You may have decided to join your school PTA – that’s the Parent Teachers Association – to help the school and your children, or your school may have a less formal arrangement where it asks for assistance with fundraising. I think it’s a great way to volunteer your time and having an active PTA can really improve school activities and helps a lot of people. Taking part in the PTA, school council or other volunteering school activities is also a good way to socialise with other parents and work together, so I think you’re going to have tons of fun. One of the big jobs of the PTA is to help fundraise for the school. Every school has different needs when it comes to funding, but the fact is – they can always use more. Funds could be used for improving facilities, gardening and landscaping projects, educational materials, special school trips, playground improvement, extra staff training, sports equipment, support learning, activities and events and loads more. All of these things can really improve things for the kids, so it’s really important that everyone get involved and help out how they can.
If you’re on the PTA or involved in fundraising you’re going to be brainstorming for events. You want to find fun, interesting and engaging things to do – as this is what will give back the most value for money and bring in the best donations! On top of the financial side, running extra events helps everyone to socialise and provides a great deal of value to the community.
Here are some fundraising ideas for your school PTA – you’ll soon be raising loads money for an amazing cause.
Fundraising Ideas for your School PTA
School Fetes – Themed fetes can include the seasons, or events such as Easter, Christmas or other special celebrations. A fete can include selling stalls to local companies and small businesses which helps support them as well, and you can run raffles and have entertainment, as well as food, cakes and drinks to buy.
Cake / Bake Sale – Everyone can make a cake to sell, and you can host a cake / bake sale after school at a prime time such as when parents are picking up their children, or alongside a School Fete or Jumble Sale.
Jumble Sale – Ask for donations for a jumble sale and you’re sure to get a ton of things! This is a win win for everyone. Some people get to clear their houses of things they don’t need anymore, other people get to buy second hand goods at bargain prices, and it’s great for the environment too, as this keeps items in circulation and out of landfill. Anything left over at the end can be donated to your chosen charity shop to spread more goodwill.
School Uniform Sale – You can hold one of these by themselves or alongside any of the other events. Ask parents if they have any school uniform that’s used but in good condition that they’ve outgrown. Children are constantly outgrowing their uniform. You can then sell pieces for a small price, saving other parents money, and raising some money for the school at the same time.
School Disco / Dance – This one requires a fair amount of organization and volunteers but it can be a big winner as you’ll sell tickets to the event, and it’s also very rewarding for the children and helps them socially.
Non Uniform Day or Fancy Dress Day with a Donation – This is a simple and easy one that any school can take advantage of. Just send out a letter to the parents saying it’s a non uniform day to raise money! The kids will love dressing up and a small fee from each parent who can afford it soon adds up.
Christmas Events – Christmas is a big time for everyone and parents are often looking for fun activities, to make memorable moments and to exchange gifts. Some ideas for Christmas events can include a visit from Santa and his elves or reindeer, Christmas shopping nights (crafts and jumble), Breakfast with Santa (a breakfast buffet is a very affordable event to host), Christmas photos (with festive backdrops), Secret Santa exchange, Christmas charity collection (such as putting together Christmas gift packs for the homeless or those in shelters) and Christmas crafternoon events with themed crafting such as card making and bauble personsalization.
Quiz or Bingo Night – Host some family entertainment with a quiz night or bingo night. You can use some of the entry money for a prize for the winners, and use the rest for the school. This is a really fun activity for families and helps parents and children bond and work together too.
Sponsored Walk or Bike Ride – Get the kids and their parents exercising together out of school with a sponsored activity.
Evening Classes for Parents – If anyone has a skill that they can teach and are willing to volunteer their time, you might be surprised how many parents want to learn and do something in the evening! This could be learning a language, decorating cakes, sewing or even classes about parenting.
Car Boot Sale – If your school has a large car park, playground or field that cars could drive on, you could be making money by hosting a car boot sale on a weekend morning. You’d charge per car to use the field, and then parents could sell anything they want from their car!
Movie Night – Host an evening entertainment with a movie and popcorn, like a mini cinema, but in school. How cool would that be?
Parent Coffee Mornings – A lot of schools don’t have a coffee shop nearby. Wouldn’t it be nice if parents could come into a space in the school and have a coffee and just have a chat after dropping their kids off? This could be an excellent way of raising money!
I hope that all of these fundraising ideas have sparked some enthusiasm and you’re now thinking of how you can make lots of money for your school, and how to spend it. Good luck!
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