Fun and Lucrative School Fundraising
We all know our public schools are often under-funded. One way to help schools buy both necessities and ‘extra' items is holding fundraising activities.
Schools often teach and emphasize community outreach to students. Youth are encouraged to contribute to their communities. One great opportunity to involve them in community service is to involve them in school fundraising. They can contribute their energy and enthusiasm to a great cause, and see immediate benefits.
Fundraising Ideas
School fundraising can take a variety of forms and be used to fund a variety of causes. There are even some obvious connections between fundraising activities and causes supported. For instance, to raise money to buy textbooks, you could have a used book sale. To support buying dvd players to watch educational videos, consider having a movie night. Take the money from the admission fees and concession stand and give it to the school; you can even sell donated tapes and dvds to raise additional funds. This can be done in your school gym, or your local theater might be willing to donate space and their profits for a night.
There are also many traditional, tried-and-true, fundraisers that you may wish to try. For instance, try holding a car wash to raise money for the choir to go to a regional competition. The science club may hold a bake sale to raise funds for research equipment. Door-to-door sales of candy, books, or wrapping paper can be used to support a special club field trip.
You may also wish to try something a little more unusual. For instance, consider a formal fundraising gala, with music provided by the band and entertainment provided by art students. Instead of selling candy, have a healthy snacks sale, complete with demonstrations of yoga, spinning, and other exercise activities. Talk to your local semi-pro athletic team about them playing your school team with admission fees funding new uniforms. Have biology students plant seeds or prepare hanging baskets and sell the plants to raise money for the science program - your local nursery might even be willing to donate materials.
Community Service - An Added Benefit
In addition to raising funds to help their school, youth involved in such programs also learn about community service. They can raise money, buy supplies, and build programs that benefit not only themselves, but also future students. In getting involved in the fundraising, they may find a new passion and get involved in other volunteer activities. They can make new friends and possibly even find a career path or hobby they wouldn't have otherwise considered.
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