Fundraising for Preschools
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Preschool is a crucial stage in a child’s development, as it provides them with the necessary skills, socialization, and community engagement. However, preschools require funding to provide quality care and education. This is where school fundraising comes into play!
To make preschool fundraising successful and engaging, it is essential to find creative ways to involve both parents and children. In this article, we will explore 11 fun, easy, and engaging fundraising ideas for preschools, including some ideas that work well for small preschools. Additionally, we will highlight how Donorbox, a fundraising platform, can help make your fundraiser a success.
Easy and Engaging Preschool Fundraising Ideas
1. Read-a-thon
A read-a-thon is an excellent way to get children involved in your preschool fundraising.
How it Works
Choose a set of age-appropriate books and encourage parents to collect pledges from friends and family based on how many books they think their children will read. You can then have a fun ceremony in class or virtually to celebrate the results.
How to Raise Money
The main source of funds for a read-a-thon is the pledges collected by children and their families. Additionally, you can collect donations during the results celebration.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox makes collecting pledges easy with peer-to-peer fundraising. By setting up a “parent” campaign for your read-a-thon and inviting parents from the tool, you can create a basic campaign page for each invitee. Any donations they collect will flow directly to your account, eliminating the need for cash or checks.
2. Family Photo Day
Capture precious memories while raising funds for your preschool with a family photo day.
How it Works
Hire a professional photographer and choose a picturesque location near your preschool. Parents and their children can pay for the opportunity to have family photos taken.
How to Raise Money
Sell tickets to the event based on different photo packages. Price the packages accordingly to cover the photographer’s cost and generate profit for your preschool.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Events simplifies the process of selling tickets for your photo day. You can create unlimited ticket tiers and allow people to add additional donations to the cost of their tickets. Donorbox Events makes ticket sales a breeze.
3. Parent’s Day Off
Give parents a well-deserved break and raise funds for your preschool at the same time.
How it Works
Choose a weekend day when your preschool is usually closed and offer babysitting services for the entire day. Plan fun activities and provide meals and snacks for the kids. Consider inviting siblings of your students to expand your fundraising reach.
How to Raise Money
Parents will buy tickets for each child attending the “day off.” Charge enough to cover your expenses for the day while still making a profit.
How Donorbox Helps
Use Donorbox Events to sell tickets for the day off. You can also set up an online donation form with different levels, clarifying which level of donation grants access to the event. This way, parents may feel inclined to give more than the cost of the ticket.
4. “Publish” a Book
Turn every child into a published author with this creative fundraising idea.
How it Works
During a writing or story unit, have preschool students write short stories, poems, or create artwork. Compile their work into a booklet and sell it to friends and family. Consider hosting a book launch event to make the fundraiser more exciting.
How to Raise Money
The sale of books will be your primary fundraising method. Keep expenses low by focusing on printing costs. Additionally, you can collect donations during your book launch event.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox allows you to sell your books online. Create an online donation form with different tiers for purchasing one, two, or three books. Customize the form to match your branding and collect necessary information like email and mailing addresses. Donorbox also offers a live campaign feature, allowing you to sell copies at your book launch using the Donorbox Liveβ’ Kiosk app.
5. Dine Out for Your Preschool
Busy families often struggle to find time to cook, making this fundraising idea a hit.
How it Works
Partner with a local restaurant willing to donate a percentage of the proceeds from a designated night to your preschool. Spread the word to your community and encourage them to dine out at the restaurant on that specific night.
How to Raise Money
The percentage of proceeds donated by the restaurant will contribute to your fundraising. You can also run a crowdfunding campaign alongside the dining-out event to raise additional awareness and funds.
How Donorbox Helps
Use Donorbox Crowdfunding to launch a crowdfunding campaign before your dine-out night. This will help raise awareness and generate more funds for your preschool. Donorbox makes it easy to create and manage your campaign.
6. Easter Egg Hunt
Organize a fun-filled Easter egg hunt to raise money for your preschool and involve the entire family.
How it Works
Set up an Easter egg hunt on your school grounds and invite families to participate. Consider adding extra activities or renting an Easter Bunny costume to make the event more enjoyable.
