Stumps Spirit Puts the “Fun” in Fundraising
Posted by Stumps Spirit on June 18, 2007
The school year brings all sorts of opportunities for fun events and activities, but all that fun could run up some bills. Help boost your school budget with these fundraising ideas and basic fundraising tips!
The first step to excellent fundraising is scheduling your events in advance and planning ahead. A well-planned fundraiser is more likely to be a successful fundraiser as planning ahead can save you time and money and maximize profits!
The next key to successful fundraising is good advertising. Put up signs and flyers for your fundraiser a couple weeks in advance of the event. This will build awareness in the community so your fundraiser won’t go by unnoticed. Be sure to send flyers home with students or mail them home to parents. Ask local businesses if you can hang your flyers in their buildings too.
To cut the costs of the fundraisers themselves you can get sponsors from the community. Offer local businesses advertising space on your flyers or at the event in exchange for a fee or sponsorship. This will help defer the cost of the fundraiser so you make the most out of your efforts.
Make a deal with your local newspaper or radio station to help you promote your fundraising efforts. In 
exchange, hang their banners in your school at big sporting events.
Keep a chart at the school entrance tracking the money earned versus your goal. Or make announcements during school telling students how much money you have raised to date.
If you’re having trouble coming up with fundraisers for your school, try one of these fundraising ideas:
Sell spirit items at school registration or during the first week of school. Set up a stand to sell spirit items at big sporting events. There’s tons of fan gear, including stadium cups, badges, key tags, poms, spirit marks and cheerphones that make great sales items. You can personalize them with your school information too!
Soft Seat
Sell advertising space on the back of our comfy stadium cushions! Sell the cushions at games for fans who want a softer seat. Your local businesses’ add fees can foot the bill for the custom-designed cushions and your school will reap the benefits.
Lots ‘O Legs
Take pictures of all the senior football players legs (just the legs) and attach the pictures to a collection can. The picture with the most spare change in the can at the end of the week wins the contest! Reveal their identities after the contest.
Show Off
Make your cheers, dances, and stunts worth money! Show off your squad’s stuff at a Saturday cheer expo and invite everyone to attend! Charge a small admission fee and sell donated baked goods or snacks to the crowd.
Sound of Music
Contact your school’s music department and arrange a night for the chorus and orchestra to play a benefit concert. The money you make will be music to your ears!
Sell Your Services
No products are needed for this fundraiser! Compile a list of student volunteers along with their donated services (such as raking, painting, cleaning, etc.) and their fee, which goes straight to the school’s fund. Distribute the list to staff, parents, alumni, and others in the community.
Host a marathon in which each runner is sponsored by friends, family and others in the community. Collect the sponsors’ money the day of the event. Honor the winners with place ribbons and all the runners with participation ribbons!
Read-A-Thon
Not a runner? Try reading! Students gather monetary pledges for each book read during the book-a-thon and the donations go straight to the school.
Spooky School
Turn your school into a haunted house. Decorate the school with creepy creations and have scary scenes (using student volunteers) in various rooms. Use the haunted habitat for the entire weekend (ideally in October) and collect admissions fees to benefit your school!
Sweets Sale
When holidays or spirit weeks roll around, decorate bags with the theme, fill with candy and sell them to students! Prepare order forms for students who want to send candy to a friend. Provide tags for their personal Candygram message.
Flower-Grams
Carnations are an inexpensive way for students, staff and parents to send a special message to a loved one and support your school at the same time. Attach note cards to each stem for the message and have them delivered during homeroom or first period.
