Fundraising
Most of my groups do a fair amount of fundraising, and I have participated my fair share of car washes and garage sales! Below you will find my personal fundraising policies and a list of ideas. If you have any logistical questions about fundraising, or have ideas to share, send me an e-mail. I'm always happy to hear from you!
My personal fundraising policies...
As a rule, I do not touch any money that is associated with fundraising. I have a parent committee who takes care of handling all the money. I let them know that my role is communication. I communicate all the details of an upcoming fundraiser to my students, and make sure that they have the information that they need (sales brochures, car wash time and location, etc).
The first thing that you should do before you jump into any fundraisers is to form a parent committee and have them do all the work! My parents organize each event, and they handle all the money. One piece of advice: always make sure that there is a parent "in charge" at each fundraising event. Naturally they will look to you, as the teacher to facilitate the activity, but it isn't always possible so have the parents take charge from the get-go.
The money earned at each fundraiser is split only between the students who actually worked the event. So, if you have 50 people on your tour, but only 15 students show up to a car wash, the money is split evenly between those 15 participants. This is a huge motivator for many students who really need to raise the money!
Fundraising website: I had a go-getter group one year who averaged about three fundraisers each month! I needed a way to get all the information out, and get a sign-up list going for each fundraiser. I decided to add a page to my travel web site, and keep information about fundraisers all in one place. Click here to see my fundraiser page. I used a google form to create a sign-up sheet for each event, which gives me a nice little spread sheet with everyone who is interested in that particular fundraiser. Google forms change my life, y'all...don't know what I would do without it! I could give you lots more nerdy details of how I use google forms on this particular page, but I will spare you. :)
As a rule, I do not touch any money that is associated with fundraising. I have a parent committee who takes care of handling all the money. I let them know that my role is communication. I communicate all the details of an upcoming fundraiser to my students, and make sure that they have the information that they need (sales brochures, car wash time and location, etc).
The first thing that you should do before you jump into any fundraisers is to form a parent committee and have them do all the work! My parents organize each event, and they handle all the money. One piece of advice: always make sure that there is a parent "in charge" at each fundraising event. Naturally they will look to you, as the teacher to facilitate the activity, but it isn't always possible so have the parents take charge from the get-go.
The money earned at each fundraiser is split only between the students who actually worked the event. So, if you have 50 people on your tour, but only 15 students show up to a car wash, the money is split evenly between those 15 participants. This is a huge motivator for many students who really need to raise the money!
Fundraising website: I had a go-getter group one year who averaged about three fundraisers each month! I needed a way to get all the information out, and get a sign-up list going for each fundraiser. I decided to add a page to my travel web site, and keep information about fundraisers all in one place. Click here to see my fundraiser page. I used a google form to create a sign-up sheet for each event, which gives me a nice little spread sheet with everyone who is interested in that particular fundraiser. Google forms change my life, y'all...don't know what I would do without it! I could give you lots more nerdy details of how I use google forms on this particular page, but I will spare you. :)
Fundraising Ideas...
Individual Fundraisers:
Candy-grams. Pick an upcoming holiday and sell Candy Grams. Have your students sell the grams at lunch (basically students write a personal message to another student on cards that you have created). Keep the personalized cards, attach a piece of candy to them, and then deliver them to the students at the end of the week. This is very economical, and the students love it. Examples: Val-o-grams, Gobble Grams (for Thanksgiving), Boo Grams (Halloween), Santa Grams.
Car Vacuuming for Tips. Contact your local self-serve car wash, and ask if you group can vacuum cars for tips. Typically patrons will vacuum their own cars, but instead your group could offer to do it for them for tips.
Combined Car Wash and Bake Sale. Have your travelers make baked good, and bring coolers with water and soda iced down. While your patrons wait to have their car wash, sell drinks and baked goods to them. *this works really great on hot summer days, when they want something to drink.
Cow Chip Bingo. For this fundraiser you will need a cow, a large (empty) parking lot, some sidewalk chalk, and this sheet to presale the squares. The first step is to secure the place (empty parking lot) and a cow, and pick a date to hold the bingo event. Next, you will need to presale some squares on your grid. You can pick your price, the example here is $5 each. Each square is a $5 chance to win a prize (in this case a $50 gas card). For the day of the event, you will need to make a large grid in the parking lot with sidewalk chalk. Next, bring in the cow and walk him/her around the grid until they poop. What ever number they poop on is the winner of the prize. Be sure that you have someone volunteer to clean up the parking lot as well.
Dollar Donuts. Call around to local bakeries and donut shops, and ask for donations of donuts. See them at school (or any other morning event) for a dollar a piece. Kids go crazy for donuts.
Community Garage/Rummage Sale. Hold a community garage/rummage sale in a large parking lot or other outdoor space. Sell "vendor spaces" in your sale for any dollar amount that you choose. Individuals or organizations in the community can buy a space, sell their items, and keep whatever money they make. This is a win-win for your group, and the others making a profit at their own mini garage sale. Having many "vendors" in one place is also a plus, because it attracts more shoppers. (Example: sell each space for $20. If you have 50 vendors that buy a space, you could make $1250...just from selling space!)
