by Joseph Wardy

Created on: May 09, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2008

As a former Chairperson of the Public Relations Committee on a School Board in Mine Hill, New Jersey and a former teacher who raised funds with kids, I have experienced success raising money. There are several strategic and tactical steps that must be taken to insure success. They are as follows:

* Start with the end in mind- Meet with the students or parents and decide why there is a need for a fund-raiser and what the money will be used for upon a successful project.

* Tie it into the School's Mission- Does the school have a mission or annual goals for its students? How will this money favorably impact the students and their learning development? Example: a Mission of the school is to be a leader in technology. With this Mission, how can the profit can be utilized for computers and other related technology? How will this experience help the students to better prepare for high school, college or the workplace? How will the learning prepare them for the ever increasing global demands?

* Research- Without a leading product or distributor, your success will be limited. Seek out other PTA's and teachers for the testimonials needed to feel confident that you are selling a superior product or service.

* Overall goal determined- Know exactly how much money is expected to be raised. Then begin to break it down into manageable parts and daily goals. Let us say, for example, that the goal is to raise $`10,000. How long will the fundraiser last? How many parents or kids are expected to participate? If the campaign is for three weeks,the goal will be $476 a day broken down by many parents or students who will be participating

* Advertise- Use the Town Council or other powerful groups and stores in town to support your project and how the money will be used to benefit the town's kids. Considwer a 50/50 type raffle within the process sold by merchants, the fire department etc.

* Train the Salespeople- On many occasions, I've heard sellers say something like " Want to buy the chocolate I'm selling". That is a no benefit statement that invites a closed answer of "No, thank you." The seller must be trained to sell the benefits of the product to the buyer and at the same time explain how their contribution will be of immense help to the seller educationallly.

The formula of success can be measured by a process called TPA...Think, Plan and Act. If followed, the process serves as a great way for kids to lead their lives!

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