Soapbox Engage Blog

Schools have faced serious challenges these past few years. State-level school funding has been at a low and private schools face their own struggles to make ends meet. In order for students to thrive in school, they need important resources like textbooks, nutritious lunches, enriching afterschool programs, and more — but what happens when there aren’t sufficient funds to cover the cost of these resources?

In many cases, the price of critical resources falls on educators. In the 2020-2021 school year, teachers spent an average of $750 out of their own pockets to enrich students' learning. Teachers need more support to provide students with the resources they need to succeed, and students need ample opportunities to reach their full potential.

This is why a proactive Parent Teacher Association (PTA) can make all the difference in the life of a school! By spearheading events with concrete fundraising goals, a strong PTA can reduce financial constraints and boost your students’ welfare.

In order to make your next PTA fundraiser a success, you’ll need to plan an event that will engage students, parents, and teachers alike. Not sure where to get started? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into how to plan your PTA fundraiser. Then, we’ll walk you through 7 great fundraising ideas to inspire your next campaign:

1. Food Truck Rodeo
2. Service Day
3. Cook-off or Bake-off Event
4. Community Rummage Sale
5. Product Fundraiser
6. Hybrid Concert
7. Family Picture Day

Ready to explore the world of PTA fundraising? Let’s begin.

Understanding Your PTA’s Role

The primary role of a PTA is to build healthy relationships between parents, teachers, and school administrators so they can provide the best possible support for students. Many PTAs recruit and organize volunteers, offer parent education opportunities, support teachers, and head up fundraising efforts.

In some states, schools are saddled with tight budget restrictions. Still, PTAs can raise money for everything from salaries for extracurricular teachers (like art and music) to playground equipment.

For many programs and resources to be accessible to students, your school’s PTA needs to raise as much money as possible. Luckily, we’ve got the tips and tricks to boost your next fundraiser’s chances of success.

PTA Fundraising Best Practices

Every school is unique in its culture and needs, so there’s no "one-size-fits-all" fundraising plan for Parent Teacher Associations. Still, there are some best practices that will help you get the most out of your fundraising efforts and choose fundraising strategies that best meet your school’s needs.

1. Be clear about the problem and the solution.

The first step in any successful fundraising effort is to identify the problem, need, and opportunity. Figure out why your school needs more funding and how bringing in donations from the community can help solve the problem.

By being upfront about why your fundraiser is taking place and how the funds will be used, your donors will be more trusting and feel more inclined to support your cause.

2. Identify values and concerns of potential donors.

Now that you’ve clearly defined the problem and the solution, it’s time to think about the values and interests of potential donors.

For instance, say your PTA is interested in raising money for a field trip to a nature preserve. Potential donors therefore might value environmental education or interactive learning opportunities.

Ask PTA members and volunteers to identify groups, businesses, and individuals that share your concerns and values. Sometimes the most successful fundraising partners are service clubs and organizations that share the same values and want to work with PTAs or schools.

3. Set a specific goal.

Keep in mind the problem you’re trying to solve and determine how much funding would help. This shows donors that there is a clear purpose behind their contributions, which helps build trust.

However, if you end up meeting your goal and the fundraising campaign isn’t over yet, feel free to increase your goal! Encourage donors to keep donating by explaining what the additional funds will be used for. You can reflect this in a fundraising thermometer to boost excitement.

4. Choose your fundraising strategy.

To get started on creating a fundraising plan, you’ll need to decide the type of campaign you’ll launch (virtual, in-person, or hybrid), the timeframe of your campaign, and goals of the campaign (number of corporate sponsors, number of new donors you want to reach, etc.).

As you choose your fundraising strategy, keep in mind the cost-per-dollar raised. This is your key performance indicator that will determine just how successful your fundraiser is.

5. Develop a marketing strategy.

Consider your target audience and tailor your marketing strategy to them. For instance, many parents may be on Facebook, so it would be a good idea to post digital flyers on the school’s Facebook page. Send emails and text message reminders to parents and community members about your fundraiser to increase awareness.