Little Caesars Frozen Pizza. Little Caesars has a fundraising division, and it is simple and easy to order. Check out this website for more information: http://www.pizzakit.com/. They also have a phone number listed on this site if you would like to speak with someone in person. They offer more than pizza-cookie dough, as well…which was a big seller. A big truck will deliver your whole group’s order (on the day and time that you designate). Just have your students show up to retrieve their items, so that they may deliver them to the people listed on their original order form.
Participate in local carnivals. It seems like every elementary school has a fall carnival. Contact the principal, PTSA president, or whoever is in charge of the carnival, and ask if you students can sell drinks. This is a quick and easy fundraiser. Each of your travelers brings a 12 pack of soda or water, ice them in a cooler, and sell them for $1 each. If you aren't allowed to sell food items, ask if you can do face painting or some other type of activity. I have even had a group sell drinks at a chili cook-off sponsored by a private organization.
Penny War. Each class gets a jar/piggy bank/container of some sort set up in a common area of the school. The idea behind a penny war is to have the classes compete to see who gets the most points. Here are the rules: Pennies count as positive points, any other change or bills count as negative points. So, let’s say a senior wants to put the freshman class behind on their points. All he has to do is put a dime into the freshman jar, and the freshman class is already behind by 10 points. Most of the time, the best prize for winning a penny war is just bragging rights, but you would work out something with your principal, so that the winning class could go early to lunch, or stay longer at recess.
Pictures with Santa. Set up a location (maybe at your school, or local coffee shop), and find a dad to volunteer to dress up as Santa. Advertise with fliers at all elementary schools, day cares etc. Take a picture with a digital camera, and print the photos instantly with a small photo printer. You can even have your students cut sheets of card stock in half and decorate them to use as a backing for the photo. Generally $5 is a good going rate.
Raffle. Use some of your EF Tours Global Rewards for an ipod, ipad or similar item. Hold a raffle for that item. If you are feeling brave, you could raffle off an extra free spot that you might have on your upcoming tour. Who wouldn't pay $10 or $20 for a chance to win a trip overseas?!?
Rent-a-Slave. Have your students volunteer their time, and ask teachers/community members to rent a student for an hour or even a whole afternoon. You would need to set some rules and limits. You could advertise that the students could help clean out flowerbeds, sort items for an upcoming garage sale, etc.
Sonic Car Hop. Contact your local Sonic drive in restaurants, and ask if they would be willing to let your students car hop for tips. The manager at my local Sonic allows this, because he doesn't have to schedule (and pay) as many of his regular car-hops. We also make small, half-page fliers and tape them to each menu/car stall, letting patrons know about why we are car hopping for tips.
Spaghetti Dinner. Spaghetti is cheap and easy to make. Pick a date and location, then pre-sale tickets to your dinner. Think outside the box for locations, maybe a local church or recreation center. This is a great opportunity for your travelers to bond while working and eating together (not to mention, making money together.)
“Spirit Nights.” Contact local restaurants, and ask if they will partner with your group in a “spirit night.” Every restaurant I have worked with does it a little different, but the basic ideas is that you pick a night of the week (generally one that is slow for their business), and you promise to advertise and have all your travelers families come in and eat dinner that night, and the restaurant will give you a percentage of their profits (usually between 10-20%). I’ve done this at fast food restaurants, Mexican food restaurants, yogurt shops, etc. The restaurants love it because it brings in more business on a normally slow night.
Sporting Event Concession/Clean-up. Do you have a local professional or semi-pro team? Inquire about working concessions at their games, or major events at the stadium/arena. If concessions are not available, ask if they will pay you to clean up after their events. This can bring in big money!
Individual Fundraisers:
- "The Gift of Education." Personal letter to family and friends to give them information about the trip, and to ask for donations. This is always very successful for my students who take the time to write the letter and send them out. Click here for a template
- “A Good Investment.” Have students solicit their family and friends to “sponsor” a portion of the trip. Use the itinerary provided by EF Tours, and break the trip up into sections (ex: “Morning of Day 2: The Lourve and Eiffel Tower”). The student could purchase a post card from that section of the trip and send it to their “sponsor.” Click here for a template
- EF Tours Website. EF now has a fundraising section on each traveler website. You can send a link to everyone you know, and they can donate money directly to your account. This is known as "crowd funding." I get emails for similar events when someone I know is running a 5K for a charity.
Candy-grams. Pick an upcoming holiday and sell Candy Grams. Have your students sell the grams at lunch (basically students write a personal message to another student on cards that you have created). Keep the personalized cards, attach a piece of candy to them, and then deliver them to the students at the end of the week. This is very economical, and the students love it. Examples: Val-o-grams, Gobble Grams (for Thanksgiving), Boo Grams (Halloween), Santa Grams.
Car Vacuuming for Tips. Contact your local self-serve car wash, and ask if you group can vacuum cars for tips. Typically patrons will vacuum their own cars, but instead your group could offer to do it for them for tips.
