I am a fundraising rookie – my first born darling daughter just started Kindergarden 2 weeks ago so what do I know about fundraising, aside from the general anxiety the mere word evokes?

Hello, crowdsourcing! Through my work at Schoola I am exposed to over 16,000 schools nationwide who all have their own fundraising challenges and success stories.

While there is no one-size fits all fundraising solution, we have heard over and over from our partner schools that the key for planning the right mix of events is marrying 3 critical components…

Citizenship – There are so many companies out there claiming to be “the best” way to raise money – the sheer number of options is one of the things that makes a rookie like me sweat. The truth is that it will likely take a mix of 2-3 things to satisfy your school’s need for financial support. So how to decide? Using your school’s creed or values as a barometer for selection is the best way to decide which fundraisers are best for your school.

• If your school is distinguished for achievement in reading, hold a book fair!

• If your school is proud to offer the only arts program in the district, put your kids’ work on display at an art auction!

• Does your school have a commitment to improve student nutrition? Produce and sell a cookbook!
  

School pride around your specific culture is a great way to motivate kids and parents alike to help reach a goal. It is likely that these special and distinguished programs already have their own staff of people invested in continuing their future – hello, ready made event committee! In addition, there are parents who probably chose your school based on these special characteristics and are therefore more likely to get involved to keep them alive. For that reason, you should always be specific in your request for parent involvement and provide a visible tracking system that shows how far away you are from your goal – IE: We need to sell 450 cookbooks to fund this year’s chef program – that’s 2 per student – lets do this!  

Community – the most successful fundraisers will allow for reach outside of just your parent community. Casting your net wider than just the busy parents on your PTA roster will lessen the burden on crazed parents, and allow you to tap into the spending power of doting grandparents and friends.

• Raffles are a great way to extend participation because many can be hosted online, and therefore open up your possible audience to friends and families of schools, not just people who attend a live event. Your community can also be a great source of raffle prizes – businesses in the area will likely want to generate new business by offering gift certificates to your community. You can even support the businesses of families in your school by offering them advertising in exchange for raffle prices. In addition, many larger organizations offer FREE raffle prizes for public schools that are non-profits: for instance Disneyland donates 4 tickets to any nonprofit every year!

• My favorite recent trend in fundraising involves hilarious challenges showcasing School Superstars like Principals, Sports Coaches and beloved Teachers. Nothing I’ve seen gets kids more motivated to reach a fundraising goal than the chance to see the somebody get dunked, shaved, or put to the test. Yes, you can even bring in a professional basketball team to play against your teachers and watch hilarity and school spirit erupt on your home turf! I’m all for things that bring families together to giggle and have a great time at school.

Convenience – Provide easy, everyday ways for parents to support the school. Big events such as fun runs and raffles require a lot of manpower, and they only happen a few times a year, and not every family can attend due to vacations, work, etc.

• Allow for easy donations to a general fund. Friends and family who have gone Paleo or are practicing Kon-Mari may not want to buy wrapping paper or cookie dough, but are happy to provide the $10 they would have spent on that well-meaning clutter directly to the school’s bank account. Make it easy for every well-meaning supporter to give at their convenience! Many employers offer matching, which often makes this the most impactful way to give. Paypal offers tools for accepting donations and dealing with matching so its more seamless than it seems.

• Provide non-monetary ways to give. One reason I love Schoola’s approach to fundraising is that it turns household items into cash for schools, and therefore provides ways for families to participate without opening their wallets! Another benefit Schoola’s clothing drives provide for my school is a teachable moment about reusing and recycling – it’s better for the planet and fits into our core curriculum around creative problem solving.

I hope that by now you have deduced that the 3Cs are just shorthand for focusing on the things that strengthen your school experience – I wish each and every reader a successful fundraising year and want to thank you for reading articles like these to try to find the most efficient way to support our kids. Onward!

About Megan: Megan’’s favorite school memory is discovering a Peer Counseling program that helped her become a leader in her toughest year of grade-school – when she grew 11 inches in 12 months, and moved / changed schools as a fifth-grader. Now she is a mom of two bay area babes, and spends the work week helping more parents find and leverage schoolas to fund their school programs. 

The post The 3Cs of Fundraising – Top Tips Culled from Over 16,000 Schools appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

November 4, 2014 – This week, crowdfunding platform, Deposit a Gift, announces it’s #GivingTuesday Give Back program to inspire users to engage in the 3rd annual global day of giving on December 2nd. Deposit a Gift joins the ranks of businesses, charities, communities, religious organizations and individuals who are transforming the holidays with this powerhouse day of giving.