Your students can also be a big part of your marketing efforts! Send them home with flyers for your upcoming fundraiser so they can share them with family and friends.

6. Invest in the right tools.

Carrying out your fundraiser can be a breeze with the right tools! Once you’ve got your strategy nailed down, incorporate these helpful tools from Soapbox Engage to make your fundraiser run without a hitch:

• Donations App: Accept online donations to maximize your reach, make donating convenient, and increase your fundraising potential.
• Events App: Get volunteers signed up ahead of time without stressing your helpers out or having to deal with old-fashioned spreadsheets.
• Directories App: Collect contact information from parents in an easy-to-use database so you can send them reminders about your fundraiser or reach them in the future. You can also collect contact information from community members who might not have children enrolled, but are eager to support the school.
• Forms App: Create accessible online forms to collect information from your supporters. The information will be automatically stored in a database, allowing you to run real-time reports to review the data you’ve collected.

7 PTA Fundraising Ideas That Are Sure to Be Crowd Pleasers

Now that you’ve learned the ins and outs of making your fundraiser as successful as possible, there’s just one thing left to consider: the idea! Launching your campaign is easy once you know the fundraiser you’ll be leading. Check out these 7 school fundraiser ideas to see what’s possible and gather inspiration for your next big campaign.

1. Food Truck Rodeo

Who doesn’t love food trucks? Kids love getting their favorite foods and snacks, and parents always appreciate a night off from cooking.

This PTA fundraiser has very few overhead costs. However, the earning potential depends almost entirely on how many people show up. So, it works best for large schools and areas that enjoy a high level of community involvement because the more people that come, the better. If this sounds like it’d be a good fit for your school, there’s a few must-haves your food truck rodeo will need:

• A variety of food trucks. To get this fundraiser rolling, you’ll need to reach out to local businesses and food truck vendors to see if they’re interested in joining your event. It’s best to choose a variety of restaurants that serve different food types to appeal to as many people as possible. Talk to the owners and discuss how much of the profits can go towards your school.
• A good location. Food truck rodeos work best in a large area (think parking lot or large field), so consider using part of your school’s property or hosting this event at a nearby park. If there isn’t seating in your chosen location, you can invite people to bring picnic blankets or chairs.
• Entertainment. Take advantage of the opportunity to feature some of your school’s talent by letting the band, drama club, and other groups provide the entertainment! During breaks in performances, you can play music from a speaker or have a DJ perform.
• Other fundraising opportunities than just food. Increase your earnings by selling drinks, adding a raffle, and putting out donation buckets. You can even set up a stand for selling school merchandise (tees, hats, etc.) to boost school pride while maximizing donations.

One great advantage of this type of fundraiser is that it can quickly become an annual tradition that everyone looks forward to. When they’re part of the culture and rhythm of the school, these fundraisers become more successful year after year.

2. Service Day

These PTA fundraising events are gaining popularity all over the United States. In this unique fundraiser, the school gets the money it needs, and community members enjoy the helping hand!

Here’s how it works: businesses and individuals all over the community submit jobs that they’d like to "hire" students, parents, and teachers to complete. It might be anything from lawn care to painting or cleaning out the attic. In exchange for the service, the business or individual gives a donation to your cause.

We think this is a great fundraiser for a lot of reasons:

• There are very few overhead costs. You may need to help volunteers with transportation and lunch, but most other essentials will be handled by the participating businesses or individuals.
• Your school gains visibility and recognition around the community. More people will gain familiarity with your school and positively associate it with this day. As a result, they’ll be more likely to contribute to your school in the future.
• Students get excited to engage with the community in new ways. This is a great opportunity for students to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds and professions. Your students will enjoy the chance to do something good for someone else while also giving back to their school.
• Many students get the opportunity to learn valuable life skills. This enriching experience will help students pick up new skills that they can use later on in life. Learning how to fix a faulty door knob in an office or plant flowers to beautify a nursing home lawn can be very fun and useful!

