Believe Kids Fundraising - Video

So, here is a video introduction for Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising. The reason I am posting is simply because I believe this video captures the essence of our company. Fun and caring and in support of teachers and the classroom.

One thing that is a frustration to teachers is a lot of interruptions throughout the year – especially given the rigors of today’s teaching. Believe Kids school fundraisers simply require support during a two week period. From there, the included benefits encourage participation and tremendous sales follow.

By focusing efforts on a short, yet effective, fundraising campaign, schools and groups do not have to be continually fundraising. So, with that I give you the very short intro video. Hope you like it! Well, don’t get too excited, it is a video intro, so it’s very short!

We are in the midst of fall, the holiday season is right around the corner, and you know what that means? People begin questioning the importance of school fundraising.

It never fails that around this time in November blog posts pop up about how much the school actually profits from fundraisers. It’s an interesting question because it has more to it than just someone being curious as to how much money the school is making.

The fact is, people are looking for something more than just a percentage.

Basically, they want to find fault somewhere in fundraising companies. They think schools should receive all of the money from the fundraiser with none of it going to the fundraising company. It implies that the schools would be better off without a cut going to the fundraising company. In order to change that opinion, they need the confidence to purchase knowing that they are not being taken advantage of. In a way it all makes sense.

There are two main reasons people are skeptical of fundraising:

1. People resist charitable giving

2. People don’t like fundraising

Resisting charitable giving

More precisely, people resist being asked to give something when they don’t really plan on giving it on their own. It makes someone want to gain control back. This is most commonly expressed in comments like “I’d rather give directly to the school.”

The key there is the “I’d rather.” This phrase is quite damaging to school fundraising as well as other charitable giving. It’s basically an excuse, a resistance. The immediate response is to resist by suggesting another way to participate. It would seem that giving through the fundraiser or giving directly to the school are the choices when really, there is no choice. People can give to the school any time they want, it is always welcomed. They just don’t. So the question is really just to support the fundraiser at hand or not.

People don’t like fundraising

Or more accurately, people don’t like fundraising companies. They would rather see an exchange where the school benefits and the fundraising company does not. However, this really doesn’t make much sense. When people go into a retail store to purchase an item, they don’t think that store should give their profits away. While fundraising companies give the majority of their profits to the schools. This logic leads to people not taking action because they disagree with the rules of the game. But, is it really the rules of the game people are disagreeing with, or is it that they don’t want to be approached with something they’d rather not deal with?

What most people forget is that school fundraising isn’t a matter of 50 cents on the dollar going to the school. Fundraising companies handle and pay for products, shipping, prizes, promotions, consulting, marketing materials, catalogs, order forms, websites, warehousing and more.  By working with a fundraising company, schools receive consistency and security. They can relax knowing all of the details of complex student orders are handled by professionals.

The fact is, people need to be encouraged to give. They need to be asked, informed , prompted, encouraged and rewarded. There also needs to be importance and excitement built around the need for raising funds. Focusing on these things will garner the momentum to throw a successful fundraiser.

Yes, there are always a few people that say they donate, and the key is a few. The vast majority just doesn’t do it. Thinking people should just give directly to a school is great in theory but, it doesn’t work in a practical sense. There are a lot of things people ‘should’ do.

That’s why organizations exist. To create something exciting that gains momentum and donations. It’s a matter of encouraging and rewarding, and it works.

Don’t miss out on creative and simple ways to promote your school fundraiser. Promotion is one of the best ways to ensure a successful school fundraising campaign. Check out these unique and creative ways to promote your next fundraiser.

Use Technology

Email is one of the fastest and most direct ways to get the word out about your fundraiser. Ask the principal to send emails to parents, teachers and the surrounding community. Encourage students to email grandparents, aunts, uncles and any out of town relatives to garner support for the fundraiser.

Create a Youtube video about your fundraiser and then post the link to the video around school, in parent letters and on a school bulletin board. If you ask, some fundraising companies may already have videos that you could use and post on your Youtube account.

Use your school website to promote the fundraiser. Talk to your webmaster and ask him/her to announce the fundraiser on the front page of your school website. Or think about asking a tech savvy employee to create a blog dedicated to the fundraiser with access on your school’s website.

Remember online social networks. If your school has a Facebook, Myspace or Twitter page, think about using it to promote your fundraiser. Also encourage students with these accounts to talk about the fundraiser on their pages. Students can even make online sales this way!

Get Everyone Involved

Encourage teachers to get involved with promoting the fundraiser by reminding their classes during the week about the sale. If you want to go the extra mile, hold a silly contest or game using teachers that will encourage students to be involved in the fundraiser.

Don’t forget the principal! Ask the principal to send out emails to parents, hold a fundraising assembly or make school-wide announcements regarding the fundraiser. Also, principal incentives really make students want to participate. For example, principal as student for a day, principal on the roof or a dunking booth for the principal are all great motivators for the students to reach their goals.