In the spirit of the season, Deposit a Gift will be giving back too. The site is happy to announce that it will waive its platform fee and donate it back to participating campaigns.They will also be offering a free webinar prep course, extra marketing support and special social media spotlights. Founder and CEO, Dana Ostomel, is thrilled to offer this to our customers, “One of the greatest joys of running Deposit a Gift is our ability to help people on a mass scale. It’s our pleasure to take this opportunity to galvanize our community to give back and offer our support on #GivingTuesday.”

Deposit a Gift and #GivingTuesday are a natural fit. #GivingTuesday is practically built for crowdfunding and who better to lead the charitable charge than Deposit a Gift, a company who’s name is based in giving. Deposit a Gift is dedicated to making the process of getting involved with #GivingTuesday as simple as possible. It’s perfect for kicking off a year-end appeal or fundraising for a specific need.

To learn more about how it works, please visit: http://www.depositagift.com/raise-money-for-a-cause

About Deposit a Gift
DepositaGift.com is the most flexible funding platform for organizational and personal fundraising. The all-in-one platform for donations, sponsorships and ticket sales is built to leverage social networks and viral sharing! For anyone looking to raise money and rally supporters, Deposit a Gift offers the perfect way to showcase exactly what you want money for and incite people to contribute. Launched in 2010, Deposit a Gift serves the growing need to raise money online for anything from charitable organizations and disaster relief, to school fundraising, help with medical bills, memorial funds, pet rescue or crowdfunding a personal project. To learn more and start your fundraiser today, visit: http://www.depositagift.com

The post Deposit a Gift Joins the #GivingTuesday Movement to Inspire Spending with Purpose appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Here are a few amazing projects on Deposit a Gift to get you inspired to start your own!

School Fundraising

Goal: $20,000 – “…Coney Island Prep wants to make sure our scholars are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in these fields.”

Contributions go to: experiment fund, supply fund, technology fund and more. 

Memorial Funds

Goal: $12,000 – “While no one can take away the pain of their loss, we can help alleviate some of life’s financial burdens and allow his family to focus on celebrating the too-short time they did have with him and begin to mend the hole in their hearts.” 

Pediatric Medical Expenses

Goal: $25,000 – “They are little miracles and fighters; they amaze us each and every day.” 

Nonprofit Fundraising

Goal: $60,000 – “The funds raised from this campaign help to bridge the gap between the cost of running ECDC and it’s ability to provide services to the entire CCHP community.” 

Fertility Expenses

Goal: $6,000 – “Yet we still have a lot of hope that a child is in our future, that our hearts’ desire to be parents will be fulfilled!”

Contributions go to: Intrauterine Insemination, ultrasounds, medication and more.

Teacher Appreciation 

Goal: $12,000 – “Let’s Give Them Something They Can Actually Use. Let’s Give a Gift That Truly Shows How Much They Mean To Us.” 

Paying Adoption Fees

Goal: $30,000 – “We are so excited for this journey in front of us and are also excited that we get to share this journey with you.”

Contributions go to: application fees, attorney and legal fees, social worker travel expenses, agency placement fees, home study and more.

Community Organizing

Goal: $10,000 – “New York City can be a brutal place for homeless youth and tragically, many young lives have been destroyed. At the Ali Forney Center (AFC), we are making a difference by rescuing kids from the dangers of the streets and placing them into our safe, homelike environments.” 

Medical Event Fundraiser

Goal: $20,000 – “With your help and with the efforts of the Newton Firefighters, family and friends, we raised enough funds to get the first floor addition project rolling!” 

Animal Rescue Fundraising 

Goal: $2,487 – “Sofie suffers from kennel cough and teeth issues, and needs artificial tears, as well as treatment for a severe ear infection. We are eager to get Sofie in tip-top shape so she can be adopted to the perfect home for this senior lady.”

Contributions go to: kennel care, dental extraction, dental cleaning, antibiotics and more. 

Business Startup Fundraising

Goal: $15,000 – “Once we open our doors we hope to be much more than a regular 9-5 business.”

Mission Trips

Goal: $10,000 – “… now I have a wonderful opportunity to bring these critical skills to civic leaders in Liberia in partnership with Youth Action International…”

Contributions go to: clean water systems, empowerment workshops, Becky Firestone School and more.

Dana Ostomel is the founder and Chief Gifting Officer of Deposit a Gift, the crowdfunding platform that lets you raise money for anything that matters to you. Use it to raise money for any organizational or personal need, from charity to school fundraising, memorial funds, help with medical bills, disaster relief, pet rescue or crowdfunding a personal project. Deposit a Gift’s interface is the easiest to use for both campaign organizer and giver, and they offer the lowest fees in the crowdfunding space. Learn more about their all-in-one platform for donations, sponsorships and ticket sales and start your campaign today: http://www.depositagift.com

Follow Dana and the Deposit a Gift team on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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