The Importance of Creative Fundraising for PTAs
Are you a proud member of your school’s PTA? Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ll likely already know just how important PTAs are – especially when it comes to fundraising for educational or charitable initiatives.
You might be raising money for something small such as some new sports equipment or to help pay for an upcoming educational trip. A PTA event can also be a fantastic way to raise funds for a local charity or another cause that’s close to the community’s hearts.
So, what’s the key to success when it comes to PTA fundraising? Creativity, of course! If you want to raise the maximum amount of money possible, you’ll need to think outside of the box. Here we’ll take a brief look at some simple yet effective ways to fundraise with your PTA.
Don’t forget to check out our ‘how it works’ page too, to see how registering your PTA events with easyfundraising could boost your funds.
Community-Based Fundraising Ideas
School Fete
From tasty food stalls to traditional games, there’s nothing quite like a school summer fete! These kinds of events have been popular for decades and appeal to a wide audience. Organising one on school grounds is usually pretty simple, plus there are heaps of ways to raise extra money. You could also put a fun theme on the event – from a bright and colourful carnival vibe to pretty summer florals.
Charity Run/Walk
For a PTA fundraiser that’s both fun and fitness orientated, consider a charity run or walk. These kinds of events are fantastic at getting the whole school community involved and can be good money-makers.
The easiest way to raise funds is to get participants to receive pledges from their friends and family. This could be as little as £1 from each person – it all adds up and can make a huge impact if dozens decide to take part.
Car Boot Sale
Give parents a chance to declutter their homes with a charity car boot sale. This could be hosted in your school car park or playing field, and it’s perfect for families who want to sell any unwanted items they have lying around. You could either charge a fee for taking part or ask for a percentage of every sale to be donated to the PTA’s fundraising pot.
Quiz Night
Let parents show off their general knowledge with a PTA fundraiser quiz night. You can easily host it on school grounds and collect a small fee from each team that participates – just like a pub quiz! There are lots of websites which will generate quiz questions for you, or you could ask teachers to get involved by submitting their own.
Community Art Auction
Have some budding artists at your school? A community art auction is a great way to raise funds and allow kids to get recognition for their creative work. This is easily organised and would see parents, friends and members of the public bidding on the students’ artwork.
Online Fundraising Ideas
If you’ve not got the time or the means to organise an in-person PTA event, why not consider an online fundraiser? Here are a few handy suggestions:
Virtual Talent Show
Organising a talent show in person can often be a hassle. Instead, why not do it completely online? Students can sign up to participate and you can then use a site such as Just Giving to collect money for tickets. The show itself could then be hosted using an online platform like Zoom, with the video link shared in the ticket confirmation emails.
Crowdfunding Campaign
If you’re after a way to fundraise over a longer period, crowdfunding could be the answer. It’s simply a way of raising funds for a cause via an online platform.
You could even use easyfundraising: simply register your cause online and ask members of the school community to use the site every time they shop online. Participating brands will then donate a small fee to your specific cause every time a purchase is made.
Online Auction
Rather host a charity auction online? You could do this via Zoom and send out bidding cards to participants in advance. Alternatively, there are several dedicated online auction sites you can use such as eBay or eBid. Why not get in touch with a few local businesses or prominent community members to see if they’d donate a few items or experiences to be auctioned off?
Product Fundraising Ideas
Bake Sale
An oldie but a goodie, a charity bake sale is never a bad idea for a fundraiser. Simply get a few parents to whip up some delicious cakes and biscuits and voila! You could sell them at a specific event (e.g. the school fair) or set up a table in the school hall as an end-of-the-week treat for kids and parents.
School Calendar
Christmas on the horizon? Creating a school calendar for the upcoming year is a brilliant gift idea for students’ families. There are lots of online sites you can use, or you could see if a local print shop would be willing to make them for a reduced price. Create one for each class featuring the kids’ artwork. Alternatively, why not make a school-wide calendar featuring class photos or photos from various events that took place throughout the year?
School Merchandise
Boost your school spirit while raising money by having some branded merchandise made. From t-shirts and hoodies to mugs and tote bags, there are so many items that can be affordably made featuring your school’s logo or motto. You could then donate a portion of each sale to the PTA’s fundraising pot.
Recipe Book
Have people from lots of different cultures and backgrounds at your school? A nice way to celebrate this diversity and simultaneously raise money is to create a school recipe book. Kids could contribute their favourite recipes to the book and it could then be sold to the public, with the proceeds going to charity.
Plant Sale
Encourage everyone to inject some more greenery into their homes by hosting a PTA charity plant sale. Parents and teachers could sell plant cuttings or seeds to the general public, with a chunk of the proceeds going straight to a good cause. You could also give the event an environmental spin by combining it with educational talks for kids on plant care or biology topics like photosynthesis.
Sponsorship-Based Fundraising Ideas
Sponsored Silence
Really want to challenge your school’s students? Organise a sponsored silence! These kinds of events involve kids being sponsored to stay silent for a set amount of time while they’re at school. It could be for just one lesson or even for the entire day.
Read-a-Thon
Another fantastic educational fundraising idea is a read-a-thon. This sort of event sees kids being sponsored to read a certain number of books or pages over a set period of time. It’s a great way to boost their learning while supporting a good cause. Why not coincide it with a literature-themed event like World Book Day?
Sponsored Walk or Cycle to School Week
Encourage kids and teachers to be more active with a walk/cycle to school event. This could be an entire week (or just a few days) where everyone tries their best to go to and from school without driving or using public transport. In exchange, they could be sponsored by family and friends, with the total raised going to a good cause of the PTA’s choice.
Charity Haircut
Fancy changing up your look? A charity haircut – where someone is sponsored to drastically cut or shave off all their hair – is a wonderful idea. The snip itself could even be a public event, with people paying a small charity donation to watch.
Sponsored Litter Pick
Show some love for the environment and teach kids the importance of keeping the planet clean by organising a sponsored litter pick. This could take place on school grounds or in a local park, with everyone participating asking their friends and family to sponsor them for the duration of the event.
The Potential of PTA Fundraising and the Role of easyfundraising
Supporting great causes is a wonderful way to bring people together – especially at school. PTA fundraising is vital for allowing schools to support various charities and initiatives that not only benefit the students but the wider community too.
Searching for a way to boost your donations? Sign up to easyfundraising today and get your school community shopping via our website or app. We’ve teamed up with over 7,500 different brands, from supermarkets to fashion stores, all of which will donate a percentage of each online sale to your specific cause. Simply register your fundraiser on our website and get saving!