My Fundraising Blog

From Trash to Cash

2008-12-18T07:23:00.000-08:00

At Ridge Road Elementary School (RRES) they’re eschewing old forms of fundraising by shredding the past–literally.

RRES’s newest fundraising endeavor isn’t selling candies or cookies, it’s selling a service–a service that has become more important over the last several years: identity protection through document shredding.

Cheri Gibson is a member of the Ridge Road PTA and initiated “Shred Day” at RRES. Shred Day offers residents, parents, and companies the opportunity to come to the school and have a shredding truck take care of their documents More...

New fundraiser idea uses children's creativity

2008-12-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Opportunity School is aptly named. House at First Presbyterian Church of Ottawa, 114 E. Jefferson St., the school gives 3-, 4- and 5-year-old children a chance to enlarge their world through the use of playtime and interaction with other children. This year, the school’s fundraiser is "It’s an Opportunity School Christmas!" Students in six different classes created six Christmas card designs. More...

Gladstone Elementary School fundraiser sends principal to roof

2008-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Usually, Gladstone Elementary Principal Nan Shapiro keeps an eye on students through her office, in the classroom or out on the playground.

But Thursday, Shapiro had more of a bird's eye view of her students - with binoculars to boot - after a major fundraising effort left her perched atop the school's roof.

"Anytime they can see the principal do something silly, (the students) are thrilled," Shapiro said. "I love being involved with the kids."

The school recently celebrated raising more than $30,000 in its major fundraiser for the year, a walk-a-thon called Pride Stride.

The event was moved to San Dimas High School's football field due to construction at Gladstone Elementary. For the event, students walked the track based on pledges and donations to raise money for school projects.

Shapiro walked more than 5,300 steps around the track, and the class that guessed the closest got a pizza party and movie day.

But the big prize, announced at an assembly prior to the fundraiser, was Shapiro promising to work a day nested on the roof.

"I like it," said 10-year-old student Jackson Tshinkel. "I think it's cool because she is always in her office, and now she is on the roof."

Jackson added, with a giggle, that he thinks Shapiro should stay up there indefinitely.

With the economy in a slide and school funding uncertain, the Parent Teacher Association along with the school brainstormed ways

they could have a prize that was also of minimal cost. Having Shapiro on the roof with a desk, phone and binoculars was what they came up with.

"We try to think of things that are fun and motivating for the kids," said PTA President Susy Griffith. "We thought this would be a fun thing kids would want to see Nan do."

Shapiro snapped pictures of the students from her spot on the roof, often with the students running and hiding to escape the lens. Students would yell to their principal on high, and the children would share jokes about their principal.

"I can hear other kids joke but not me," said Syndney Griffith, with a sly grin. "(The prize) encouraged us. I knew we were going to do it."

Fun day for fundraising

2008-04-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Pat Hudson’s first-grade class had plenty of reasons to celebrate Thursday at Crescent Elementary School.

Not only is spring break around the corner, but her students were also declared the winners of what Wendy Sullivan termed a box-top derby. More...

Fundraising event is a fine art at school

2008-04-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

TOOWOOMBA Grammar School's 2008 Art Show held on the weekend attracted a sell-out crowd of 500 to the opening night on Friday and about 600 over Saturday and Sunday.

The show featured more than 500 paintings as well as jewellery, leatherwork, sculpture and pottery. More...

Tired of catalogs, schools seek new ways of fundraising

2008-03-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

Students asking relatives and friends to buy such things as gift wrap, magazines or cookie dough are as much a part of the school year as report cards and parent-teacher conferences.

But some PTA officials are saying enough is enough. They're searching for alternatives to catalog sales that emphasize education and improving the school community, rather than raising the most money.

In suburban Kansas City, that's been the goal at Franklin Elementary School in the Liberty School District for the last three years, where the PTA has replaced catalog sales with a four-week read-a-thon, with students getting pledges for the number of minutes they read. More...

Is "pay to play" coming your way?

2008-02-28T03:27:00.000-08:00

New Milford PTO demands leaders look carefully at proposed school budget

NEW MILFORD "" Voters in November elected school board members they felt would put children before dollar signs "" taking away a Republican majority for the first time in a decade.

Yet Republican Mayor Patricia Murphy's request to cut $1.75 million from the school board's $59.1-million budget proposal suggests she is unwilling to listen to those constituents, according to PTO leaders and education supporters.

The townwide Parent-Teacher Organization intends to demand the town's elected leaders look very carefully at the mayor's proposal, because they said the money she wants to take away may mean a loss of teachers, a return to pay-to-play sports, fewer library books, larger class sizes and less money to properly maintain school buildings More...

Salisbury school notes: Kids were off to the pig races last week

2008-02-25T05:13:00.000-08:00

You've heard of horse races, but have you heard of pig races? Last Friday, the Salisbury Elementary School PTA hosted the first annual pig races. Each classroom that had 60 percent student participation in the 2007 Meadow Farms Fall fundraiser got one battery-operated pig to enter into the race. More...

Schools cutting bingo fundraisers, daunted by state rules

2008-02-19T03:21:00.000-08:00

Organizers of some school bingo events say they are shying away from the fundraisers this year, afraid of breaking complicated state finance rules.

School officials, parents and community organizers say many were alarmed after East Catholic High School in Manchester was cited last fall for using a money wheel in a fundraising drive. More...

Rose L. MacDonald School launches box top fundraiser

2008-02-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Rose L MacDonald School recently launched its 2007-2008 Box Tops for Education fundraising campaign. The school has earned more than $6,000 since 2002. This year the school has set a goal of raising $850. More...

Slow economy forces school PTA's to change fundraising strategies

2008-02-14T03:30:00.000-08:00

Economic times are tough both at home and at school. Some schools are seeing a 20% drop in fundraising, forcing many PTA's to rethink their strategy, even cutting back on some money-making events.