Before you get started, be sure to have all volunteers and participating businesses/individuals sign a waiver. With so many people bound to take part in your fundraiser, we recommend using digital waiver software to improve the waiver collection and distribution process. This way, it’s easier for you to manage the waivers and more convenient for participants to submit them.

3. Cook-off or Bake-off Event

Everyone loves a good cook-off, and there are loads of variations to this type of PTA fundraiser. Whether your community is into BBQ, chili, or sweet desserts like brownies and cake pops, this fundraiser works!

Guests pay for tickets to the event where they get to sample the foods, vote for a winner, then enjoy a bite for dinner or dessert. Increase your fundraising profits by offering "add-on" options, like a baked potato bar, salad bar, cornbread, and drinks. You can even invite a local restaurant to donate some of the foods in exchange for promoting their brand, or have families volunteer to cover different items.

One thing to keep in mind with this fundraiser is the cost-per-dollar-raised. Depending on how you choose to structure it, your costs might be a little higher with this type of fundraiser. Here are a few tips to make this fundraising idea come to life without making it a financial burden to pull off:

• Choose a food that’s inexpensive for competitors to make. Ideally, you’ll want the competitors to pay for the creation of their own meals. So, it’s important to select a meal that’s easy to make, popular, and has low-cost ingredients. Ribs, for example, can be expensive to prepare, while chili can be made with low-cost ingredients.
• Have competitors make their meals ahead of time. If it’s a warm meal like chili, request that competitors bring it in a slow-cooker, hot and ready to serve. This way, the only thing you’ll have to provide are tables to put their meals on as well as plates and silverware.
• Offer the winning meal a low-cost prize. Some schools put a trophy and bragging rights on the line for the winning cook. Another option is to have a local business donate a prize for the winner.

You can reduce your costs even more by recruiting corporate sponsors. Companies will provide financial backing so you can make your fundraiser come to life. In turn, they’ll benefit by associating their brand name with your good cause.

4. Community Rummage Sale

You know what they say—"One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!" So, why not help people empty their basements while supporting your PTA fundraiser? Ask people to donate unwanted items to the school, and host a rummage (or yard) sale.

This fundraiser generally has low overhead costs, but requires a lot of volunteer hours to sort and price all the donations, then set up the rummage sale on the day of. The potential profits depend mainly on the quality of the contributions you receive. So, if people donate really great items, like used treadmills or fantastic appliances, you’ll probably raise quite a bit of money!

To make your rummage sale the talk of the town, try incorporating these tips and tricks:

• Advertise your event throughout the community. The more people who come and shop (and donate quality items), the better. To get the word out about your event, take advantage of several different communication channels. Post on social media, send emails out to all the parents at your school, and put flyers around your community.
• Choose a prime location. You’ll need your rummage sale to take place in a high-traffic spot. If you want to host it on school grounds, set up the rummage sale in the pick-up area or parking lot so parents are bound to see it. Alternatively, consider hosting the sale in a popular spot like a park or near a grocery store.
• Set up a display. Set up tables and put the most appealing items in the front to grab people’s attention. Organize your items by size or type so your sale is easy to navigate.
• Give volunteers incentives for donating their time. This event requires quite a few work hours to get things sorted, tagged, and ready to sell. You’ll need all hands on deck on the day of the event for set-up, working the sale, packing up, and dropping off leftover items at a local thrift shop. Offer volunteers food and water throughout the day or give students community service hours that they can use on their college applications.

Add some extra fundraising potential by selling baked goods, snacks, drinks, and other low-cost food items. You can even invite a local coffee shop to come set up and split the proceeds so part of it goes back to the school!

5. Product Fundraiser

Product fundraisers are an increasingly popular fundraising option for schools! This type of fundraiser lets donors take home a delicious treat or memorable item in return for their generosity. Students and parents alike love getting tasty snacks like popcorn or discount cards with your schools’ name on it.

A product fundraiser can be a great choice to maximize your donations. According to Crowd101, school groups raise more than $1.5 billion annually selling various products. These extra funds will ensure your school can provide students with the resources and programs they need to grow.

