Hair-Raising: Searching for Eco-Conscious School Fundraisers

 

Figure 1:  Time to learn cursive, kids!  Because in another 70 years, everyone will be typing and that swoopy, unreadable script will be just perfect for giving your wrist a mighty, useless cramp.   But it'll be great for writing anonymous poetry-filled, sachet-ridden loveletters.

Because my daughter started kindergarten this year, I decided to stick my big toe in the volunteer pond and go to a PTA meeting. 

Whoa, mama. 

I thought I'd just blend into the woodwork of our super-70's media center and take my notes and get my info and blast outta there. 

Clearly our PTA is short on help.  I made a few comments and bam!  They nominated me for a officer position.  Ho Lee Shit.

Well, it seems I can handle being Secretary - writing being my calling and all - but among some of the to-dos I was given (write bilingual flyer, sort Campbells soup labels, etc.) was to research fundraising that was more ecologically-minded and less consumerist.   

So I google a few things and come up with a couple of ideas. 

There's Greenraising, which is basically the same kinda catalog you pass to your friends and relatives concept;  your loved ones get to choose from a bunch of magazine subscriptions, refrigerator magnets, and quirky kitchen gadgets like Taco Propers.   

Except in the Greenraising catalog,  instead of chili pepper-themed oven mitts and porcelain dolphins jumping over mirrors, you get a slough of SIGG water bottles and gift wrap made from recycled paper.  Great.  My idea of eco-consciousness isn't buying recycled paper gift wrap.  I already have recycled paper giftwrap.  It's called yesterday's newspaper. 

Along these same lines falls One Planet Fundraising, whose clunky-looking Web 1.0-style  site gleefully promises "40% profits!"  in large glaring blue 20 pt font, as well as "KLEEN KANTEEN" water bottles, CFLs, reusable tote bags and...wha?  What was I talking about?  I got all dizzy with the abundance of "K's" in KLEEN KANTEEN and then fell asleep after "totebags." 

Finally, there's Greenspark, which is like an eco-minded Happenings book.   Being that I HATE coupons (all the beggary, pain-in-the-ass fussy clipping fritters away my life, I feel) the less said the better.

Unless my readers can point me to another source, it looks like it's magazine subscriptions and tankards of cookie dough as far as the eye can see around my house this year. 

Photo:   Elementary school children standing and watching teacher write at blackboard, Washington, D.C. by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1899, via Library of Congress digital collection.

Comments

[Grace]

How about an auction? People could donate used items? Or services?

[Pexagontech, Inc.]

Pexagontech, Inc. may be able to help you! Pexagon Technology, Inc. is an innovator in personal storage solutions designed to meet the needs, objectives, and budgets of business organizations and educational institutions. Our unique line of custom laser engraved USB flash drives has already established itself as a best seller among fundraisers for education institutions, as well as businesses. Students, teachers, and parents have found the product easy to sell and fun to create, while businesses find them invaluable for marketing and internal use. We are a “customer made” business offering free personalization, lifetime warranty, and 14 color choices so users can be a creative as they would like with our flash drives.

Pexagon Technology, Inc. has created two separate fundraising programs. The first is a prepaid card option which allows the organization to purchase the cards at a discount and then resell them at a profit, thus eliminating the need for order taking and also minimizing inventory-the most common problems plaguing many fundraiser coordinators. In addition to the prepaid card option, we also offer a revenue share program in which customers are directed to a website where they can order and customize their flash drives using a specific fundraiser code. The organization then receives a portion of the revenue from each flash drive sold.

Both of these fundraising options are eco-friendly because they cut down on paper use (both in the fundraising drive itself and the use of the product) and you are also selling people something they already neeed! Please contact Karen Leake at kleake@pexagontech.com if you would like more information.

[Carrie]

I like the idea of an auction, actually.

What's hard about fundraising in our school is that 80% of our families meet the criteria for free or reduced lunches, so we've got people on highly restricted budgets. It's hard to shake any more nickels outta these pockets.

[Bill]

Our school does an auction at the end of every year and it raises a nice chunk of change, but it is a huge undertaking, I would start small and go from there.

Another thing that is right up your alley, not so much as a fundraiser, but to teach kids the value of money, a student garage sale. Kids bring up to 5 items, they price and sell them to other students and then take their earnings and purchase other used treasures - the kids have a ton of fun and it's a great learning experience.

Finally we do a "marathon". Kids find donors to sponsor them in a "marathon run" around the block, kids can go as many times as they wish in a set amount of time. This is my favorite event, all of the money raised goes directly to the school and I don't have to deal with overpriced junk that I have no need for. On a side note I was in KC a few weeks ago, and parents/teachers took some students down-town to raise money for a marathon over the lunch hour, who can say no to giving a kid's school a couple bucks when they're getting ready to drop $20 on lunch.

Take care and good luck - Bill

[Carrie]

Hi Bill - I like the idea of sponsoring the "marathon" because track and field day is such a huge deal at our school. I'll bring up the idea for our next meeting.

I also think the auction is irresistible - a fun way to get good things and help your school. I'll be PTO-ing for the next 6 yrs at this school so we might as well try a little of everything.

[WorkingMom]

We do the marathon idea and a readathon. Kids get pledges for # of minutes read (NOT pages - helps the non-readers!). Also do an auction every other year so we don't wear out our local businesses. I've heard of spelling bees too, and you can now collect Capri juice pouches for $$$.

Something that was started last year was our Trash-Free Lunch Day - the kids were asked to bring snacks etc in in reusable containers. If you want to fundraise with this idea, check out www.laptoplunches.com; they will give you part of the sales profits. We're considering it!

[Carrie]

Thanks - I'll check those ideas out.

We are having our read-a-thon right now! I so prefer a fundraiser without the bulky items - just checks and cash and forms.

[Green Fundraising]

You could always sell flower bulbs or do a tree fundraiser and there are even soy candle fundraisers now too.