Christmas gift fundraisers provide the gift of field trips and uniforms to children.
School fundraisers provide students with band uniforms and class trips not covered by the school's operating budget. For parochial or specialty schools, fundraisers provide a means to subsidize a deserving child's tuition or to simply keep the doors open. At Christmas time, choose fundraisers featuring gift items or services strapped parents and busy friends would normally look to buy or hire for the holidays.
Organize
Ask the students for input.
Before selecting a fundraiser, brainstorm with key helpers and the children. If the children and staff do not like the fundraiser, enthusiasm wanes. Assess the available adult volunteers, such as parents or staff who normally step up to encourage or assist the students, but do not fundraise instead of the students. Examine the price point. If the price of the item makes multiple purchases prohibitive for the group, the profit margin does not justify the work involved, then choose another fundraiser.
Gift Wrapping
Host a Christmas gift-wrapping station.
Forgo the fundraising catalogs that may pitch pricey gift wrap and cards for children to peddle to parents. Instead, ask parents and friends for donations of leftover bows, gift bags and the leftover half-roll of wrap from last year. Organize a gift-wrapping booth for children to operate. Host a wrapping class prior to the fundraiser. Make a price list of suggested donation amounts for wrapping gifts by size or by the elaborateness of the package. Host a school wrapping day where kids wrap staff and student gifts at break times. Some schools do not allow non-parent or non-staff adult visitors. Ask a local business to host the booth for several hours for public wrapping. Alternatively, host a wrap-athon. In addition to taking donations for gift-wrapping, ask friends and relatives to pledge students a small amount of money per gift wrapped.
Candy
Decoratively boxed candy makes an easy gift.
Candy makes an easy gift for relatives and neighbors alike. However, many families find themselves inundated by sweets at holiday time. For a successful candy fundraiser, sell candies at different price points suitable for stand-alone gifts and stockings. Choose selections accompanied by decorative jars or boxes for easy giving. For a low-cost fundraiser at a small school, recruit parents who make candy. Alternatively, teach the older children melt and mold chocolate in their cooking class or scout troop. If a supplier is chosen, set the final ordering deadline six to eight weeks before Christmas. If students or parents make the candy, sell pre-made candy rather than risking a list of unfulfilled orders. Be sure to tell potential customers if the candy was baked or molded near allergens, such as nuts.
Gift Cards
Sell gift cards to raise funds.
School gift card fundraisers originated in 1988. Since many families already plan to purchase them for the pickiest gift recipients, fundraiser participation fits within the holiday budget. Research the gift card broker wisely and check their fundraising track record. The company purchases gift cards at a discount and applies the profit to the fundraising group after deducting expenses. To increase sales, schools sometimes apply a profit-sharing model where an individual child benefits from a family's sales. According to Alicia Miller and Tim Sullivan of PTO Today, "A typical scenario allows a family to apply 10 percent or 20 percent of the dollars it raises toward school tuition or an activity fund." For a personal touch, sell envelopes or cards made by students.
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