Good planning is the key to a strong year of fundraising for your PTA. Without it, you risk holding too many fundraisers in a short space of time (leaving parents and supporters overwhelmed), clashes with local and national events, and not leaving enough time to coordinate each fundraiser properly. Here’s our quick overview to help you kick-start your year of organisation!
The new school year
Once your committee is settled and you’re back on track, the first step is to decide which events to organise and when to schedule them. September is the perfect time to plan your fundraising calendar. Make sure your plans don't clash with public holidays or local events and provide ample notice to encourage widespread participation.
Aim for one major event, such as a summer or Christmas fair, fireworks night, grand ball or music festival per term to prevent your PTA committee from being spread too thin. It may be wise to have a quieter spring with simpler fundraisers if you plan to organise large winter and summer events.
Think ahead to next year. Is it your school’s anniversary year where you can plan some special events to bring everyone together and raise even more?
Mix it up
Hold smaller fundraisers and run passive schemes throughout the year for a steady income of funds. To ensure variety and a broad appeal, include a mixture of smaller events such as quiz nights, product sales and collections, as well as activities such as colouring competitions. This will give the PTA a constant presence at the school and lead to ongoing awareness and support while fulfilling your other goals of creating fun memories for the children and bringing the community together.
Easy fundraisers such as shopping affiliate and recycling schemes can also run constantly throughout the year and are a great way for parents to raise funds without spending money while boosting PTA income. New parents probably won’t know about these, so remember to publicise them at the start of the school year.
Plan to plan
Determine and note when to start preparing to ensure each activity runs smoothly. The timing will vary based on the size and type of event and can be informed by past experience if it’s been held before. It’s best to start planning as soon as possible for larger events, securing venues where needed, booking entertainment, and checking licensing requirements. Straightforward events, such as silver smarties, may only need a few weeks to set up.
What’s your goal?
Discuss the school’s plans for the year with your headteacher in September and see how you can work together to help them achieve their goals. Agree on an overarching objective per term or for the year: what resources are you hoping to fund and how much do you need to raise? Write a PTA wish list. For big projects, break things down into smaller parts and set deadlines for when you can realistically fund each aspect.
If you’re fundraising for specific items and projects, clarify this when promoting your events. People are more willing to support a cause when they know what their money will buy.
Further reading
- Don’t miss a fundraising opportunity, use our event planning calendar to ensure you make the most of the year
