Cherry Cola
I was very involved with Band Boosters, but that was many years ago. I'm sorry I can't be of any help, but I do wish you the best of luck with the challenge and responsibility you are taking on. It will be such hard work, but so worth it. I would say just keep a good sense of humor and try to turn it into something fun and interesting. Or.. you could just claim temporary insanity and back out of the whole deal.
Cherry Blossom
Congrats and that is awesome for you to get involved. I have been an active member (also a teacher/parent) for the last 9 years. Hubby was president for 2 of those years. We went bat to bat with ideas and finally came up with the Walk A Thon idea; easy, makes 100% profit for the school, and fun for the kids. Can't beat it and is something almost everyone can afford.
Walk A Thon concept:
1) Children gain sponsors for their IN-SCHOOL walk-a-thon, that takes place during their special class.
I am the music teacher, so this is something we have taken on as a teacher team at my school.
2) Students bring in form, along with the money on the day they walk. (Friday) A PTA parent collects the money, usually the treas.
Every child walks, regardless if they bring in money or not. Re-inforces all active participation.
3) 100% of the money goes to the school for a designated project. In specials and over the announcements, the children are reminded about what they are raising the money for.
4) Children walk for 45 minutes during specials, get a free water from PTA, and have alot of fun.
5) Any late $ can be brought in the next week. Emails are sent home in the PTA newsletters, along with a running total.
Sounds very simple and really, the concept is. Everything the children take home, re-infoce to the parents that their is no overhad and this has reallybeen appreciated by our school community. We have 450 students and this year, we raised $8,500.00. We are also a 60% free and reduced lunch school, so they definately were sponsors, not just checks written from wealthy parents. No one is foced to participate in collecting, but it seems like everyone tries. The one's who don't wouldn't have sold wrapping paper or anyhting lse anyways, so the parents who spend all that money on useless things, seem to prefer it going directly to the school.
Like I said, very well received.
Walk A Thon concept:
1) Children gain sponsors for their IN-SCHOOL walk-a-thon, that takes place during their special class.
I am the music teacher, so this is something we have taken on as a teacher team at my school.
2) Students bring in form, along with the money on the day they walk. (Friday) A PTA parent collects the money, usually the treas.
Every child walks, regardless if they bring in money or not. Re-inforces all active participation.
3) 100% of the money goes to the school for a designated project. In specials and over the announcements, the children are reminded about what they are raising the money for.
4) Children walk for 45 minutes during specials, get a free water from PTA, and have alot of fun.
5) Any late $ can be brought in the next week. Emails are sent home in the PTA newsletters, along with a running total.
Sounds very simple and really, the concept is. Everything the children take home, re-infoce to the parents that their is no overhad and this has reallybeen appreciated by our school community. We have 450 students and this year, we raised $8,500.00. We are also a 60% free and reduced lunch school, so they definately were sponsors, not just checks written from wealthy parents. No one is foced to participate in collecting, but it seems like everyone tries. The one's who don't wouldn't have sold wrapping paper or anyhting lse anyways, so the parents who spend all that money on useless things, seem to prefer it going directly to the school.
Like I said, very well received.
Beth R.
My Blog: http://bethroot.typepad.com
Rusty Pickle DT, Pebbles Inc. DT, Hemar Inc. DT, and Scrapbook News and Review DT
My Blog: http://bethroot.typepad.com
Rusty Pickle DT, Pebbles Inc. DT, Hemar Inc. DT, and Scrapbook News and Review DT
Chocolate Covered Cherry
Congrats!! I am going into my fourth year as Chair for our Parent Council. In our community, we have 6 schools here and our PTA is the strongest and biggest...not sure why, but lots of involvement, and that wasn't always like that. Best advise I can offer is offer parents FREE babysitting to attend meetings. I am not sure if you have any budget, but we hire students (2) of them to babysitting in the gym with the kids while the parents are at the meeting. We pay each kid, $10 for the first hour, and then $5 for each hour after. HUGE success with parents!!! And the kids love it!
PM me if you have any questions about our group.
PM me if you have any questions about our group.
