Non-food fundraisers that have worked

[nafmeadmin]

This year our district has adopted a wellness policy that does not allow fundraisers that sell food items. Many of the fundraisers I have found still have a few pages of food items (candy, dip, soup) included in their brochures. I have seen a brochure for a candle fundraiser, but I’m not sure if this is a good profit maker. What non-food fundraisers have you done that gain you as much, or close to, profit as a food fundraiser can make?

Thanks for your suggestions!

[nafmeadmin]

I have had much success with wrapping paper. It was a local company so I can’t refer you to them. The students take a sample brochure for customers to look at and then they pay ahead and the paper is delivered later.

LeAnna Willmore
NAfME, Choral Education Council Chair

[nafmeadmin]

One idea is a scratch – off fund raiser. My former colleague looked into these, but never bought them. Here’s an example of the idea; http://www.fasttrackfundraising.com/band-scratch-card-fundraiser.php

Another idea is a book / tag sale. Ask choir / band families and friends to donate stuff they no longer need and have a school-wide tag sale on a Saturday morning! Advertise in the community (send flyers home with kids, put up neon posters – put the Art teacher on the last one). People will love that it’s going back into the school.

My previous school did a “tag sale” before the holidays to give kids an opportunity to buy gifts cheaply ($1-3). This was open during the school day. … Must warn you that two teachers who organized it were cuckoo by the end!! Tons of organizing. Teachers and their families donated the things to sell (really just junk, but kids loved it). Hope that helps!

[nafmeadmin]

I try to do fund raisers that highlight what we do as a choir. Last night and tonight, we are presenting a show entitled: Spotlight: A Roughrider Nightclub. (Our mascot is the Roughrider). I hold auditions for solo singers. I play the piano, I have a bass player and a drummer – we call this our house band. We rehearse with the soloists for 1-2 weeks. The students sing pop, country, jazz, blues, and musicals. We sell tickets for $5.00 for students and $7.00 for adults. This is a 100% profit fund-raiser as we have no overhead.

I ask parents to donate chips, salsa, veggies and ranch dressing, cookies, brownies, water and pop. We then sell concessions.

We transform our student center into a nightclub. We have white table cloths on the tables and have tea lights on the table- we set up a stage with a black curtain behind the stage. We have 2 spotlights focused on the stage. We have rope lights around the stage and then we turn off all of the student center lights. I have MCs who run the show. It is a very magical evening. We make between $2000-$3000. And it really showcases what we do.

I have more ideas about fund-raising by doing what we do – SING! You can contact me at gaily@portangelesschools.org if you want more ideas.

Jolene Dalton Gailey
NAfME, Northwest Chairperson of the Choral Council

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