Planning Early Childcare Fundraisers

Ever wonder why some fundraising events seem to do really well, hold the exact same event the next year, and no one turns up? You can’t avoid some things – a killer strain of school sores, or a typhoon – but we’ve got some suggestions to make sure as many people as possible attend your fundraising event.

How many events are you going to run?

Assuming you’re planning the kindy fundraising calendar (or any other type of early childhood calendar) for the entire  year, you’re not in a sprint. One massive fundraising activity per term sounds really exciting and   do-able in January but don’t let your passion make you forget your resources (both time and volunteer energy) needs to last until the end of the year! The Practical Fundraising Directory goes into more detail about which activities are more time consuming than others, we recommend alternating large and small fundraisers.

Choose Event Dates Carefully (AKA don’t be surprised when no one buys tickets to an event the same day as the footy final)

Work out what national, local and international events fall on your fundraising dates. World cup finals, royal weddings, local school fetes or markets – all of these things filter out more potential supporters. Don’t forget events within your own school, for example: end-of-year concerts. For your longer-running campaigns, like chocolate fundraisers, consider holding them earlier in the term when people aren’t overwhelmed. Remember while kindy kids won’t have assessment to worry about, their siblings might.

On the other side of the coin, research events your fundraiser can combine with – the end-of-year art and craft exhibition.

Look at the Practical Fundraising Handbook for more details.

Next article: Solving Common Problems for Early Childhood Fundraising.