Schools have many needs, such as books, equipment, and teachers. Fundraising can help you address some of these concerns. If you’re looking to organize this type of project for your institution, figuring out the best way to mobilize people to give can be challenging. In most cases, the support base of a school is comprised of the teachers, parents, community leaders, as well as its students. 

 

So, what strategies can your school use to widen its support base and raise funds successfully? Below are five ways schools can raise money:

1. Host A School Giving Day 

A great way to raise funds is to host a charitable event in your school. Occasions, such as field days and sports days, would enable you to collect donations. You can accomplish this by setting up giving kiosks that participants can visit on the day of the event.

 

These kiosks enable individuals to give in-person. Make sure to place these giving kiosks in strategic locations. You can also customize it to match a theme. For instance, if you’re raising funds for the library, you can follow a book theme. Providing a card swiping option can also make it more convenient for attendees to give.

 

Another way to enhance giving through on-site giving kiosks to provide point-of-sale services for merchandise. The stalls also serve as official areas for collecting gifts from attendees that want to give in kind. Combining monetary and in-kind giving, on-site kiosks are a viable option for boosting your school’s fundraising strategy.

2. Sell Tickets for Virtual Events 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused virtual events to become the norm. Though they are commonly seen in the context of business, schools can leverage virtual events to raise funds for their institution while keeping operating costs down. 

 

The first thing you should do is to consider the kind of events that your school can host online then sell tickets for that event. You should also identify your students’ areas of excellence and set up virtual events to showcase those strengths.

 

You can host interesting virtual events like concerts, cooking, webinars, and talent shows. The amount raised from the sale of such tickets can help you equip and improve your institution.

 

Once you decide to raise funds by hosting virtual events, ensure that you’re clear on the software and equipment that attendees will need before you start promoting it. This way, they can fully participate in the event that you’re hosting.  

To succeed in virtual events that people would want to pay for, institutions must look for various online tools, including video conferencing or live streaming tools. There are also apps that can help schools like these collect and raise money online. 

3. Run Raffle Ticket Fundraising

Another fun and engaging way that schools can use to raise funds is by selling raffles to students and their families. Before settling on this strategy, schools should be clear on the fun prizes that participants can win. 

 

For instance, parents who buy tickets may get a chance to win dinner certificates or even hotel accommodations for a specified number of people. On the other hand, students can be enticed to buy raffle tickets with school-based prizes like getting a chance to serve as the school principal for a day. 

 

Once you’re clear on the prizes, you’ll need to promote the raffles among parents, students, and school staff to generate interest and kick off the fundraising activities. Some interesting ways to market the event include posting ads on the school website, announcing the event on email newsletters, and placing event posters in strategic locations, like notice boards around the vicinity. Be sure to make the process of purchasing raffle tickets easy for everyone. Make it available for those who want to buy them online or in-person. 

 

While it’s possible to run a raffle ticket fundraising event alongside another strategy, you are better off running it as a stand-alone event if you decide to use raffle tickets to raise money for your school. This campaign can go a long way in boosting the revenue raised through other means. You just have to get great prizes that pique the interest of your target audience.

4. Use Peer-To-Peer Campaigns 

Another effective way to raise money for your school is through the use of peer-to-peer engagements. This strategy involves running online fundraising activities where individuals are encouraged to create online fundraising pages on their school’s behalf. 

 

After setting these fundraising pages up, the supporters can reach out to members of their networks and encourage them to donate to their schools. The peer-to-peer fundraising strategy not only helps your school in raising the necessary funds, but it also helps increase its community of supporters significantly. 

 

Your fundraising campaign can be shared by your supporters online. This way, you can reach more people than you would initially reach by sharing the campaign on its social media pages or emailing an ad to parents. This means the people who donate to your school are not necessarily those whose children attend your school or live within your community.

5. Sell Branded Merchandise

Every school has a unique brand. It has elements that give it its own identity, including its motto, logo, and colors. Your school can leverage its brand when fundraising by creating branded merchandise as well as helping the students, teachers, and their family members showcasing the spirit of your school. 

 

At the same time, the school can sell the branded merchandise in its on-site store, online store, and fundraising events. Some interesting merchandise that your school can develop to raise money includes supplies that students use, like notebooks, pencils, pens and erasers, lunch boxes, and backpacks. 

 

Other items that can be branded include picture frames, towels, mugs, posters, bracelets, games, stickers, t-shirts, and hoodies. As a matter of fact, selling branded t-shirts and hoodies is one of the best ways to raise money for your school. 

 

Final Thoughts 

Schools require capital to operate smoothly and effectively for their students. One way to meet these needs is to raise money from their community, mostly parents, students and teachers. Although creating a solid support base may be an uphill task for many schools, applying these strategies can help your school raise the funds it needs successfully.