Using this easy strategy, my brother and I both got the most participation in a middle school fundraiser - without any prize incentives!! Middle schoolers usually sell the most, so this is geared toward this age group. In fact, I got the most participation of any SCHOOL, according to the fundraising company.
The goal: Get as many kids involved in your fundraiser to get maximum amount of profit to benefit your program.
Forget prizes. Fundraiser prizes usually stink, to be blunt. They are mass-produced cheaply made, and the novelty usually wears off 5 minutes after they receive them.
Target what kids want - something they themselves could not do or get using their own means.
My time is valuable - This takes minimal preparation and time commitment to you in relation to the amount of monetary gain. The kids do most of the work for you in terms of preparation and equipment!
Here's how to pull it off:
1. Host a V.I.P. type party for those who sell X number of the product being sold. Our magic number was 5. Sell 5, and get entrance to the party. 5 more gets you and a friend. 5 more, another friend, etc.... We allowed for non-band members if they sold enough to bring friends. The bottom line was to get them to sell.
2. Party location was at the band room, outside, gym, and cafeteria - use resources at your disposal. Find a day where you can use these rooms at the same time. Open gym requires some supervision, use booster members, HS students, parents. Band room was the video game tournament room. Students brought in their own console game systems with Rock Band, Dance Dance revolution, Mario Kart, etc... It is more appealing when they bring in all the cool controllers too, such as the guitar controllers for Rock Band, the dance pads for Dance Revolution, the steering wheels for Mario Kart, etc....
3. Each video game console station is a tournament run by HS student to keep track of winner bracket. Winner of each game gets pic taken to be hung around band room. Each bracket and game station has only one game. So one station is for Dance Dance, one for Rock Band, etc.
4. Once everyone arrives, have them all register for the video games they want to compete with by putting their name on competition bracket. Process of elimination, once they loose, they goto a different game. I usually had one station with a game like Rock Band on easy that was NOT for competition, just for fun, usually set on easy level.
High School Student Responsibilities:
- Each video game station should have at least 1 high school student there to keep track of the tournament. Students sign up for whichever game(s) they want to compete in on a bracket.
- Optional: Have a big high school football player/band member be the bouncer who checks people off the list (kids thought this was funny/cool), find a velvet rope to put outside entrance to band room if you have a direct entrance
- Lead games in gym - Extreme kick ball, extreme duck duck goose, simple games of basket ball, 3 pin, dodgeball, etc... Come up with new games, what games do they like to play the most in gym?
What you need to think about in advance:
- Print out blank brackets (similar to the sweet 16 type brackets so students can fill in their names)
- Assign parents and HS students responsibilities
- Assign students to bring in foods (students with last name A-F bring drinks, G-L bring cups or food, etc...)
- Assign which Middle School kids will bring which games/consoles/controllers. I did this last few minutes of class a few days in a row.
- Facility request forms? Reserve rooms you want to use for party - Gym, Cafeteria for food, band room, etc...
- Extra TV's on carts from media center. I put these all in the band room.
That's about it. The students supply everything! The only thing I had to do was coordinate the event, and be present to enjoy the few hours of a fun party. You may even go so far as to submit the pics of the game tournament winners to the school paper for added bragging rights.
What has generated the most participation and sales in your fundraisers? I'd love to hear your questions, input, ideas, suggestions in comments below.
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