| I feel pretty confident in writing that a normal | | | | to me. Parents appreciate this passive system, as |
| human being probably wouldn't get very excited | | | | well, because they can plug into it on their own |
| over the prospect of fundraising 365 per year. | | | | time schedule. As the father of four small children, |
| (366 on leap year!) It would take a pretty, well... | | | | the single biggest reason I wouldn't participate in a |
| interesting... individual who would want to get up | | | | fundraiser for my kids is time. If there is a |
| each morning and ask, ask, ask for money | | | | fundraising event scheduled for a certain day, |
| without pause. Especially in this economy, right? | | | | there's a good chance that I'm already booked. |
| Well, while it might not seem like the most | | | | So, someone like me or my wife would really |
| appealing of ideas, perhaps it is the wisest. | | | | appreciate something much more flexible. |
| During the time I worked as an administrator at a | | | | For example, if I were aware that my kid's school |
| private elementary school, there were periods | | | | had a robust passive fundraising program, I could |
| that we didn't think about fundraising. Running an | | | | create a system within my home where I'm |
| auction, hosting a golf outing, putting on a school | | | | clipping, saving, recycling, etc. By the end of the |
| carnival, or selling a truckload of cookie dough was | | | | school year, maybe I've contributed a total of a |
| often energy-draining, so we usually had periods | | | | couple hundred dollars. This is potentially (no, make |
| directly after the sale or event where we'd | | | | that PROBABLY) more that I/we would have |
| conveniently ignore thinking about fundraising. We | | | | done for a second or third product sale. |
| had to take the break. Then dutifully, we'd start in | | | | When so many people are expressing a |
| again, when it was time to plan the next big thing. | | | | reluctance to have their kids get involved with |
| I often felt like Tarzan, swinging from one | | | | sales, here's a way to still accomplish the goal of |
| fundraising vine to the next. | | | | raising money without crossing any lines that |
| However, I think there may be a better way to | | | | might make a person uncomfortable. |
| approach the need to raise money for your | | | | Here's a list of some ideas for passive fundraising. |
| school. Or at least, there may be a way to | | | | Half of them are links to other information sites, |
| spread the vines out further apart. | | | | so you can click on it to investigate the idea |
| It's the idea of passive fundraising every single | | | | further. Remember, all of these programs could |
| day of not only the school year, but the entire | | | | be run 365 days per year. All you have to do is |
| calendar year. As you can imagine, this strategy | | | | to create a mindset on behalf of the students' |
| involves setting up programs that automatically | | | | parents that this is a very important way they |
| generate streams of income without you having | | | | can help. |
| to exert much of an effort at all. The greatest | | | | - eFundraising's online magazine sale |
| amount of work you'd need to do would be in the | | | | - Printer cartridges recycling |
| beginning, when you're investigating it, figuring out | | | | - Cell phone recycling |
| how to customize it for your school, and | | | | - Newspaper recycling |
| advertising it to your supporters. After that, your | | | | - Online auctions |
| biggest job is to remind people that these | | | | - BoxTops/Soup can labels |
| opportunities exist and don't stop existing, even in | | | | - Grocery store "Cash for Class" programs |
| the summer months, so the money keeps | | | | - Returning soda cans/bottles |
| flowing into your coffers on a year-round basis. | | | | - Collection box at school events |
| Having been involved in many other, more | | | | - Online search engines- goodsearch. |
| time-intensive fundraisers, this sounds pretty good | | | | |