Fundraising for your PTA can be a difficult task, but with the right strategies, it can be successful and rewarding. The right approach can ensure that your PTA reaches its fundraising goals! Here are some quick fundraising ideas to get you started.

1. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a fantastic way to raise funds for causes and charities you care about. It is much quicker and easier than traditional fundraising events such as bake sales, school discos, and summer fairs. To get started, create a compelling page on a platform such as GoFundMe or Rocket Fund. Once you have set up your page, share it with your school community in order to reach your fundraising goal.

2. Corporate Match Funding

Corporate match funding is an excellent way to maximise the impact of your donations. Many companies offer matching funding programs that can double or even triple the original donation. To take advantage of these programs, have your parent community reach out to their company's Human Resources or Community Relations department to find out if they offer a match funding program and what the requirements are. By taking advantage of corporate match funding programs, you can maximise your donations and help your parent community make a greater impact at your school.

3. Online fundraising tools

- Easy fundraising is an effective and convenient way to raise money for a cause. It involves setting up an online donation page where people can donate quickly and easily.

- Your School Lottery creates and runs lotteries for schools across the UK. The lotteries raise money through local communities to improve educational facilities and the school environment for thousands of pupils.

- Hire out your school spaces- this is a quick fire way to help your school make more money from their spaces. Using Sharesy is so easy and hassle-free and we make taking bookings and earning money simple.

4. Host an online auction with donated items

Hosting an online auction with donated items is a great way to raise money. To get started, you need to get donations from individuals and businesses. You can reach out to your school community and contact local businesses that may be willing to donate items for the auction. Once you have a list of donors, you can create your online auction page.

Advertise the auction in advance by posting flyers, sending email invites, or creating a social media event page. Online auction sites handle all payments, making it an easy process. After the auction has closed, you can ask the winning parents to collect their prizes from the PTA.

5. Have a bake sale or ice lolly sale

A bake sale and ice lolly sale are both great ways to raise money quickly. These require more effort than the ideas suggested above, but can be very effective fundraisers - especially an ice lolly sale on a hot day.

For these types of sales, you will need to have an assortment of baked goods or ice lollies. You can make the items yourself, ask for donations from parents, or purchase them. Once you have your goods, set up a table or stand in a high-traffic location such as near the school gate. Remember to advertise the event in advance, including the date, time and location. With any food sale, it is a good idea to have the ingredients list next to the items available for those who need to check and always remind parents of what items are not allowed, such as nuts etc.

6. Have a movie night and charge admission for tickets

Host an unforgettable movie night! Invite children in year groups or key stages to make it more manageable. Charge admission for tickets, and ask for donations if possible. A movie night is the perfect way to get a fun activity for the families in your school community and a good fundraising event.

7. Summer fete

A summer fete is usually a big fundraising event in any PTA event calendar. It is the event of the year but it does require a lot of planning. Here are a few key tips to help with planning a successful summer fete:

• Start Planning Early: Start planning your PTA summer fete as early as possible. Put together a committee that includes parents, teachers, and school administrators to brainstorm ideas and plan ahead. 
• Set a Budget: Establish a budget for the event and stick to it. This will help you plan activities and allocate resources efficiently. Also see what you can get donated from parents, local businesses and larger organisations as they also do donations or discounted prices for charity events. 
• Promote Your Event: Use social media, posters, flyers, and other forms of communication to promote your event. Reach out to local businesses and organisations to see if they would be willing to sponsor or donate any items for the fete. Your local estate agents are usually a good starting point for donations.
• Choose a big ticket activity to draw the crowds: Consider fun-fair rides, crazy golf, face painting, inflatables or obstacle courses. Make sure there is something for everyone!
• Provide Food & Drinks: Have food and drinks available for purchase at the event. Consider offering healthy options such as fresh fruit and vegetables in addition to traditional snacks like popcorn and candy. Food is always a big win for hitting that fundraising goal.
• Have a Raffle: Have a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses or parents.
• Assign Volunteers: Assign volunteers to oversee different activities and tasks to make sure everything runs smoothly. Volunteer Sign up is a free website that makes signing up volunteers easy! Finally make sure they have clear instructions and have access to any resources they may need. 

Photo credits:

Photo by Angelina Yan on Unsplash‍

Photo by Harry Grout on Unsplash