Pulling off successful fundraisers for your school requires a little planning. Executing these basic steps will ensure a successful fundraising event for your Atlanta, GA school.
Set a Goal . .
The amount of money you plan on raising clearly drives the type of fundraisers you decide to go with. Need “seed money” for something bigger later? Filling in a budget gap? Raising a little extra money for special projects?
Whatever funding level you decide on, there’s a type of fundraiser that’s matches it.
Next, consider the type and purpose of the event . .
You’ll need to clarify the nature and overall intention of your fundraiser. Who will participate, children or adults? Will it have an educational component? Are you trying to teach your students a set of values through their participation?
School history, donor characteristics, record of fundraising, and nature of the school community drive these decisions.
Then, determine how the funds will be raised . .
Think through how the money will actually be requested and collected. Through selling of tickets? By raffle? Requests for contributions?
If you intend to raise money by auction, you’ve pretty well identified the type of fundraiser you’ll be planning—or at least a major component of it.
Now, select the type of fundraiser . .
A good old-fashioned bake sale or car wash are easy choices—and make for regular success that might just be the ticket. And they can be pulled off quickly without much time and effort.
Sales contests are also tried-and-true, and may work great for this purpose. But, they require more time to arrange, as would more involved concepts such as a school “walk-a-thon” or charity auction.
Finally, set the timeline . .
Pull out the school calendar, one with all the holidays marked, and find a gap that fits. Scheduling fundraisers around a special day or week can help draw attention to it. The “giving season”, Thanksgiving through end-of-year, give extra impetus to donors.
Create a timeline, including major tasks that need to be completed in each week. Communicate this timeline frequently with your team.
Now comes the fun part . .
With your fundraiser outlined, go through your available students, staff, and other volunteer resources and assign functions—logistics, publicity, communication, etc.—to those you feel will most likely handle their assigned tasks well. Give us a call at Chukkar Farm – we will be happy to connect you with our wide network of vendors that will gladly help you make your school fundraiser a success!