How to Raise Money
Sell tickets to the Easter egg hunt and offer additional items like food or merchandise for extra revenue.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Events is an excellent tool for selling tickets to your Easter egg hunt. It allows you to track the number of attendees and ensure you have enough eggs for everyone. Additionally, you can accept donations during the event using the Donorbox Liveβ’ Kiosk app or enable Text-to-Give for quick and easy donations.
7. Dance-a-thon
Get your students moving and grooving with a dance-a-thon fundraiser.
How it Works
Organize a fun event where students can come and dance to age-appropriate music. The children and their parents can collect pledges from friends and family to support their dance efforts. Encourage parents to join in the fun too!
How to Raise Money
Your preschool will benefit from the pledges collected by the parents. You can also sell t-shirts to commemorate the event and raise additional funds.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Peer-to-Peer is an ideal way to collect pledges for your preschool. Parents can create their own fundraising campaigns after being invited through Donorbox. They can personalize their campaigns and share them with friends and family. Any donations they receive will flow directly to your account.
8. Host a Bingo Night
Bingo is a classic fundraising idea that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
How it Works
Set up a bingo event with bingo cards and a way to draw numbers. Invite your students and their families to join in the fun and offer prizes for both children and adults.
How to Raise Money
Sell bingo cards and charge a reasonable price for each card. You can also sell cards online or turn the event into a virtual experience.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Liveβ’ Kiosk allows you to sell bingo cards in person. Download the app on your iPad or Android tablet and connect it to a card reader to accept payments. Additionally, you can enable Text-to-Give for attendees to donate during the event or include QR codes linking to your online donation form.
Fundraising Ideas for Small Preschools
Here are some fundraising ideas specifically tailored for smaller preschools with fewer students and families.
9. Fundraising Competition
Create a friendly competition among your fundraisers to motivate them to raise as much money as possible.
How it Works
Establish a fundraising incentive to reward the child or parent who raises the most money for your preschool within a specified period. Even with fewer participants, your fundraisers may be more determined to secure donations from their network.
How to Raise Money
Use peer-to-peer fundraising to generate funds for your preschool. Provide your fundraisers with information about your preschool and create a fundraising toolkit to empower them.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Peer-to-Peer enables you to create a fundraising page and invite parents to set up their own campaigns. They can personalize their campaigns and share them with their network. Donations collected will be directly transferred to your account.
10. Sell Cookie Dough
Everyone loves cookie dough, making it an easy and popular fundraising item.
How it Works
Partner with a company like Otis Spunkmeyer that offers fundraising without upfront costs. Have your students and their parents sell cookie dough to their network. Once you have collected orders, place the order with the provider and distribute it to your fundraisers.
How to Raise Money
You will keep the funds collected over the cost of the cookie dough. The more cookie dough your fundraisers sell, the more funds you will receive for your preschool.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox allows you to collect payments for your cookie dough through online donation forms. Create different tiers and custom fields to collect necessary information from purchasers. You can also use peer-to-peer fundraising to have your fundraisers create their own campaigns and accept donations for your preschool in exchange for cookie dough.
11. Host an Alumni Showcase
Stay connected with your preschool’s alumni and expand your network with an alumni showcase.
How it Works
Invite recent alumni to perform in a showcase, and encourage their families and friends to attend. This event allows you to maintain relationships with former students and parents while expanding your fundraising opportunities.
How to Raise Money
Sell tickets to the showcase and collect donations during performances. An emcee can work the crowd to boost fundraising efforts during the event.
How Donorbox Helps
Donorbox Events is an ideal tool for selling tickets to your alumni showcase. You can set a deadline for ticket purchases to determine the number of attendees. During the event, encourage attendees to donate using Text-to-Give or by scanning QR codes linking to your online donation form.
Conclusion
Preschool fundraising is essential to provide children with a quality education and care. By implementing creative and engaging fundraising ideas, you can involve both parents and children while generating the necessary funds for your preschool. Donorbox is a valuable fundraising platform that offers various features to support your fundraising efforts. Sign up today to start fundraising for your preschool and make a difference in the lives of young children.