We know that finding successful PTA fundraising ideas for education is not easy. Its takes creativity, time and participation to raise those funds. All of which we can find lacking sometimes.
One of the options we discuss in our funding and grants page is using the PTA to raise funds. Easier said than done though right?
Wouldn’t it be helpful if someone wrote a book all about raising funds for you school — but not like a bake sale.
We thought so too!
Enter Jean Joachim. She wrote a book all about it called Beyond the Bake Sale: The Ultimate School Fund-Raising Book
We found a helpful summary of some ideas that Jean presents in her book. Be sure look at the full article because PTO Today goes into more detail but for now, check out what they put together!
Everyone likes to eat. This one speaks for itself. 🙂
1. Turn less-prominent holidays such as Cinco de Mayo and Presidents’ Day into a moneymaking opportunity by holding a potluck supper and charging admission.
School pride goes a long way!
2. Print school logo T-shirts, mugs, and pencils and sell at a school store, sporting events, book fairs, and parent teacher conferences.
Ok, who doesn’t want another photo of their kid. The first day both my kids were born, I took enough photos to fill my phones space
3. Photo sales: Find parent photographers to take photos
of special school events such as award ceremonies, plays, and graduation; sell the photos to parents who forgot their cameras.
Food. Healthy food. Yes!
4. Start a garden
on school property. Let students plant, tend, harvest, and sell the produce and flowers.
Nothing says holiday traditions like pies.
5. Hold a Thanksgiving eve pumpkin pie bake sale. Right before the holiday break, have parents show off their favorite pumpkin pie recipes. Selling seasonal specialties saves people a trip to the bakery or the trouble of making it themselves. You’ll build in steady sales if you do this annually and people come to expect it.
I like this one mostly because how entertaining would this be? Seriously.
6. Do you have any parents who are singers? Musicians? Stand-up comics? Sign up parents with such skills for a grownups’ talent show and charge admission. Teachers can participate, too.
Get those parents involved!
7. At a street fair or other family event, rent costumes and have parents dress up as the Cat in the Hat
, Pippi Longstocking
, Curious George
, or other popular children’s storybook characters. Have the characters circulate along with a photographer armed with a Polaroid camera. Charge to take posed pictures.
Food + Child’s art = Success
8. Have a schoolwide art show of students’ work. Offer free admission, but charge for refreshments.
Huge potential!
9. Try a 50/50 raffle where the prize is half the pot. Interest grows the more you collect and buyers realize that the winner will take home at least $500, for example, if you’ve sold $1,000 worth of tickets. Watch the pot grow! Check local and state laws before you try this, however. Raffles are regulated in many areas.
A little more upkeep but really intriguing.
10. Have a continuous white elephant store in a basement room in the school. Use a volunteer staff to run it, and ask for parent donations of secondhand clothing, sports equipment, and toys.
How awesome is Jean!!
In future posts we hope to tackle the following:
- PTA fundraising ideas for Christmas
- What can PTA funds be used for?
- Texas PTA fundraising guidelines, what are they? We’ve heard there are surprising things in there.
- What are the PTA fundraising chair’s responsibilities?
We will let you know when once the posts are up!
What PTA fundraising ideas do you use at your school? Comment below!
