Do you think school fundraising is limited to elementary schools? Nope. The other day I was talking to a friend of mine whose kids have both left for college. She’s an empty nester (the idea is COMPLETELY foreign to me), and she was telling me that while she did her share of school fundraising when the kids were small, she never expected this to happen now.
She was working at home and the phone rang. It was her son’s college. The kid on the other end of the phone wasn’t her son, but another student, who was trying to solicit donations for the school. The phone call went like this:
Student: ‘Hi Mrs. Mom, My name is so and so and I’m a freshman at ____ (Yes, they use freshmen!!! Hate that). I was wondering if I can have a couple of minutes of your time to discuss our Annual Fund at…..
My friend cut off the student before she could say anything else and told the student she would discuss it with her husband and would perhaps donate through the website, but that they usually donate around May.
A few days later, her daughter’s school called. The cheerful junior from her college pleasantly greeted her by name, wanted to confirm her address and email information. After that, the student asked how her daughter was enjoying her freshman year and how her classes were going.
She also asked if my friend was able to take advantage of visiting the town where the school is. She asked if she visited the BEST homemade ice cream shop in town, talked about improvements the school is making on campus, the new classes being offered and then the student said, “In order to make these things happen, the school needs your support, and I wanted to know if you’d donate $200 towards the Annual Fund.”
My friend said, “YES” and the student was in shock (and so was my friend!). Could school fundraising be that easy? What was the difference between the two phone calls? Does my friend love her daughter more than her son? NO. Was it the time of day? NO.
It had to do with making a human connection. Making the parents care about what it is you are trying to raise money for and putting a very exact number to your ask. When you follow these guidelines, you’re bound to have success – whether it’s for your elementary school auction or school fundraising for a college campaign. The “ask” is the same!
Tell me how you are working toward that success, and if you need help, I’m happy to give you guidance!
Sarah
Sarah has been fundraising for schools since 2008. She is the author of A Mom’s Guide to School Fundraising and has consulted for several schools and clubs. She has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, RetailMeNot.com, Scholastic: Parent & Child and The New York Times. She thinks all kids should be able to have a well-rounded education, team uniforms, instruments and support. Don’t you?