With increasing competition for dwindling funds, we’re finding that our fundraisers for technology are bringing in less money. This is especially true when our feeder elementary and middle schools are running fundraisers at the same time. Do you have any suggestions?
In a perfect world, technology budgets would not rely on fundraisers or grants just to pay for basic needs. In reality, schools’ choices about how to spend funds are often limited; however, your community can handle just so many Jog-A-Thons or gift wrap sales before wallets are tapped out.
Since it appears that one issue for your school is the fact that younger siblings are participating in competing fundraisers, you might explore the possibility of a partnership with your feeder schools. Would it be possible to conduct one or two large fundraisers where profits were shared among participating schools? If not, perhaps you could at least coordinate calendars to avoid direct competition and to vary the type of fundraiser or the products being sold. Either solution requires some time and planning, but you should see a pay-off in the form of more profitable fund raisers all around.
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
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