Leslie
2012: Goal - 75 layouts 4 mini albums 20 cards --------> Progress - layouts mini album - cards
J - /6
2012: Goal - 75 layouts 4 mini albums 20 cards --------> Progress - layouts mini album - cards
J - /6
Cherry Tart
Let me start by saying - YES PTA does suck you in!!!! I was PTA President at my daughter's elementary school for 3 years!! It was very challenging at times but also very rewarding!!! I have read through these posts with the fundraising ideas and I didn't see this one that was REALLY lucrative for us - we made a lot of money, it is easy and everyone can easily get involved - BOX TOPS!!!
We had a Box Top competition between classrooms. The winning Box Top collecting room of the month would win a popcorn party (we had our own popcorn machine so we made it in the cafeteria and took it to the room) We would use containers that corresponded to that months holiday or time of the year. It was fun and the kids LOVED it and like I said, It was such an easy moneymaker - you can REALLY rack up with that. One downside - there HAS to be a responsible person to head up that committee because there is a lot of cutting and counting involved!!!! You package them in groups of 100 I think (been a while) so Box Top parties with our PTA board members are how we did it!!
REMEMBER - You said that your job is delegation and that is absolute truth. I have a very anel personality and I took on alot of the work myself because I knew how I wanted it and couldn't settle for anything less - so make sure you can and do accept help and be willing to settle at times.
I wish you luck and want you to know that it is a good thing you are doing and you will be rewarded immensely when you see the effect this has on the school , the administrators and those kids!!!! Just Have Fun!
Karen
We had a Box Top competition between classrooms. The winning Box Top collecting room of the month would win a popcorn party (we had our own popcorn machine so we made it in the cafeteria and took it to the room) We would use containers that corresponded to that months holiday or time of the year. It was fun and the kids LOVED it and like I said, It was such an easy moneymaker - you can REALLY rack up with that. One downside - there HAS to be a responsible person to head up that committee because there is a lot of cutting and counting involved!!!! You package them in groups of 100 I think (been a while) so Box Top parties with our PTA board members are how we did it!!
REMEMBER - You said that your job is delegation and that is absolute truth. I have a very anel personality and I took on alot of the work myself because I knew how I wanted it and couldn't settle for anything less - so make sure you can and do accept help and be willing to settle at times.
I wish you luck and want you to know that it is a good thing you are doing and you will be rewarded immensely when you see the effect this has on the school , the administrators and those kids!!!! Just Have Fun!
Karen
Cherry Jubilee
Luv2Create wrote:Let me start by saying - YES PTA does suck you in!!!! I was PTA President at my daughter's elementary school for 3 years!! It was very challenging at times but also very rewarding!!! I have read through these posts with the fundraising ideas and I didn't see this one that was REALLY lucrative for us - we made a lot of money, it is easy and everyone can easily get involved - BOX TOPS!!!
We had a Box Top competition between classrooms. The winning Box Top collecting room of the month would win a popcorn party (we had our own popcorn machine so we made it in the cafeteria and took it to the room) We would use containers that corresponded to that months holiday or time of the year. It was fun and the kids LOVED it and like I said, It was such an easy moneymaker - you can REALLY rack up with that. One downside - there HAS to be a responsible person to head up that committee because there is a lot of cutting and counting involved!!!! You package them in groups of 100 I think (been a while) so Box Top parties with our PTA board members are how we did it!!
We do box tops, campbell's labels, local grocery receipts - you name it, we do it to raise money!
Jenna - Mom to Emily (2/02) & Kaitlyn (2/04)
Cherry Jubilee
another fundraiser that I just got reminded of is a scrapbook crop. There is a school in our area that does this three times a year. They use the cafeteria and have ladies bring in the meals (think potluck type - though one time the home ec class made the food). For 25-35 you get the whole day - it was 9-6. I can't remember the price, but my guess is that's 100% profit. Can't beat that, right? Plus they have a few sales ladies in and door prizes from local stores.
We're going to try one for our local library this winter.
We're going to try one for our local library this winter.
Jenna - Mom to Emily (2/02) & Kaitlyn (2/04)
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