Yesterday, I heard a report on NPR about a new book called The Science of Giving: Experimental Approaches to the Study of Charity, written by Daniel M. Oppenheimer and Christopher Y. Olivola.

The goal of this book is to scientifically explain some of the reasons why and how much people give to charities.

As a person who has working in the non-profit industry for many years, this topic was very interesting to me.

I had not heard of this book before, and when I heard the report I was driving, so I couldn’t jot down a lot of notes, but a few things jumped out at me right away, and I wanted to share them with you. I will be searching this book out in the near future, however, as it sounds fascinating.

The first thing that caught my attention is that the author reported that people are more likely to give to a single person or small group of people as opposed to a larger group with many members. This makes sense to me. It seems that donors feel like they are more able to impact one person’s life in a positive manner, as opposed to an entire population.

What does that mean in relation to the school fundraising world?

Well, it tells me that it might be smarter for a school to frame their fundraiser in a way that highlights the impact on individual children, as opposed to the benefits the whole school may experience.

So, if I were running a school carnival, for instance, (or any other important school fundraiser) I would write my promotional material in a way that showed parents how their individual child would suffer and/or benefit depending on how much money the carnival was able to raise. I’d actually list out specific items that would impact each student.

Of course, the impact would be felt by the entire student body, but by bringing it down to a student-by-student basis, you’re speaking more directly to parents. It’s just how you deliver the message.

Think about it. If you were the parent who was being asked to donate time or money, wouldn’t you be more motivated if you knew exactly what was at stake for your own son or daughter?

Go ahead, give this strategy a try.

Photo by: Rennett Stowe

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As parents and educators, we are obviously very concerned with the overall health of our children. Although it has become very easy in our society to make unhealthy choices, we are increasingly becoming aware of opportunities to opt for those things that will make us stronger, more fit, and in the long run, happier.

This attention is starting to turn toward our schools. With the vast amount of time that a child spends at school each year, this is a very important front in the battle for a building a healthy lifestyle.

Many schools are addressing the issues of soda and candy vending machines in the schools. And although candy sales have long been a successful form of fundraising, some schools are now looking for ways to integrate their desire for good health into their need to raise money to support vital school functions.

Here are a few ideas of physical activities that combine exercise, fun, and the opportunity to generate lots of income.

Golf and Walk
The golf outing has long been a staple in the fundraising world, used by thousands of non-profit organizations. However, many golf outings have focused solely on the golfer. While these events are great at generating camaraderie among those who participate, the very nature of the activity is exclusionary. If you don’t like to golf, you aren’t going to participate, and that limits the amount of money, as well as community spirit you can drum up.

However, there is a solution. The concept of the Golf & Walk event opens up the beauty of a golf course and the fun that comes from enjoying the great outdoors to everyone who wants to support your organization.

I have worked in the past with Champion Events and was very impressed by their customer service and organizational detail. They have great experience with the Golf & Walk. Here is a snippet from their website about this creative and inclusive event:

The Golf & Walk Event is a new event concept that combines a fundraising golf tournament with a unique “walk-a-thon” at the golf course. Walkers walk nine holes on cart paths at a beautiful golf course. They are kept separate from golfers in complete safety. Everyone finishes together at the end for an awards celebration.

All participants raise donations prior to the event. The Golf & Walk Event is planned on a 12-week timeline and mobilizes everyone in your network to raise money for you, not just those 15% of adults who can play golf. Because its foundation is “relational” fundraising in its most effective form, the Golf & Walk Event is currently producing the highest dollar results of the standard Big 3 fundraising events (banquets, auctions, traditional golf tournaments). (more…)

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Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m not the greatest parent in the world. At least when it comes to cutting out all the little box top logos on virtually everything my kids eat.

I know, I know. Writing for this school fundraising blog, I should be right on top of it. Scissors in a holster, ready to clip at a moment’s notice. Right?

Well, sadly, I am not that guy. Sometimes I remember, but usually only when my kids notice one and bug me to cut it out.

So, I need to get better at this. I know how important these little box tops can be when they are all combined together with everybody else’s box tops. I should be doing my part.

Then I thought that it might help to go to the Box Tops 4 Education website and see what kind of inspiration they can give me. They actually have all sorts of great information that can get folks like me fired up to start cutting out every box top in the house. They even suggest going to other people’s houses (like grandma or Great Aunt Sue) to clip out their box tops, too!

If you don’t believe in the power of box tops, here is a success story I found on their site.

A New Jersey elementary school’s creativity engages parents and raises cash

The kids had a choice: Would they prefer to see their principal and their gym teacher race down the hallway on scooters or fight each other in inflated sumo wrestler costumes?

Sumo wrestling prevailed. Kids were admitted for free (but getting a racing-or-wrestling ballot required turning in 25 Box Tops), and their parents—hundreds of them–paid a $2 admission fee. Adding in concession sales, the evening netted $1,000 to buy educational equipment.

It’s one of many ways in which H & M Potter Elementary School in Bayville, N.J., has kept the community actively involved in the Box Tops program. They hold monthly contests—some suggested by others, some of their own design. (“We like to keep it new, not do the same thing over and over again,” says the principal, Jeffery Z.) Contest winners are lavished with attention, as are the advanced teaching tools bought with Box Tops earnings—interactive whiteboards, digital projector systems, etc.—in the school newsletter as well as at PTA meetings and other school events. (more…)

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Here is a real-life example of a school that has lost its spark. This news report comes from the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum online. See if anything below sounds familiar to your school.

CRESTLINE — A positive message was emphasized throughout the Crestline Board of Education meeting Monday night as parents packed the school library.
The most positive message came from Pam Armstrong, who spoke to the board about her desire to bring spirit back to the school.

“It seems as though there is no excitement in the school at all,” Armstrong said. “It started with a few conversations and now we have 14 to 16 parents who are involved and they are trying to help the kids be enthusiastic about their school again.”

In the past, students wore the school colors (blue and white) on various game days, but it seems that tradition has been lost.

“On Senior Night and homecoming it seemed as though not much was acknowledged,” Armstrong said.

Board of Education member Barb Poole, who substitute teaches at the school, said she noticed the lack of excitement, too.

“When my kids were in school I was very active. The parents can be the key to changing this,” Poole said. “Going into that new school, we’d like to rebuild what we used to have here.”

There was more to the article, but this excerpt paints a pretty good picture of what’s been going on there.

They don’t mention fundraising in the article, but it’s pretty easy to guess what’s been happening on that front.

My belief is that if your school doesn’t have an enthusiastic spirit and energy about it, your fundraising is going to flounder.

So, what are some things your school could do to jump start it’s collective spirit? (more…)

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I think it’s easier to find examples of parent-teacher organizations that are missing opportunities, rather than taking advantage of them.

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. (more…)

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