Combined Car Wash and Bake Sale. Have your travelers make baked good, and bring coolers with water and soda iced down. While your patrons wait to have their car wash, sell drinks and baked goods to them. *this works really great on hot summer days, when they want something to drink.
Cow Chip Bingo. For this fundraiser you will need a cow, a large (empty) parking lot, some sidewalk chalk, and this sheet to presale the squares. The first step is to secure the place (empty parking lot) and a cow, and pick a date to hold the bingo event. Next, you will need to presale some squares on your grid. You can pick your price, the example here is $5 each. Each square is a $5 chance to win a prize (in this case a $50 gas card). For the day of the event, you will need to make a large grid in the parking lot with sidewalk chalk. Next, bring in the cow and walk him/her around the grid until they poop. What ever number they poop on is the winner of the prize. Be sure that you have someone volunteer to clean up the parking lot as well.
Dollar Donuts. Call around to local bakeries and donut shops, and ask for donations of donuts. See them at school (or any other morning event) for a dollar a piece. Kids go crazy for donuts.
Community Garage/Rummage Sale. Hold a community garage/rummage sale in a large parking lot or other outdoor space. Sell "vendor spaces" in your sale for any dollar amount that you choose. Individuals or organizations in the community can buy a space, sell their items, and keep whatever money they make. This is a win-win for your group, and the others making a profit at their own mini garage sale. Having many "vendors" in one place is also a plus, because it attracts more shoppers. (Example: sell each space for $20. If you have 50 vendors that buy a space, you could make $1250...just from selling space!)
Little Caesars Frozen Pizza. Little Caesars has a fundraising division, and it is simple and easy to order. Check out this website for more information: http://www.pizzakit.com/. They also have a phone number listed on this site if you would like to speak with someone in person. They offer more than pizza-cookie dough, as well…which was a big seller. A big truck will deliver your whole group’s order (on the day and time that you designate). Just have your students show up to retrieve their items, so that they may deliver them to the people listed on their original order form.
Participate in local carnivals. It seems like every elementary school has a fall carnival. Contact the principal, PTSA president, or whoever is in charge of the carnival, and ask if you students can sell drinks. This is a quick and easy fundraiser. Each of your travelers brings a 12 pack of soda or water, ice them in a cooler, and sell them for $1 each. If you aren't allowed to sell food items, ask if you can do face painting or some other type of activity. I have even had a group sell drinks at a chili cook-off sponsored by a private organization.
Penny War. Each class gets a jar/piggy bank/container of some sort set up in a common area of the school. The idea behind a penny war is to have the classes compete to see who gets the most points. Here are the rules: Pennies count as positive points, any other change or bills count as negative points. So, let’s say a senior wants to put the freshman class behind on their points. All he has to do is put a dime into the freshman jar, and the freshman class is already behind by 10 points. Most of the time, the best prize for winning a penny war is just bragging rights, but you would work out something with your principal, so that the winning class could go early to lunch, or stay longer at recess.
Pictures with Santa. Set up a location (maybe at your school, or local coffee shop), and find a dad to volunteer to dress up as Santa. Advertise with fliers at all elementary schools, day cares etc. Take a picture with a digital camera, and print the photos instantly with a small photo printer. You can even have your students cut sheets of card stock in half and decorate them to use as a backing for the photo. Generally $5 is a good going rate.
Raffle. Use some of your EF Tours Global Rewards for an ipod, ipad or similar item. Hold a raffle for that item. If you are feeling brave, you could raffle off an extra free spot that you might have on your upcoming tour. Who wouldn't pay $10 or $20 for a chance to win a trip overseas?!?
Rent-a-Slave. Have your students volunteer their time, and ask teachers/community members to rent a student for an hour or even a whole afternoon. You would need to set some rules and limits. You could advertise that the students could help clean out flowerbeds, sort items for an upcoming garage sale, etc.
Sonic Car Hop. Contact your local Sonic drive in restaurants, and ask if they would be willing to let your students car hop for tips. The manager at my local Sonic allows this, because he doesn't have to schedule (and pay) as many of his regular car-hops. We also make small, half-page fliers and tape them to each menu/car stall, letting patrons know about why we are car hopping for tips.
Spaghetti Dinner. Spaghetti is cheap and easy to make. Pick a date and location, then pre-sale tickets to your dinner. Think outside the box for locations, maybe a local church or recreation center. This is a great opportunity for your travelers to bond while working and eating together (not to mention, making money together.)
“Spirit Nights.” Contact local restaurants, and ask if they will partner with your group in a “spirit night.” Every restaurant I have worked with does it a little different, but the basic ideas is that you pick a night of the week (generally one that is slow for their business), and you promise to advertise and have all your travelers families come in and eat dinner that night, and the restaurant will give you a percentage of their profits (usually between 10-20%). I’ve done this at fast food restaurants, Mexican food restaurants, yogurt shops, etc. The restaurants love it because it brings in more business on a normally slow night.
Sporting Event Concession/Clean-up. Do you have a local professional or semi-pro team? Inquire about working concessions at their games, or major events at the stadium/arena. If concessions are not available, ask if they will pay you to clean up after their events. This can bring in big money!