Ask parents to participate in promotion. If parents own a local business, ask them if you can post flyers or pictures about the fundraiser at their establishment. Also encourage them to reach out to fellow co-workers and ask for support.

Announce, Announce, Announce

Think about holding a school-wide pep rally or kick-off assembly for the fundraiser. Getting students excited about the fundraiser upfront will motivate them to reach goals.

Use your school marquee to announce the dates of the fundraiser. This will remind students, parents and staff about the fundraiser on a daily basis.

Send parent letters home throughout the sale.

Post flyers around the school as well as the surrounding community announcing fundraising dates and goals.

Create a short press release about your school fundraiser and send it to all the local media outlets.

Remember, good promotion can really push fundraising efforts over the top. The more people who know about the fundraiser and are encouraged to participate, the more they will and the more money you will raise for your school

When you’re hosting a school fundraiser, no matter if it’s a product, service, or group event, it’s important to keep it simple.

Here are five easy steps guaranteed to keep your fundraiser simple and successful:

1) Plan in Advance: The earlier you start planning your school fundraiser, the better. Start the planning at the end of the year before or during the summer. Planning early allows you to host your fundraiser earlier in the year, which has been proven to raise more money than waiting later in the year.

2) Promote the Fundraiser:  Promote, promote, promote! Advertise around the school and community with flyers, posters and bulletin boards. Reach out to the community around as well as parents. Get teachers, administration and the principal involved. The more people know about the fundraiser, the more participants you will have.

3) Use Every Resource: Try using technology to market and get the word out about your school fundraiser. Write short, simple emails to parents, an informative blog entry or just a twitter update about the fundraiser to gain the support of not only parents, but the community as well. There are several ways technology can help take fundraising efforts over the top!

4) Use Reminders Throughout the Sale: Remember to keep everyone informed throughout the entire fundraiser. Send home reminders about deadlines, and remind students and parents when there are only a few days left to sell. Reminders can help get more participation for your fundraiser.

5) Have Fun: Keep it light and have fun! Have silly contests with fun rewards for participants. Making people happy and having a good time while fundraising will make everyone want to do it again! Have fun with it, and you will be successful!

The beginning of a new school year means new beginnings. To a lot of parents, these new beginnings can be as simple as their child starting a new grade with new expectations or even becoming involved in the school’s parent teacher organization. Theses parent teacher groups are responsible for many of the things that make school great for the students. From creating a caring and supportive atmosphere in the school to providing help and support to teachers, the parent teacher group does it. But, one of the biggest responsibilities for parent teacher organizations is the school fundraiser. One important reality that students and parents alike are noticing this year is the need to fundraise because of school budget cuts. So if you are a parent that is new to the school PTA or PTO this year, or you have been involved for awhile and are just looking for a better way to raise money, follow these tips, and they will lead you to the most successful fundraiser possible.

Set goals

Setting realistic goals is perhaps the most important step in a school fundraiser.

1 If you haven’t already used your summer to start planning your school fundraiser, get started immediately! This will give you enough time to develop an effective marketing and promotion strategy. Try to use more than just one. Think ads, letters to parents and the community, and events to really market your school fundraiser and raise awareness throughout the community.

2 Be smart when planning the time of your school fundraiser. You don’t want to hold a fundraiser during a month when retail stores are having big holiday sales, or when the cheerleading squad has their big fundraising event. Try to schedule it for a time when there is as little conflict as possible from the community and smaller groups within your school. This will ensure less competition and more participation from parents and the surrounding community.

3 Be clear. Have a concrete reason in mind for what the money is being raised for, exactly how much money it will take, and when you need the money by. Then, calculate all fundraising costs and figure out the amount you will need to raise to meet your goal. Don’t forget to communicate this with parents and the community.

4 Do some research and figure out what type of fundraisers have been the most successful for your school or group in the past. People like things that are familiar, so if you’re school is used to doing a catalog fundraiser, try not to deviate from that because you know it has worked in the past.

5 Keep a clear schedule throughout the entire process. Try setting a beginning and end date for each step along the way. This will help you keep track of how fast things are moving along in your plan and help you stay on task.

6 Use past fundraisers as guidelines. Check and see what funds were needed and use them as goal points for your current fundraiser.

7 Make sure you have a visual reminder of your goals and display it. Having a visual reminder hanging in the school keeps students, teachers, faculty, administration and even parents on track and motivated to reach the ultimate goal.

Types of fundraisers

There are three main fundraising categories. Make an informed decision for your school and choose the best one for your group based on the size of your group, how much money you need to make and how many volunteers you have.

1 Product Fundraisers

Product sales work very well because there is an exchange of product for donation, which increases participation. Sales extend into the community at large, not just to parents of students. Also, there is an option of online sales with most fundraising companies that will help you extend your sale beyond the local community.

