Resourced Challenged: The Classroom’s Bare Supply Closet — Part 5 — Answers: Look for Partners

Published On: May 1st, 2017·By ·

apperson, resource challenged, school suppliesFundraising is hard. Getting parents, teachers, and students to participate can be extremely difficult and frustrating. It is, however, a necessity.

Apperson reached out to the National PTA audience with a survey on fundraising to see what has and has not been working for them. The responses were outstanding.

66 percent of respondents said they felt the parent organization supports their school very well, followed by 31 percent saying they felt their school was supported “well.”

A surprising 56 percent said fundraising has been effective for their school, while 23 percent said it has been very effective!

hese are great numbers. Does your school reflect the same?

If not, here are some fundraising ideas our respondents said worked well for them:

  • Fun run (no outside company involvement)
  • Candy Grams or Pencil Sales
  • Yearly carnival/festival
  • Math-a-thon
  • Basket auctions
  • Bingo night
  • Book sales
  • Spirit Wear
  • Class Packs by Apperson

An overwhelming 82 percent said that parent participation is their biggest challenge when it comes to fundraising. Here are some tips on how to encourage parents to get involved:

  • Let them know ahead of time:
    Give parents plenty of notice to plan accordingly. Be sure to spread the word about the fundraiser through multiple outlets. You can send flyers home with the students, email the parents, post it on the school bulletin board, or distribute in other ways. You can even send letters home in the mail.
  • Emphasize the importance and impact:
    Be sure to specify what the school needs, why they need it, and how fundraising will help achieve this goal.
  • Options:
    Allow parents to choose how they would like to donate their time by having a sign-up sheet. Some parents may prefer cleaning up, while others may enjoy hosting certain activities. Let the parents decide what their strengths are and where they would prefer to be.

We hope this list of fundraising activities and tips for increasing parental involvement will help your school make fundraising more successful. What else does your school do to make this an effective process? Share your experiences with us below!

About Our Sponsor

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Apperson is an industry leader in educational technology, helping to streamline teacher workflow and improve learning outcomes for over 20 years. We are bringing our expertise to a new program: Class Packs by Apperson. By combining school supplies with a fundraiser in an easy online shopping platform, we are making life easier for parents, teachers, and schools across the country.

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