Questions to Ask Before Your Fundraise

1. Purpose: Why do we need money? How much do we need? When do we need it?
2. Capacity: How much volunteer support can we expect? Does the fundraiser match our volunteers’ ability? How will this activity impact other requests of time from volunteers?
3. Schedule: Does it conflict with any school or community events, annual fundraisers, or popular activities? How will this activity impact other fundraisers?
4. Outcome: What is the anticipated financial cost per dollar raised for this fundraising activity? Will it be worth the investment of time and energy that will be asked from students, parents, teachers, and staff?
5. Can EEF help? The Eugene Education Foundation (EEF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports schools and parent groups in their site-based fundraising efforts. Contact them for help.

Fundraiser Types

Whole School Fundraisers

• Walkathon
• Zumbathon
• Jogathon
• Danceathon
• Jumpropeathon
• Skateathon

Whole-school fundraisers allow every student to participate regardless of financial commitment. May require a large number of volunteers for event day.

Sales Fundraisers

• Basket Raffle
• Book Store Fundraiser
  • Barefoot Books: Independent Barefoot Books Ambassador will setup on site and cut you a percentage of sales. Contact Tanja K Petal at 541.228.8995 for more information
  • Barnes and Noble: Parent groups organize readings and coordinate displays with the store, receiving a cut of anything purchased at the event or online with a special discount code. For details, contact Joel Geier
  • Scholastic: Held in school, provided with all-inclusive set-up kit that includes everything from large displays to promotional materials, training and cash registers. For details, contact Kitty Bates at 541-999-9591.
• Holiday Trees or Wreaths
• Local Farm and Food
  • Some local options: Café Mam, Coconut Bliss, Euphoria, FarmRaiser, J-Tea
• Plants, seeds, flowers
• Popcorn
• Restaurant of the Month Program
  • Some local options: 16 Tons, Baja Fresh, Bill and Tim’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chapala Mexican Restaurant, Chipotle, Cornucopia, Dickie Jo’s/Yo’s, Dutch brothers, Falling Sky, Fisherman’s Market, IHOP, Laughing Planet, Market of Choice, Mazzi’s, Mod Pizza, Mucho Gusto, Oakshire, Ninkasi, Papa’s Pizza, Putter’s, Roaring Rapids, The Paddock (was Old Pad), Texas Roadhouse, Track Town Pizza, Whole Foods, Wild Duck Cafe, Wrap City Food Cart, Yogurt Extreme
• School supplies ( school name, colors, or motto)
• Toy Store Fundraiser
  • Dancing Weasel Toy Store: Choose a day or weekend where all purchases made by students and their family and friends will earn the school 20% of the sales. Info…
• T-Shirts (student design contest)

Sales fundraisers work when believe they are getting something of quality at a reasonable price while also supporting a worthy cause. Select fundraising strategies that align with goals and that attract potential donors’ attention to the need or cause.

Large Fundraisers

• Auctions (live, silent, online)
• Carnivals/Festivals
• Gala or Catered Celebration

There is usually an element of financial risk with a large fundraising event. If your PTO’s annual gala is cancelled due to an ice storm or your coordinator is not highly skilled, you could actually lose money in the end. Big events also consume your most organized volunteers, perhaps monopolizing them for the better part of your school year. Be sure you can afford to dedicate the necessary resources before committing to an event.

Business Fundraising

• Grantwriting
• Sponsorships

Both depend entirely on your volunteers’ specialized skills and relationships.

Bonus (Passive) Fundraising

• Amazon Smile
• Box Tops for Education
• eScrip
• Office Depot Rewards
• Office Max Rewards
• Sequential Biofuels
• Target Red Card

One or two volunteers can easily oversee such programs, and you can extend participation to supporters outside your immediate school community. Passive fundraisers such as box top collections and shopper loyalty programs are a good solution when you need to raise a little money for something but the need is not urgent. They are also excellent opportunities to engage wider into your community to allow families a chance to contribute towards their child’s educational futures – and because parents involvement means student achievement, even though they may not raise the most money, they can have the best outcomes.