So you have a great idea for your next student program—an exciting field trip, a new extracurricular you just know the kids will love, or maybe you’re finally replacing that old basketball hoop. Whatever your goal, a school fundraiser is a great way to raise the money you need while getting students excited about giving back to their community.

However, hosting a school fundraiser can be stressful. You want to please parents and kids and keep track of donor information, all while actually raising the money you need to be successful. To help you stay on task, here are some key elements every school fundraiser needs to ensure that it’s fun, effective, and stress-free.

1. A clear goal

You should start planning your event by researching exactly how much money you need to raise to make your school’s dream a reality. For example, if you want to take a class of 22 kids to a botanical garden, you should start by determining ticket prices and calculating associated costs like transportation and meals.

Your goal should be ambitious, but attainable. Which means you’re probably going to your local botanical garden, not the one in Berlin. Remember to follow the SMART goals method. SMART is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Keeping these tips in mind while creating your goal will help you push your team to the limit while ensuring they don’t lose hope altogether.

The right goal will act as a strong foundation to your fundraising efforts and energize you and your supporters to do your very best.

2. A support team

A successful school fundraiser takes a village. You’ll need to assemble a volunteer team of supportive faculty, staff, and parent volunteers united in a commitment to your students’ well-being.

This team will help organize your event, making it a smoother process for all involved. Your volunteer outreach can also help you down the road, as parents who can’t volunteer may be more likely to donate later if they’ve already heard about your efforts.

Recruit helpers using online advertisements, emails, and even flyers passed out during carpool. Offer specific opportunities for involvement, create a shift schedule, and make it easy for potential volunteers to register online by including QR codes on flyers.

At the end of the fundraiser, be sure to thank everybody who contributed to its success. Volunteers who feel that you understand and appreciate their impact are more likely to want to help again in the future. Send a personalized gratitude email recapping every volunteer’s unique impact on your fundraiser, whether they helped spread the word about your campaign or chaperoned your student fundraising event.

3. Student involvement

Being part of a school fundraiser is a great way for kids to learn valuable lessons in teamwork, responsibility, financial literacy, and the value of giving back. On top of these advantages, let’s be honest: involving the kids will make you more likely to reach your goal. After all, who can say no to those faces?

To encourage student involvement, consider offering rewards for top student fundraisers. These can range from small prizes like fidget spinners or homework passes, all the way to exciting experiences like a pizza party for the top-performing class or even a trip to Disney World. Kids will love competing for exciting prizes, and you’ll be rewarded with a boost in funds.

At the end of the day, though, prizes or no, kids want to be a part of the action. Students love to exercise their independence and achieve goals, and school fundraisers are the perfect opportunity for them to do good while having fun.

4. Engaging events

There are a million possibilities for a school fundraising event. You want to find the right one for your school that will get kids excited and help you turn a profit. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Host a Read-A-Thon. It’s a classic for a reason. Read-A-Thons raise funds by asking friends and family members to pledge to donate according to the number of books or pages a student reads. It raises money, gets the kids involved, and promotes literacy all at the same time. To make it even easier, you can use the Read-A-Thon platform, which will take care of the flyers, payment processing, and participation tracking.
  • Sell fun treats. Another great fundraising possibility is to sell goods like cookies, popcorn, or even discount cards to local community members. These events can kickstart students’ business skills and engage the wider community. Plus, students love the competition of making sales.
  • Have an auction. School auctions are also an excellent way to raise money. While this event is likely more geared toward parents than students, you can get creative with auction items and offer kid-focused experiences as prizes, like the chance to be principal for the day. Many of the auction items can come from in-kind donations, making auctions feasible for any budget.

Choosing the right school fundraiser depends on factors like your school’s budget, access to volunteers, and your community’s unique identity and interests. Find the event that speaks to your wants and needs, and don’t be afraid to get creative.

5. Digital fundraising tools

Kids and their phones! Okay, maybe that makes us sound about a million years old, but fundraising using the internet can seriously boost your revenue. Online fundraising offers flexibility and ease that make supporters more likely to follow through with their plans to donate.

Furthermore, using social media platforms can help you connect with young donors and spread awareness about your campaign. Try getting involved in online trends to make more engaging fundraising content, expanding your reach beyond just your school’s community.

Bloomerang’s simple guide to online fundraising provides tips for finding the right software systems or apps for your event, like researching systems that appeal to your exact needs and budget, and creating an implementation plan and timeline once you’ve settled on the right system for you.

Digital fundraising tools will make giving easier for donors and help you reach your goal that much faster.

By hosting a school fundraising event, you’re not just raising the money you need for a new program, experience, or resource. You’re teaching your students what it means to give back, creating habits of selflessness in the next generation. That’s why it’s important to make those early memories positive ones by crafting an organized, exciting, and impactful event.

Implementing these elements will result in a school fundraiser that takes full advantage of your community’s unique passions and ability to achieve more together.