Community Corner

School Fundraisers That Broke the Mold, and the Bank

School fundraisers have stepped in where district education budgets have been cut.

With art classes, gym and sometimes organized sports teams dependent on fundraisers, what's the best approach? 

Check out these 10 successful fundraisers that earned some schools more than $10,000 and learn what you can do to make your next campaign successful:

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School: Rogers Middle School, Long Beach, CA

Faculty ran in a jog-a-thon fundraiser, and students collected sponsorships, instead of the other way around. They raised $16,000 in 2011; the school increased their goals in subsequent years. The money was used for computer lab equipment. 

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What You Can Learn From Them: Figure out what students really want. This school learned that their students didn’t want to be the runners, they wanted to be the sponsors. They took the basic concept of a student jog-a-thon and flipped it based on student needs.

School: Extera Public Schools, Los Angeles

Extera created a Fund.ly fundraising page to crowdsource donations for a special nature program. They've raised $54,000 so far, and used the money for sending the fourth- and fifth-graders on a nature education trip to the Santa Monica Mountains and the Channel Islands.

What You Can Learn from Them: Embrace the latest technology to make your fundraising efforts easier. Whether it’s a crowdfunding site or a newfangled app, technology opens many new avenues for schools to raise funds.

School: Greenwood Elementary, Greenwood Village, CO

Students got to duct tape their principal to the wall if they collected enough donations to the Parent-Teacher Organization. The raised $35,000 and used the money for basic school needs and special projects, including new computer hardware and software, a new vegetable garden, new books, and new cafeteria tables

What You Can Learn From Them: Encourage your principal to think creatively, and to get in on the action!

School: Albert Einstein Academy Elementary, Santa Clarita, CA

The school held a 40-day Read-a-Thon, and students solicited donations from friends and neighbors to support their literary efforts. They raised $23,000 and used it for school technology. 

What You Can Learn From Them: Combine fundraising goals with academic goals for a truly donation-worthy mix.

School: Paddock Elementary School, Milan MI

Students raised money through a fun run, with a unique reward if they met their goal: Principal Sean DeSarbo would allow students to turn him into a banana split. They raised $11,040 for new playground equipment. 

What You Can Learn From Them: Come up with a good incentive for your students. A physical prize or special dinner is always nice, but getting to pour ice cream on top of your principal, while he’s dressed in a banana costume? Priceless.

School: New Douglas Mid-Elementary, New Douglas, IL

A huge community-wide sausage supper. The annual event features a secret local sausage recipe that’s so delicious it draws a few thousand people each year. They raised $12,446 for outdoor facilities, like a miniature golf course and tennis court.

What You Can Learn From Them: Create a fundraising experience that will endure. The sausage supper has been going strong for more than 30 years. Think about what kind of event in your community could bring people back year after year.

School: Osborn School, Rye, NY

Around Halloween, the school hosted a community “Scare Fair,” which included a carnival and silent auction. It raised $110,000 for funding the PTO budget, classroom libraries and technology.

What You Can Learn From Them: Go big if you can. It takes a lot of effort to produce an event that can raise more than $100,000, but clearly the results are worth it. Dont be afraid to dream up something really monumental for your school.

School: Ness Elementary School, Spokane Valley, WA

This school’s PTO created a series of fundraising events, from candy sales to local restaurant partnerships to catalog sales and more, all with the same end purchase in mind. They raised $12,500 for a new electronic reader board at the front of the school, to advertise school events to the students and broader community.

What You Can Learn From Them: Be in it for the long haul. Sometimes fundraising efforts for specific projects can take years, and many different events, to complete. Don’t give up! This school hosted a series of events over the course of several years, all with the same goal in mind, and it was worth their patience in the end!

School: Castelar Street Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA

A series of punk rock concerts to raise money for a school music program raised $5,000 at the first concert. The expectation for the full concert series is $50,000. The money will be used to keep the school’s music program running.

What You Can Learn From Them: Plan a project based on your own interests. If you’re interested in punk rock — or baseball, or sewing, or kayaking — chances are, other parents will be as well. Plan an event that parents like you will consider can’t-miss, and you’ll be sure to see a great turnout.

School: Tyler Elementary School, DeKalb, IL

Big Idea: This event didn’t raise the most money, but it wins points for uniqueness. Staff hosted a “mustache day,” where they sold students stick-on mustaches to wear throughout the school day. They raised $300 for 21 pairs of gym shoes for students who couldn’t afford new ones on their own.

What You Can Learn From Them: Small inspirations can reap big rewards.

TELL US: What have you done to make a local school fundraiser a success?

This article is part of Mix It Up, an editorial series created in collaboration with AOL's Kitchen Daily and Huffington Post. It is dedicated to making the lives of mothers easier through articles, videos and slideshows focused on simple and creative solutions to everyday challenges. From healthy recipes to exciting ideas for a more balanced lifestyle, this section aims to become a resource for moms everywhere. 


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