October 2022

Another candy or bake sale? More cookies and wrapping paper? It does not have to be this way.  Wouldn’t you love to ditch those same lame recycled fundraisers everyone else is doing?  Grandma may not mind buying more popcorn, but do you really want to hit up your college roommate or co-worker again?  This article is about turning school fundraising on its head.  Create a fun online business your entire school community can participate in that has predictable revenue streams to fund your school PTO.

Fundraising for your school PTO is more than candy and bake sales.  It’s about creating a supportive community of parents, teachers, and friends who believe in the collective vision of educating children.

In this article, we are sharing innovative ways to engage your organization to build relationships, increase income, and provide value and interest in the school’s needs.

School PTO Fundraising & the Board of Directors

The first step for fundraising and marketing a school PTO is to develop and engage a strong board of directors. These are your school/community leaders. They are the people that others look to for guidance and will want to follow. Ideally, they share and bring their talent, expertise, and money to support the organization.

If you don’t have the right people in place, the next steps can be challenging.

• Who is currently on the Board? The goal is to have a board that works well together. While it is great to have a diversity of ideas, you don’t want people who will block progress.  Being cognizant of who is on your team and how they work together is crucial.
• How well does the Board know each other? Think of them as your department at work or your family at home. Each person has value and plays a role in making the larger organization operate. Plan team-building activities or social gatherings to get better acquainted with your teammates.  Does Negative Nellie have valid/reasonable concerns? Or does she need to resign from the board?
• What are the ground rules? There must be a consensus of the Board for how it is operated and a general way questions and concerns from parents, teachers, and administrators are managed. The Board is the face of the organization. New parents look to the board for how things work, so represent well.
• How often are you meeting? Typically, school PTOs meet once a month. Assign each board member to a committee. Detail work is done in committees, not at board meetings.  Boards act on committee recommendations. Boards should not get stuck on committee work.

Lastly, the Board’s role is to execute the organization’s mission.  It’s easy to make a list of ideas. How, when, and if they’re executed is up to the Board.

When it comes to engaging the board on school PTO fundraising, Nonprofit Nerd Jarrett Ransom, the Founder of The Rayvan Group, recommends that you create a menu of fundraising activities and allow each member to select where they would like to get involved. This allows them to stick to their strengths, which ultimately benefits the school’s PTO.

School PTO Fundraising

As the host of the Groupfinity Podcast, I am always looking for out-of-the-box fundraising ideas for PTOs and other small volunteer organizations. We’ve talked about how to build and engage an effective board, but what do you do when it comes to fundraising? While some boards rely on one or two annual signature fundraisers, others hold several smaller events throughout the school year. It depends on the level of need and how much can be raised at each event.

What makes for successful school PTO fundraising?

Groupfinity Podcast guest Jenni Hargrove #38 speaks about the risk of having only one to two fundraisers per year. She tells her clients that if they’re thinking longer term, they need to have a couple of different streams of income. She thinks of it as a three-legged stool with each leg representing a different stream of income. In other words, monthly bake sales are only a short-term solution to a long-term fundraising dilemma.

• Ask the Board what their goals are for the upcoming school year and beyond.
• Review your committee members for their talent and expertise. For example, could the florist donate centerpieces to the gala that can be raffled off later? Could the restaurant owner donate the space for the event? You may be pleasantly surprised with what is already within your reach; you just need to ask.
• Get buy-in from the board, parents, and school. With support, you can make great strides in fundraising efforts. Without support, you’re going nowhere.

If it sounds too good to be true – It may be.  BEWARE!

Hosting events like charity poker events and casino nights sound like fun but can be a TON of work, with less-than-optimal results. Funds are raised from the buy-in silent auction, drinks, and selling donated or discounted food. That being said, I’ve heard many people frustrated with a lumpy year-to-year performance from events like this – me included!

Why not build something with stable and predictable income streams?

Build an Online Business

Shane Sams, Groupfinity Podcast Guest #34 and the Founder of Flipped Lifestyle teaches individuals and organizations how to create membership communities.  PTOs can create membership communities around whatever expertise they have and can teach others.  This allows your PTO to stop fretting over the hassles of traditional fundraising events. Many of us have sold wrapping paper, hosted bake sales, and managed craft fairs but what if we built an online business to create predictable and sustainable cash flow for our organization? It’s possible!

• What are the skills and experiences of the parents at the school?
• What are we already experts in?
• What can we teach others?
• Who is the target customer for the business?
• How can you make these into a revenue-generating business?

By answering these questions, you can begin to see the possibilities of an out-of-the-box solution that provides long-term cash flow for your PTO.

Become an Amazon Influencer

Content creators are sharing products they love and getting paid by Amazon via the Amazon Influencer program.  Your PTO can do the same! Build your storefront with products that you love – or that teachers need. Create content about these products, linking viewers to your personalized link. Earn money when items are purchased from your store.

You can also become an Amazon Affiliate. Simply register for the program, recommend products, and start earning money.

I hope that if anything, these ideas give you pause to think creatively about redesigning how to fund your PTO.

Marketing Your School PTO Fundraising

Marketing at its core is how we communicate the value of what we’re selling.  When you think about marketing your fundraiser or online business, if you go that route, think about who your marketing team is – a combination of parents, caregivers, teachers, and administrators. Equip them to support the effort.

• Clearly message via social media, parent forums, and flyers.
• Be transparent on how much was raised and how funds will be used.
• Thank donors.

If funds are raised to support the teachers – involve the teachers.  Ask them what they need.

Share your student’s fundraising goal. My son/daughter would like to raise $250 for the school walk-a-thon to buy supplies for teachers!

Give parents simple and clear instructions on EXACTLY how they can share the events and support the fundraising effort. Don’t stop with social media post ideas, give them actual posts. Provide images they can share on social media. Provide letters they can share with friends and family. The more you can provide, the easier it is for them to engage in the process.

Getting the board, volunteers, parents, and staff involved is key for fundraising and marketing for the school PTO. While bake sales can be good for the short term, think long-term with an online business or Amazon store. If you’ve got other out-of-the-box ideas, we’d love to hear them! Message us!