Six months ago, business owner Joan Miller decided to help the local schools in Ruskin. Miller says if her business, Dove Interiors, has seen a 30% drop in sales, local schools were probably feeling the financial pinch too. Details...

Litchfield collects cell phones to help pay for community pool

2008-02-13T03:05:00.000-08:00

Specifically, the city is collecting used cell phones to help pay for its swimming pool, the only public pool in the county.

The city has teamed up with Pace Butler Corp., of Edmond, Okla., a leader in the cell phone recycling industry that pays for the cell phones collected. Details...

Finding the money for high school sports is difficult

2008-02-12T04:34:00.000-08:00

Central High School head football coach Dave Craddock looks as comfortable on a golf course as Tiger Woods looks in shoulder pads.

But like Woods, Craddock's time on the links is spent trying to make money. Not through winning tournaments or betting buddies $5 a hole, but by hosting a tournament each year to raise money for his football program. Details...

Local school fundraisers hitting skids

2008-02-11T07:23:00.001-08:00

In a difficult economy and facing budget cuts from the property-tax reform voters approved in January, it's getting harder for public schools to pay for amenities geared more toward entertainment than education. Details...

Coffee Fundraiser Will Perk Up Your Group's Fundraising

2008-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Social brews interest

Friends, singles and significant others can enjoy each other’s company at the second-annual “Café Amore” fundraiser for the Hays Public Library.

“This is an activity for anyone – young, older, single or married,” said Fort Hays State University history professor and trust board member Kim Perez.
“It is a fundraiser for the Hays Public Library Trust, which funds larger projects for the library,” she said. “We raise funds through the sale of tickets and through the silent auction of great products that have been donated by some generous Hays businesses.” Details...

Fundraising Idea: Magic Show Performance

2008-02-08T13:46:00.001-08:00

Pet Adoption Fundraising Ideas

2008-02-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

If considering ways to help out not-for-profits in the community that do so much good for others consider being involved in fundraising. Agencies such as those who deal with the homeless, the elderly, helping at-risk youth, agencies that help disaster victims often run on a shoestring budget and are in need of financial support.

Also, agencies that help a segment of the community, but are often overlooked are shelters for animals. These shelters often provide food, medical assistance and immunizations for those animals who are lost or who have been abandoned. Details...

Fundraising Idea: Builds student self esteem whiling raising funds.

2008-02-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

Bay Ridge Students Spread the ‘Love’

Lizz Madonia started at McKinley I.S. 259 seven years ago. Being a guidance counselor, she noticed that one of the major issues that came up with her students was how they felt about themselves. She wanted to implement a program that would enable her students to feel that they could make a difference and at the same time, change the negative thinking within themselves. She saw that children face issues such as self-loathing, poor body image or trying to find a meaning to their lives. Details...

Local student goes to Polar Plunge.

2008-02-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Plungers are usually used for clearing toilet back-ups, but they can also be pretty neat clothing accessories too.

“He wanted to wear plungers on the head, but his father said absolutely not,” said Claire Crain, Mother of Polar Plunge Participant.

For one local guy it's his favorite piece of his Polar Plunge costume. He’s just one member of the ‘3 plungeteers’, a group that also includes his father and a friend. Their costumes will have two themes, UVa Cavilers and the 3 Musketeers. Hunters’ mother has been working on the costumes for several weeks. Details...

Fundraising: Want to Buy a Candy Bar? Or a Discount Pizza Card?

2008-02-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the groups that find the need to fundraise the most are school related such as sports teams, marching bands or PTA and PTO groups. With shrinking funds from the various school systems nationwide, such groups find their funds being cut and having to look at various outside fundraising sources. Details...

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One of the top pizza card fundraisers: Maxi Pizza Card Fundraising. Ideal to raise a great deal of money, quickly.

Restaurant Fundraiser A McShock For Official

2008-02-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Call it the Big Mac Moment.

It happened Thursday, about a half-hour into a routine Montgomery County Council committee meeting on food marketing in the school system. Ameena Batada, co-author of a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, was briefing council members.

"And at the McTeacher's Night, teachers actually go and work behind the register," she said. "So students can see their teachers behind the cash registers at McDonald's." Details...

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Our note: Come on. Do you realize what McDonald's has given to charities...and how they are so willing to help groups raise funds? They offer healthy meal choices to their burgers and fries. Cut the frenzied Big Mac Attack.

Have you thought of having a cookie dough fundraiser?

2008-02-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

If you are thinking of a cookie dough fundraiser it can work out to be the easiest fundraiser you ever had. If you have a large amount of people for support then you are half way there. First of all you have to get organized for this fundraising event. There are several ways you can have a cookie dough fundraiser – asking people to donate the cookie dough or buying it from a company. Details...

Basics of Brick Fundraising

2008-02-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Brick fundraising is a great way to get decorative bricks to line a pathway or as a façade on a wall or entry way. Brick fundraising allows donors to pre-purchase bricks with there names that are later incorporated into the design of a new annex or building. Details...

Fundraising policy up for debate

2008-02-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

Principals at Rutherford County Schools will face new challenges to raise funds this year after learning in December that state law requires fees to be waived for economically disadvantaged students.

Riverdale High Principal Tom Nolan said his school lost $5,000 this year from homecoming activities due to the new policy. Details...

Welcome to "My Fundraising Blog"

2008-02-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

This fundraising blog has been started to assist you in the task of raising funds for your scho9ol, team, band, church, group...

It is our intention to post entries of interest to you. From fundraising news to fundraising ideas to fundraising success stories.

You can be a vital part of this blog by posting your own fundraising ideas or fundraiising programs that have worked for your group..