Looking for a newer fundraising concept that has the capacity to earn a ton of money for your PTO and school? Take a look at a Peer to Peer fundraiser! This fundraising concept works a bit differently than most traditional fundraisers do.
First, it harnesses the power of social media and modern technology to come to life via friendly competition. Second, it doesn’t require anything to be purchased! There are no catalogs to send home, or products to pick up or deliver.
It’s pretty easy to bring in a ton of money for your PTO and get students super engaged at the same time! Let’s talk about how to make all of this happen.
Smart Strategies for Profitable PTO / PTA Fundraising
The fundraising excitement starts with the concept and an overall goal. Think past the boring “support our school” sort of messaging that causes most eyes to glaze over.
Instead, set up a goal that’s irresistible for students and contributors, alike. Be as specific as you can and have the goal be something everyone would like to have for the students or school.
For example, new playground equipment or a class trip to the state capitol, a safe After Prom experience for the Seniors, would be great goals to work towards.
Next, add some enjoyable rewards for the students that are particularly appealing to them, such as being the Principal for a Day, a Starbucks gift card, a class pizza party, a whole-school ice cream party, or any other incentives that the students would be excited about.
Adjust the rewards to be age-appropriate and more attractive to your school’s student population.
This creates a sense of competition, with everyone striving towards achieving the major incentive you have established as the final objective, as well as the smaller individual or class incentives.
Don’t Skip Details During Fundraiser Set Up
Spend some time and effort creating the fundraiser’s online website page.
Be sure to include images that show your ultimate objective since the image of what everyone is working towards will be far more inspiring than just a picture of your school or even a thermometer indicating a rising number of donations.
Donors will really appreciate seeing what their contribution will actually achieve for the school and students, so don’t skimp on the details.
Further, set up your fundraising campaign’s homepage to display the rankings of both individual students and classes, providing a clear view of the group standings.
All donations should be showcased and highlighted, acknowledging donors either by name or with anonymous nod.
This results in three levels of competition that are visible to everyone!
First, a race to the overall goal, then a class competition, and last, a contest among the individual students.
A competitive mix is smart to have since not everyone will be motivated by the same thing.
This fundraiser structure is awesome since it gives multiple opportunities for success.
Spread the Word about the Fundraiser
Once the fundraiser is all set up, it’s time to promote it and inspire the students to spread the word by consistently reminding them of the overall goal along with the smaller incentives.
Post on your PTO’s Facebook Page, Instagram Page or other social media profile.
Motivate students to ask their network of family, friends and other connections for support, which means the fundraiser will reach a wider audience.
This in turn translates into big money for your PTO!
Peer-to-Peer fundraisers are fantastic for expanding the campaign beyond the school community and into the broader community and world.
The social sharing options make it remarkably effortless to share the fundraiser with any network.
With just two clicks, you can obtain a link to post in your family or book club group chat, making it easy to ask friends and family for their support.
Further, this type of fundraiser format is ideal for enticing school alumni and reaching beyond the current student and family pool to gain additional supporters.
Enjoy the Fundraiser’s Payoff – Literally!
Anything can be made more enjoyable when it’s turned into a game, and this fundraiser is designed as a competition from the outset.
Setting up an incentive structure is simple and can significantly encourage students to spread the word and raise more funds.
While bragging rights are already a fun reward, incorporating various prize levels will motivate students even more to get involved and attempt to outdo their classmates.
The fundraiser can be easily adjusted for different age groups just based on the prizes offered. No matter how much you need to raise, this fundraising concept can work!
Recommended Resources for All PTO / PTA Groups
Ready to dive more into the work of PTO and school fundraising, but wish you could have a plan of action ready at your fingertips?
Time to learn more about the Fundraising Success Kit!
This resource is guidance plus a complete plan walking through the entire process of fundraising for your school, including a publicity plan, templates, forms and a planner kit to help you get outrageously organized in a snap!
Over to You!
Peer to Peer fundraisers are a wonderful tool for PTOs looking to bring in money without the hassles that often come with other types of fundraisers.
The format of the fundraisers makes it easy for students to participate and donors to contribute, so it’s a winner right from the start.
And this fundraising approach is super easy to repeat year over year, making it a smart staple to add into annual PTO fundraising plans.
