising torture that perhaps go a bit too far. But, then again, maybe I’m way off-base here, and you might not agree. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Here are four separate cases:

An elementary school in Alabama recently held a fundraiser for the Red Cross Heroes Campaign. Students were told that if they met their goal, they would have a chance to duct tape their principal to a wall in the school gym.

Well, the students held up their end of the bargain. So shortly after the end of the fundraiser, the student body gathered in their gymnasium. The principal stepped up onto a bucket, which was placed next to a wall. Then each student was handed a two foot long strip of duct tape. They formed a giant single file line, and one by one, each student placed his or her tape over the principal’s body.

When every student had accomplished this task, a couple of teachers removed the bucket, upon which the principal had been standing. Because he was secured so firmly against the wall, he did not fall, when the bucket was removed. The reporting website said that the kids howled with delight (at their little display of sadism). Hmmm.

(Take a minute to watch the video of this event, embedded below. I, myself, felt a little differently about this after having watched the video.)

The second event took place in my old hometown, Saline, Michigan. Here, the elementary school students were participating in an American Heart Society fundraiser. Their reward for meeting their goal was the opportunity to pour green slime over the heads of their principal and a few of the teaching staff. Of course, the students met the goal, and the sliming was on.

According to the newspaper report, over 700 students got to take a turn at teacher target practice. The American Heart Society said that their program “Hoops for Heart” promotes the value of healthy habits and empowers students to contribute to their community’s welfare”.  Really?  By shooting hoops and then pouring slime on the heads of people they are supposed to respect?  Hmmm.

A third case of principal torture (or denigration) happened at an Oregon elementary school. Here, the students raised over $3,000 for their school’s PTA in a jog-a-thon. Because this amount surpassed the stated fundraising goal, the principal agreed to be hit in the face by three cream pies and then be washed down by a fire hose.

In the newspaper report, while the principal was being hit in the face with the pies, the students began chanting, “Pie in the face! Pie in the face!”

Once he was being hit with the water cannon, the students changed their cheer to: “Hose him down! Hose him down!”

The principal was a good sport about this and was quoted as saying, “They earned it, all $3,000 worth.” Hmmm.

The last incident I read about maybe isn’t so bad, but I still wonder about the implications of it going forward. At a middle school in Pennsylvania, the students were challenged to raise money to help out a number of disadvantaged families in their community. Well, as you can imagine, the students met their goal and as a reward, they were treated to a Sumo wrestling match between their school principal and vice-principal. Each man agreed to dress up in those inflatable sumo suits.

The principal won two out of three matches and was declared the champion. Students were said to have been screaming, yelling, and stomping during the bout. The newspaper reported the student body was “ablaze with excitement”. Hmmm.

Conclusion

Well, I hate to come off sounding like a party pooper. I really do like to have fun myself. In fact, once, when I was a school principal, I held a pizza and ice cream party for the students, and I created a new sandwich idea. I plopped a scoop of vanilla right between two slices of pepperoni pie. I ate it and encouraged everybody else to try it too, so I guess I can be accused of promoting gluttony.

However, is being duct taped to a wall by students, being hit in the face by pie and then hosed down like an animal, having green slime poured over your head by 700 kids, or participating in a sumo wrestling match the best ways to earn the respect of the students? Are these individual cases going too far?

Does a principal have a harder time disciplining students, when the students have seen him pinned down in a fat suit? Or hosed down in the parking lot?

I, myself, am struggling with these questions. What do you think? Please let us know in the comment section!

P.S.  Dedicated readers of this blog might have noticed that three of the four cases I cited in this post were school fundraisers for outside groups, not for the school itself, a practice that I’m not very fond of.

School founder Ron Clark told reporters “I was just excited to have the letter. But then a sheet of paper fell out on the floor and I picked it up and looked it was a check for $365,000 and I was just overwhelmed.”

They followed up their first hit with another, “Dear Obama” which surprisingly hits on some heavy issues.  This time the effort earned the students a trip to Washington DC for the inauguration.

Take home lessons in short… focus on great education for your students, be creative and innovative.  As Jim mentioned recently, great teaching can often be free.  Then don’t hide your great kids.  The Ron Clark Academy students sang their song at Atlanta events, got their videos on local TV and YouTube, which helped them go national.  This kind of publicity can be great for your school — for the students themselves and for getting funding!