Tips for product fundraisers:
•Choose a reputable fundraising company. Make sure you do your research and pick a company that has a proven track record and provides high quality products as well as quality prize and incentive programs.
•Promote the product fundraiser with a school wide kick-off. Make sure the students know what they are selling and what kind of prizes and incentives they can earn.
•Product fundraisers can generate enough money to be your one main school fundraiser, so make sure you take the time to research different products and companies and choose the one that works best for your school.

2 Event Fundraisers

Event fundraisers are a popular choice when you want to get the entire community involved in doing something together. The event can be anything from school carnivals, car washes and talent shows to golf tournaments, walk-a-thons and even consignment sales.

Tips for event fundraisers:
•Event fundraisiers require a lot of volunteers. Check out volunteer logs from past events your school has thrown, and see if anyone would be willing to lead a committee. Try to match up volunteers with skill and interest levels.
•Use incentives that people will want. If you are holding a walk-a-thon, come up with a way to award people who walked the most miles or earned the most pledges. Reward committees who have done a lot of work and gotten a lot of donations.
 •Promote, promote, promote! Try using a countdown until the event, ask the principal to talk about it in morning announcements or ask teachers to hold silly contests. The more you promote the more likely participation will be higher.

3 Pledges and Donations

Pledges and donations can be done on their own, or they can be combined with product or event fundraisers.

Tips for pledges and donations:
•Have a list of potential donors that you know you can approach for a donation. Send them letters and/or call them personally.
 •If you are having an event fundraiser, you can place donation envelopes on tables for people to give while at the event.
•While there have been some big success stories, pledges and donations are the most successful when combined with something else.

Volunteers

It’s important to know that with any fundraiser you do, you will need to have volunteers. Encourage teachers at your school to put a volunteer sign up sheet in their classroom so parents can sign up when they drop off their children. At PTA and PTO meetings, make a point to ask for volunteers and encourage members to ask their friends and family members if they would be willing to get involved. Motivate your volunteers with incentives and prizes, and reward all-stars!

Promotion

Promotion needs to be a priority with any fundraiser. Your community needs to know that there is a fundraiser going on, and they need to know what the money is going towards. Make sure to announce this in PTA or PTO meetings. Ask the staff and administration at school to put up a bulletin board about the fundraiser, talk about it in daily announcements, and offer incentives to students participating in the fundraiser. Get the principal involved also. Making the fundraiser a priority will lead to success.

Use these tips and tricks to help your school have the most successful fundraiser yet!

Everyone wants to make a statement. Why would it be any different with school fundraising? It seems as if the trend is to try new and unique ways to raise funds. Parent groups are checking the internet for fundraising ideas that are different and even a little wacky. But, why?

Unique and different fundraisers don’t work. Even though parent groups are tempted by the freshness of new ideas for fundraising, the majority of time schools run new, untested and unique fundraisers they fail.

Tradition works. When a school uses a fundraiser that they have been using for years, it becomes more than history, it becomes tradition. It works because parents come to expect it, they are used to it and they want to participate in it. Traditional fundraisers are proven. They have facts and figures you can look up, they have estimates of how much schools can expect to make and they are tested.

New, unique fundraisers do not. They more than likely have no history to provide, and they are risky. So when it comes to choosing your next school fundraisers, look to tradition. Choose a tried and true fundraiser that is proven to get the results you want.

It’s that time of year again. The temperature is rising and kids are dreaming of summer instead of school days. The school year is wrapping up and coming to an end. You know what that means? If you are involved in the school parent group, the summer is the perfect time for you to plan your fundraiser for next year.

You’ve heard it before: “The early bird gets the worm.” Today, the trend is to start fundraising later in the semester.  Instead of waiting to start planning your fundraiser until school starts, and then waiting even longer to actually host the fundraiser, learn from the birds and start your fundraisers at the beginning of the school year.  Starting your main school fundraiser the second or third week of school will maximize your profits, and kick your school year off with bang!

Avoiding “Fundraising Fatigue” by Getting a Head Start

By mid-semester, students will have completed several homework assignments and will already be concentrated on final projects. Don’t contribute to their stress by adding a last minute fundraiser. And students aren’t the only ones who need a break. Starting earlier almost always guarantees that parents and the community around your school will be energized after a long summer break, so they will be ready to get started on your fundraising efforts.

Beat the Competition

By starting your fundraiser early, you won’t compete with sports team and club fundraisers, who usually begin their fundraisers mid-season. You also gain the advantage of being far enough from the holiday season so you won’t have to compete with major retailers and their sales as well.  There will also be a much less chance of delivery issues such as backordered or out of stock items and delays due to chaotic holiday schedules.

