What do your schools all do?

jeffgeorge

Hi all,

Any advice on PTA fundraising. I am really keen to help raise lots of money for kids school.

Picking your amazing brains agani!! What do your childrens school do? I was thinking

Recipie book to conicde with healthy eating week.
Sponserd walk/run
Summer fete with cream tea ect
BBQ
Sports day

Also wanted somthing more long term?


Any thoughts fellow MSEs


Sorry for spelling mistakes trying to feed troops!!
xxxxxxxxx

lady_wolfs_head

hello,


We have a film night, the film starts as soon as school ends. The kids pay about £2. We charge for the snacks NOT the film. Makes loads with only a few helpers.

Disco, bit harder pay for the DJ and the kids get a drink an snack included think that is about £2 as well.

Don't do a lot of fairs as they are alot of work.

Sponsored stuff does well.
We have mufti for £1 days and we have just done a decorate an egg kids all pay £1 to enter.

Mind you the kids will all have an egg at the end of school, so parents can see that the money is going somewhere.

The PTFA have a good site

peachyprice

Quiz night are a great money spinner, very little outlay and can easily raise £500 per night, same for bingo and race nights.

We also do mother's day and father's day stalls where the children can buy gifts and cards for their parents.

Cake stalls at the end of the school day, usually to coincide with an even/last day of term etc., ask the parents to donate fairy cakes, biscuit etc. and sell them to the children for 10p-20p each, another great money spinner.

Summer/christmas fetes are very hard work and don't always turn a great profit once you've spent out for everything you need to make it good, especially of the former PTA have left you with nothing to start with! Although they are lovely to have.

74jax

I would maybe not to do too much at once, parent's start to think 'oh not another fundraising thing' The quiz idea is good as parent's can choose whether to take part or not.

lady_wolfs_head

We have twice done a circus.

It is called HAppy's Circus. It is not cheap. It costs upwards of £1800, but they tell you how many tickets and how much to charge to make a profit.
We then run a BBQ and beer tent and a raffle and tombola. Really great evening.
I agree with peachy the fairs are alot of graft for not alot and if it rains??.

Sick to simple things, even doing teas and coffees at sports day and events can bring in some money and gather helpers.

Counting_Pennies_2

Only do one event a term (not half termly) otherwise they will start to resent the events!

Christmas Fun Day,
Quiz Night
Silent Auction
Summer BBQ

Other mini events such as selling second hand uniform donated by children who have outgrown, and having a cake and drink stall next to it.

hth

Counting_Pennies_2

lady_wolfs_head wrote: »

hello,



Mind you the kids will all have an egg at the end of school, so parents can see that the money is going somewhere.

I would much sooner it went on something else than a chocolate egg.

Books, printer cartridges, school trips!

ailuro2

If you read the recent thread on money for kids schools and how much parents detest being asked for money on a weekly basis, you'll see why there aren't people queueing up to join the PTA money raising groups.:p

Tot up how many days out there will be per class over the year, how much equipment you'll need to replace, and tell the parents this is how much it will cost, and this is how much the school needs to do it all. Give them an option to pay quarterly for all the fund raising etc.

It will save you a shedload of paperwork and keep a lot of parents very happy if they only have to send in money once a term.


Not sure you're allowed to do that, but in an ideal world that's what I'd love my DD's school to do....

paulsad

Good luck - my wife used to run the pta at our primary for many years - what a thankless job!! Back in the 80's events used to be well supported but as time moved on it was harder and harder to get parents to attend events (despite countless reminders and begging letters) and even worse to get them to help out - eventually events were cancelled - then the moaning would start.
We did Murder Mystery Events, Hoe Downs - Discos, BBQ's, Fetes, Plant Sales, plastic duck race on the local stream etc. ...you name it.
Anyway all the best!!

Millie's_Mum

Our school had a thing today which was called Bag2school which was basically a textile recycling bag (like a charity bag but just textiles) given out a few weeks ago and then we all filled them and took them back to school this morning,

It pays £200-£400 a tonne, I don't know yet how much was raised but there didn't seem to be much effort involved for the PTA, the company who run the scheme were there collecting and loading the bags.

Gingham_Ribbon

Summer Fair ideas -

Have a kid zone. Charge £2 for a card that can allow the child a go on 5 games. Get year 6 pupils to staff the games and they can stamp the cards. That way they don't have to handle money. There are loads of websites with ideas for games they can play.

Ask parents to help organise and run stalls - eg book stall, plants, uniform, toys - all second hand, brought in by kids and parents before the day.

Have a non uniform day - some classes to bring in a clean soft toy for the tombola, others to fill a jam jar with sweets, others to bring in a box of chocolates etc.

Have a raffle and write a letter to local shops and businesses asking them to donate prizes - meal for 2, bottle of champage, free haircut etc. Tell them they will be advertised in the promotional literature to every family and make sure the charity no is on the letter.

Make sure the date doesn't clash with other local fetes or big events (like the world cup final!)

Invite stall holders like pampered chef, Usbourne seller or local toy makers to have a stall and charge them to come.

Invite the fire brigade to bring a fire engine or the police to do a display with a dog or similar.

Get the kids and staff busking.

Invite a local dance group - Irish/morris/salsa to perform - even better if some of the kids can do it.

Don't charge an entrance fee - ask people to make a donation at the gate - people tend to give more that way!

Get parents to cook and bake and sell it.

Put self portraits of the kids in frameless frames and sell them.

Put the head in stocks and charge kids to throw wet sponges at her.

Hook a duck.

Hire a bouncy castle or similar.

Have plenty of cold drinks and ice lollies on sale - have someone go round with a tray selling them.


Don't forget to check the legal situation with raffles/alcohol/film nights as there's the odd thing to be careful of.