Help needed to raise funds

esmf73

Hi all, I'm really hoping that you can give me some fresh ideas and perhaps a new perspective in order to raise money for our local playgroup that is a charity.

Here's the situation:

Small local playgroup in between two large towns (5 / 10 miles). Next door to a primary school. Opening hours 9.15 - 3 so not work friendly, but can't change them due to staffing issues.

Have maximum amount of available children (from 2yrs old - school) haven't reached our Ofsted maximum, but no more children in the village....

Need to raise funds in order to pay staff wages, pay bills, revamp the garden (it's been half done), buy resources like paint & paper, buy toys and hopefully take the children on an outing before the end of summer term.

Already have cake sales every half term (make about 130) and have a Christmas and Easter fayre. Trouble is that the parents (quite rightly) get fed up with being continually asked to donate things - bits for a hamper to raffle off; cakes for the cake stall etc.

Can't put the prices up for the children as there are cheaper nurseries within 2 miles and it is already slightly more than them.

I need to do an event that will cost very little to stage, but will earn lots of money. If possible without having to ask for too many favours. Trouble is it is always the same few parents that give - and it is very difficult to reach out to those parents that don't give, either because they can't (fair enough) or because they forget.

Ideas very gratefully received as I want to change the way we raise money in the New Year to stop using up all the goodwill!!!

fengirl_2

Why are you flogging yourselves to death with cake stalls, etc when you could apply for one-off grants for the garden and outings? I would go for Awards for All at the very least and then go and see your CVS for help with identifying other sources.

esmf73

Thanks very much - its just that we're just a group of parents running this place all of whom have other jobs and none of whom have any expertise in this area.

What is a CVS?
Thanks again

fengirl_2

Most towns and cities have a Council for Voluntary Service (they are charities and nothing to do with the Council), although they are sometimes called other things like Voluntary Action xx. Their job is to help the voluntary sector with all aspects of their management including funding and you should join! They will help you find sources of funding and guide you through the application process. Google 'your town' and CVS and you should find it. If not, PM me with your location and I will try and help.

Savvy_Sue

While agreeing with fengirl, I think you have to consider your long term future very carefully.

You have hoovered up all the available children, but you're still not breaking even.

If you might be able to draw in more children if you changed your opening hours, then that should be tackled head on. IMO, anyway. But you do need to cost it carefully, because if you only had a few children taking you up on that, the extra staff hours would be very expensive.

Do children usually come to you for the whole day, or do you mostly have half days? What's your charging structure? Would you break even if you only did half days, or only opened some days? How many staff do you have and what hours do they work? Are you open term time only or all year round?

As an example, I helped set up a couple of out of school clubs. The first time, I knew that we would NEVER fill the club with children from the school we were going to be based at, we'd have needed a 10% take up and it just wasn't that kind of school. So we planned from the start to pick children up from other schools. When a new head arrived who didn't want children coming from other schools, the club was rapidly no longer viable and closed. (I'd moved away by then, and I still don't fathom her reasoning, but as the school itself has since closed it's a bit academic.) Sometimes you have to accept it's just not going to work out.