Jump-Start Your Summer Fundraising Plans With These Tips:

1) Plan your fundraiser before the school year starts, taking advantage of the summer vacation.

2) Launch the kickoff the 2nd or 3rd week of school with a big student assembly that energizes and captures the attention of the students.

3) Meet with parents early on so that other sports and club fundraisers aren’t scheduled at the same time as the main event.

Are you a parent group officer? If you are, you know how hard it can be to get parents involved in your group. Communication may be your problem. The way that you communicate to the parents at your school can directly influence their involvement. Here are a few tips you can try to help your parent group grow.

Listen

One of the most important and often most overlooked tips is to listen. When you talk with parents, ask them questions about their lives, and put their answers to memory. Listening to someone is key in building a relationship with them. It shows that you really care about what they are saying to you, and it shows them you think they are important. Remembering what parents tell you about their lives, and asking about it in the future, shows that you value them as individuals, and they will being to trust you. Trust is vital when you are a leader. Without trust, you can’t be effective. Once parents trust you ,and you have built a relationship with them, it will be much easier to get them involved in your parent group program.

Show them they are valuable

Most parents have busy schedules and might need some kind of motivation to start up another project. Knowing how much their involvement will benefit their children may be just the motivation they need. Clue them in on the facts: Children whose parents are involved in their academic life are more likely to have better grades and fewer behavioral problems. Any parent wants this for their child!

Also, show them practical ways their involvement is helping. Give them tangible ways that their efforts will help raise money for the school. For example, if your school is hosting a product fundraiser, don’t just ask parents to look at the catalog. Tell them that if each parent purchases one item, you will raise over $2,000 for your school. Then, tell them what the money will be used for. If parents know that their purchase of a product will go directly to getting a new computer lab for the school, they will be more likely to support the fundraiser. Getting parents informed will make them more excited about contributing to the fundraiser.

Create win-win opportunities

A win-win situation is when two people benefit from a certain outcome. Win-win situations build confidence and teamwork in groups. As a parent group leader, you should look for ways to make every fundraising event and every meeting you have a win-win situation. It may not be easy, but it will benefit your school for years to come. Try these tips for creating win-win opportunities:

1. Don’t just hold a monthly meeting, make it a meet-and-greet as well. That way, you win because you are giving out your information; the parents win because they are meeting people they might not have otherwise known. Plus, more parents will be more likely to come because they know they will be meeting people with similar hopes and ideas as them.

2. Recognize outstanding contributors to fundraisers. For example, if a parent’s company donated for a fundraiser, hang up banners with the company’s logo and name. Also, put it in your monthly newsletter that this company donated to the cause. You win because you got items donated; the parent wins because their company got recognition and free advertisement.

In a win-win situation, there are no losers. Everyone feels as though they accomplished something positive. If you aren’t sure how to make a certain situation a win-win, ask the parents what they would like to get out of this.

Share your passion

Being involved in the parent group means you obviously enjoy what you do and know that it affects the school for the better. You have a passion for helping your school and making education better for the students. Don’t keep it all in! Share it with everyone you talk to, especially parents. Your excitement and involvement will be infectious and people will start to see the real reasons why they should get involved. Not all parents will jump on board with you, but some will. The people that do hop on board with you will help you in your mission to make the school a better place to learn.

Ask for feedback

A good leader wants to continually learn what will make their program better. Ask  parents to tell you what they did or did not like about a program or event you hosted. Ask them what they would have done differently or what they would like to see improved in the future.Encourage feedback as much as possible, and let them know that their comments are important to you and you appreciate them. This will continue to build trust, and you will really learn how to make the parent group program better.

Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
~Henry Ford

It’s incredibly important for everyone to work together for a successful fundraiser. This includes students, parents, parent groups, and school administration. Its a collaborative process that requires a substantial time commitment from every single person involved. Here is a summary of everyone’s role for supporting each other and ensuring success:

Students

Everything begins and ends with the students. They are the one who will need the most help and direction during the fundraiser. Also, students need incentives! Rewards make things exciting, so don’t forget about fundraiser prizes.

Parent Group

Your PTO/PTA or other parent organization is the backbone of the fundraiser. They will be the ones organizing the little details, and telling everyone else what to do. So take time to involve administration and teachers. They will in turn motivate students. This could be as simple as talking to them about the importance of the fundraiser.

Administration

Principals and school administration have to keep spirits high throughout the whole fundraiser. Whether this means raffles or funny contests, you will need to constantly invigorate students through this process. Communication with parents and parent organizations is key. Support promotions and be enthusiastic.

Parents

Encourage parents to register online & participate! It’s easier now more than ever before to reach out to parents via social media and technology. Send parents emails with detailed instructions on how to get online and register, encourage them to advertise the fundraiser through their social media sites and provide links to twitter and facebook. Garnering parental support can be the difference between a successful fundraiser and a failure.