Fundraising is a part of school life. Whether for a sports team, a school club, or general school needs, peer-to-peer efforts where students and parents help raise funds for the school are the new normal. Parents are a vital part of the process, but getting them involved is not always easy. After all, they have plenty of other responsibilities to juggle. But never fear; there is a way to get them involved! If you’re looking for new ways to boost parent engagement in your fundraising, try these five tips.
1. Get Students on Board
Excited students mean excited parents. Parents want to support their children’s goals. Get the kids pumped up about what a successful fundraiser might mean for them – and offer tangible rewards for their participation. If students are incentivized to get involved in the fundraising process, they’ll be more likely to rope in their parents. As well as highlighting the overall value of the fundraiser and how it will benefit students, offer milestone rewards like prize items or pizza parties. Take advantage of participants’ natural competitiveness by pitting students against each other – their parents won’t be able to keep themselves from joining in!
2. Give Parents Reasons to Believe
Fundraisers are a fact of school life. With so many fundraisers on the go – and not to mention the unending demands of daily life – it’s easy for parents to disengage and switch off. When designing your fundraiser, be clear about what your goals are and how reaching those goals will directly benefit their own children. If parents know that a fundraiser will help their kids get the sports equipment they desperately need to be competitive or to cover travel to a major event they’ve spent years training towards, they’ll be more likely to chip in their time – and their money!
3. Offer a Variety of Roles
Let’s face it: when parents hear fundraiser, they think “major time commitment.” But by breaking down your fundraiser into a series of goals, tasks, and commitment levels, you’ll get more parents on board. Some parents might not be able to commit to a full-time fundraising effort, but they might be able to spare an hour on a Saturday to drive kids around. Or perhaps they’re not comfortable drafting emails, but they love helping with crafts. If you can offer a variety of ways to participate – for example, organizing, volunteering, promoting, or cheerleading – you’ll get more parents eager to be involved.
4. Show Your Appreciation
Participating in a fundraiser is rewarding – but it’s also work. Make it a point to show your appreciation for students, parents, donors, and others who have helped boost your campaign. Handwritten notes, thank you phone calls or fun reward perks like those offered through MoneyDolly’s catalog are all great ways to help pay it forward. If participants feel seen and appreciated, you’ll see repeat giving, participation, and greater involvement in future years as well!
5. Make it Fun
Instead of the standard fundraising approaches, get creative with your events, milestones, roles, and rewards. Choose family-friendly activities and events and think outside the box. Instead of going door-to-door with candy, what about hosting art classes or booking out a local movie theater? Think about exciting, visible ways to track progress and milestones: can you use tickers or social media graphics to celebrate? What kind of rewards can you offer students, parents, and donors? The more fun people are having, the less like “work” a fundraiser feels, and the more likely it is that the school community will dig deep.
Get Parents Involved with MoneyDolly
Ready to get parents involved in your school, club, or sports fundraising efforts? Look no further. At MoneyDolly, we make it easy to set up and run your fundraising campaign from start to finish and ensure that communication is a breeze throughout. You’ll be able to run events, accept a variety of different payment types, and choose from a wide range of rewards! Best of all, MoneyDolly campaigns raise more money than standard campaigns, so you’ll not only take the hassle out of fundraising – but you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank! Sign up for the MoneyDolly difference today!
