Let The PTA or PTO Members Know All About The Fundraiser

by: JohannaAbleson
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PTA and PTO Members Just Don't Get It The First Time. You can never cover the important things too much. For instance, why you are doing your fundraiser will give your parents a good reason to get behind the effort. If it absolutely needs to be communicated do not be afraid to repeat your message over and over. You would be shocked at how little information actually makes it to your PTA or PTO parents consciousness. Following are some tips and tricks to ensure that "the important stuff" gets noticed.

Give Specific Reasons For Why You Are Doing It. It is much better to give your parents very specific reasons for the PTA or PTO fundraising drive. You should have a specific goal set and a list of what the PTA or PTO is going to do with the money raised. Parents and teachers will be much more willing to help if they know exactly why you are raising the money

Methods: Take Home Flyers, Several things that should always be done in preparation for your fundraising drive. One action to take is to send a letter out to parents early in the year telling them what fundraisers you will be doing and when. Tell them in the letter what you need funds for and how you're going to accomplish your goal i.e.: catalogs sale, cookie dough sale, car wash, candy sale, smencils etc. They won't feel as though your hands are constantly in their wallets.

The second thing you will want to do is write and attach to your sales brochure a letter to the parents of your students. In this letter you will tell them again why you are doing a fundraising project. You might even take this opportunity to tell them what you spent the money on that was raised in last year's fundraiser.

Methods: E-Mail If your school has a school wide email system or a call out system, use it to announce your sale. This is a great way to let parents know to check their children's backpacks for their selling kits. I can't tell you the number of times people have said that they didn't even know a fundraiser was going on. That is missed opportunity every time it happens.

Methods: Marquee Put a message up on the school marquee to let parents know about the sale. When it starts and ends are the best times to have a message up on the marquee. You can even change the message at various times during the sale just as a quick reminder that the sale is in progress.

Methods: Reminders via students In most schools students go home once or twice a week with a "Take Home Pack." This is an excellent opportunity to have the teachers in the school include a note about your fundraiser. Remember that you don't have to include lots of details in this note. These are simply reminders to the parents.

Methods: Signs You can post signs advertising your fundraiser in various places around the school where parents will likely see them when dropping off or picking up their children.

Place signs in the school with pictures of the prizes to keep the students motivated. Place them in key places where the students will see them daily in common areas. People are very visual and notice things that are different or new in their environment.

Methods: Do a live kick off Doing a live presentation will affect your sale positively, especially if the students see or hear things that they don't normally experience in a "standard" assembly. If enough of an impression is made on the minds of the students, they will certainly be sharing that with their parents when they get home.

Methods: Public Address System Do reminders on the daily announcements. This is a great opportunity to keep students motivated which in turn keeps them selling.

Working closely with your fundraising representative is paramount to your success. How you run your sale is literally as important as what you choose to sell. Planning and execution is the key to fundraiser if you want your parents, faculty, and students to support your fundraising drive. Your goal is to raise as much money as possible for your group in the particular sale you are planning. Remember, if you raise all the funds you need in the first fundraiser, you won't have to do a second one!

About the Author

With the sale of Kathryn Beich it is harder to find a supplier for your Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough. AIM Fundraising is one of the few national fundraising companies chosen to carry the Otis Spunkmeyer brand. Click the link above to go to our website.  

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