In the past, I have likened volunteering for the PTA to a high-pressure sales job. The product you are selling is your children’s educational experience. Your target consumers are the parents of the students. Fundraising is the method by which you collect the money.

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. continue reading

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Recently, I was browsing various news articles about school fundraising and I saw this headline:

“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. continue reading

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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. continue reading

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In the archives of this blog, I have written about (and have actually suggested) the method of “torturing” the school principal as an incentive and a reward for a fundraiser.

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.)

continue reading

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During the election season last fall students from Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy made a splash with the song they wrote “Vote for whoever you like.” I first saw this video on CNN sometime before election day. It also caught the eye of many admirers.  A major donation from Oprah Winfrey was made to the school.

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!

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