Top Ideas for Increasing Engagement in School Fundraisers
If you organize school fundraisers, you know that it’s not an easy job. And one of the toughest tasks? Getting students, parents, and caregivers motivated and engaged in fundraising activities.
Still, we all know that increasing engagement in school fundraisers is one of the most critical keys to their success. Many hands make light work, after all. When you can get more volunteers involved and excited about your cause, you can make a bigger impact together. In our experience, everyone also tends to have a lot more fun along the way.
How to Increase Engagement in School Fundraisers
Of course, increasing engagement in school fundraisers is easier said than done. That’s why we’ve put together some of our top tips, drawn from our decades of experience supporting parents, teachers, administrators with easy school fundraising ideas.
Great Communication
In the world of school fundraisers, communication is everything. Connect with students, parents and caregivers early and often to ensure they are aware of upcoming events. Remember, your communications are the perfect time to build excitement!
Make sure you don’t just talk details. Don’t forget to express how much fun it can be to fundraise together as a community and emphasize the impact you’ll be making together.
Make it Easy to Participate
When it’s easy to get involved, more volunteers will get engaged—it’s that simple. Select easy fundraising ideas that require minimal training, setup and preparation. By choosing a school fundraiser that’s easy to get involved with, not only will you engage students, parents and caregivers more easily, but it will also save time and hassle for you—the organizers—too.
Our favourite go-to fundraising idea? Cookie dough fundraisers. You can make a lot of dough with dough! Our Scoop & Bake Cookie Dough is easy for volunteers to sell, and it brings in big profits for school and community groups.
Empower Volunteers
For organizers of school fundraisers, it can sometimes feel like you’re doing it all on your own. But it doesn’t have to be that way, we promise! Believe it or not, many volunteers get more engaged—not less engaged—when you offer them more responsibility.
Give parents, caregivers, and even students the opportunity to contribute more deeply by offering them leadership roles in your fundraiser. Deputize your keenest volunteers to manage tasks such as online marketing, event planning, supervising booths, leading door knocking, or getting corporate sponsorships from local businesses. Taking on bigger roles builds engagement in your volunteer base while also taking tasks off your hands. Talk about a win-win.
Add a Fun Theme
Who doesn’t love a theme? Coming up with a fun way to market your fundraiser can help it stand out in a sea of other causes. Some of the best themes are seasonal (a spooky Halloween bake sale, anyone?) or related to the program you’re supporting (why not launch a free throw contest to help the basketball team get to provincials?).
A theme is also a stellar way to get young volunteers excited about fundraising. Get students involved early in the process by recruiting them to brainstorm ideas.
Remember the “Why”
Too often, we all get so caught up in the nitty gritty of coordinating a fundraising that we forget what it’s all about. However, the reality is that the best way to increase school fundraiser engagement is to keep the community connected to their “why”—the reason they’re raising money.
As part of your campaign, it’s critical to include reminders of where the funds will go and why they will make a difference. Share stories and statistics with your volunteers that demonstrate the impact their efforts will have. We guarantee that this approach will get them fired up and ready to make a difference!
Track Progress
Who among us hasn’t seen a fundraising tracker shaped like a thermometer before? There’s a reason that physical progress trackers are so popular. They help to engage the community in the effort and create a sense of urgency.
Make sure to track your progress, either the old-fashioned way with a physical chart, or with an online tracker. It can be a great way to build engagement and spark conversations around the work you’re doing.
Offer Rewards
Sometimes a little friendly competition can be the strongest way to increase engagement in fundraisers. Consider if there is a way you can offer rewards for the top fundraisers to motivate students and their families.
Rewards do not always have to cost money from your tight budget. Get creative about other, non-monetary awards that might appeal to students, like a free period or an extra-long recess.
Celebrate Success
Don’t forget this essential step! Celebrating success throughout a fundraiser—from the early wins to the final tally—maintains engagement and boosts morale.
Make sure to publicly acknowledge achievements on social media, in your school newsletter, and wherever else news is shared at school. These acknowledgements are an opportunity for the community to share in your success and see the impact your school fundraiser is making.
Thank Contributors
On top of acknowledging everyone’s efforts, it’s vital to also thank contributors who help to make fundraising happen. Add a recognition component to the next school event, and consider handwritten thank you cards as well—who doesn’t love to receive one of those?
When people feel as if their work was appreciated, they’re more likely to do more, and more likely to return next year, too.
Get Ready for Your Next School Fundraiser
We know that school fundraisers are a labour of love. Hopefully a few of these ideas for boosting engagement will come in handy this year, bringing in more volunteers and making the experience more fun for everyone.
By practicing great communication, making it easy to get involved, and empowering others to take on leadership roles, you can build your volunteer base to make great things happen. And by reminding everyone of the great cause you’re supporting, tracking progress, offering rewards, celebrating success, thanking contributors, and maybe even adding a fun theme, you can ensure that everyone enjoys a rewarding experience and comes back next year ready to do it all over again.
Looking for easy fundraising ideas this year? Indeygo offers stress-free fundraising with high quality goods that people love, like our signature Scoop & Bake Cookie Dough. With same-day activation, it’s super simple to launch. And with 40% profit, our dough quickly turns into your dough! Get started today.