You can take your product fundraising to the next level by setting up a fundraising web store. This way, anyone (near and far!) can buy a product online and give back to your school. Not sure how to make a fundraising web store? No sweat! By partnering with the right product fundraising company, they’ll take care of the heavy lifting; you’ll just have to communicate your ideas!

To get started on your product fundraiser, you’ll need to:

• Choose a product fundraising company to partner with. You’ll want to partner with a company that has a variety of products — and in a variety of flavors — so you can make your fundraiser appeal to as many people as possible. For instance, a popular option for fundraisers is food, so a cookie dough fundraising campaign, with 10 gourmet flavors to choose from, would be a great idea! You’ll also want to partner with a company that gives opportunities to customize your campaign page to boost excitement.
• Pick a product to sell. Consider your audience and select a product that would attract the most people. Since you’re likely targeting families and community members, you can’t go wrong with a classic food fundraiser or even branded school merchandise to increase your school’s visibility.
• Get the word out. Your product fundraiser’s success depends on how many people know it’s taking place! Share your fundraising web store’s link via email, text message, or posting on your school’s social media. Use engaging graphics to grab people’s attention so they’re more likely to participate.
• Deliver your products to your supporters. Decide whether you want to have the products shipped directly to donors’ homes or send the items to a specific location (like your school’s office) where a volunteer can hand-deliver them to donors. Consider which option will be the most cost-friendly and convenient for your PTA and donors.

If you’re still looking for inspiration, Double the Donation’s list of 20+ product fundraising ideas can help your PTA settle on the perfect fundraiser.

6. Hybrid Concert

A hybrid concert (an in-person concert with a virtual livestream option) allows people in a school community to customize how they participate in this PTA fundraiser. This flexibility allows you to maximize your reach and make participation more convenient. People can rock out to great music in the front row or even from the comfort of their living room couch!

To plan this fundraiser, you’ll need to decide on the perfect musical act. This could be a local band or DJ, or you can tap into your school’s talent by asking the student marching band, a capella group, or orchestra to perform.

In exchange for a ticket fee, your supporters will gain in-person or virtual access to your concert. Maximize revenue by offering other opportunities like an exclusive meet-and-greet with the performers or a special encore.

On the day of your big event, you’ll want your hybrid fundraiser to be as engaging as possible, even for the people watching at home! Increase engagement by providing a reaction option (such as sending a “like” or clapping hands emoji) or virtual chat-box for people to request songs.

7. Family Picture Day

This is a fun way for families to come together, make memories, and contribute to a school fundraiser! With this fundraiser, families pay a fee for a professional photographer to take pictures. These photos can take place outside in front of your school’s sign or indoors in front of a backdrop.

There are several great ways to get the most bang for your buck out of this fundraiser. For instance, families can pay an additional price to have more time with the photographer or take photos in more than one location.

You can also make this fundraiser into a contest to increase participation! Create categories like Silliest Picture or Best Dressed. Upload the pictures onto the school’s website or into a private link where parents can go on and vote. The winners of each category will get their photo featured in the yearbook.

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Maximizing the amount of donations for your school can open the door to so many enriching opportunities for students. As you plan your fundraising strategy and choose an idea, be sure to keep in mind your goals. Your fundraiser should appeal widely to your audience so you can make it as successful as possible.

• 3 Reasons Donors Love Corporate Matching Gift Programs: Why not maximize your fundraising efforts by doubling your donations? Learn more about nonprofit-business partnerships and how your donors can benefit from matching gifts.
• 10 Strategic Ways to Improve Your Online Donation Form: The donation process should be easy, fast, and convenient for your donors! Check out these 10 ways you can create a high-quality donation page for your next PTA fundraiser.
• Successful Peer-to-Peer Fundraising With Soapbox Engage: Don’t just rely on parents and teachers, mobilize your students to raise money toward their own school! You might be surprised just how motivated kids can be to raise money for things they love. Here are some great P2P fundraising best practices and campaigns that almost any PTA can put on.