School Fundraising Festival

School fundraisers - everyone is looking for fun and profitable ideas these days. School fundraising festivals are a tremendous because they can involve the entire school community while raising necessary funds...and they are lots of fun too! Your event can be large or small but it will begin a tradition in which there are many ways to raise money.

How It Works

First, consider the time of year for your event. Of course, conducting your school fundraising festival in conjunction with a regular holiday or a specific season will offer a lot of options for decorating, fundraising, and promotion. Fall Festival (Halloween, Thanksgiving), Winter Festival (depending upon your school – public or private), Spring Fling (Mother’s Day, Easter) and Summer Fun Festival (4th of July, Labor Day) are just a few of the most popular seasonal options.

Big or Small?

Well, that choice is entirely up to you and the committee that will be planning this event. You may elect to start your school fundraising festival in a moderate way and each year upon evaluation of what went great and what needed improvement decide how to add new components each year.

Always consider your festival as the foundation for multiple ways to raise money. For instance, consider adding any of the following items or ideas to increase your fundraising success. Think about adding: carnival rides and attractions, (jumping tents, dunk booths, games of chance); a car wash fundraiser, a bake sale, a garage or rummage sale, a tournament (basketball, volleyball, dodge ball, softball, kick ball); craft fair, a bake sale; a spaghetti fundraising dinner, plant or bulb sale, a silent auction; fundraising sales ideas; a talent or air band competition; a fun run or walk or walk-a-thon; a teen dance, a sock hop – the list is endless!

Have a Strong Plan

Like all events it is critical to have a strong volunteer committee with a plan of action. Think about all of the elements that you will need to have a successful event and draw up your timeline.

Depending upon the complexity of your event, each major component should have a chair (and co-chair) to oversee the details associated with each area. Usually, an overall chair person and co-chair will lead the charge with committees generally falling along the lines of: procurement, promotion, volunteer coordination, logistics, set up/clean up, etc.

Remember, your school festival should be a community wide event. So consider promotion to your external as well as internal audiences. Many television and radio stations donate air time and/or have calendars that promote community events. Fliers up around town can also add to attendance. Take advantage also of promoting your event to other area schools. That’s what “community” is all about.

In Summary

School festivals offer lasting memories for kids (and parents too!). With careful planning and attention to detail your school will be able to leverage multiple avenues to raise the necessary funds and meet that fundraising goal.