Schools are doing a great deal of work in giving children the best education they can provide. While the primary goal of schools is to provide a strong academic foundation, it is also important for children to have after school activities – and this is where the support of a parent-teacher association (PTA) is very much needed. PTAs are formed to make school a much better place of learning for children. Having a good amount of funds is essential in providing quality and balanced education. PTAs play an important role in supporting schools to gather needed funds for after school activities like field trips.  If you are looking for guidance in exactly how to run your fundraiser, visit Fundraising Zone for more information.

Field trips help schools to bridge the gap between hands-on experience and classroom education. This is the reason schools conduct annual field trip activities. Since most schools operate on very restricted funds, PTAs support by organizing fundraisers. Most PTA fundraisers support field trip activities. There are various ways for PTAs to raise funds for a school field trip.

Offer Services

A PTA fundraiser can resort to offering services like a dog walk, car wash, gift wrapping, rake leaves, pull weeds, babysit, or run errands for busy parents or senior citizens having a hard time doing some chores. This fundraiser will get a lot of support from busy community members who don’t have time for additional household tasks.

Book Sale

A book sale is a great way of sharing literature collection. With this PTA fundraiser, teachers, parents, and students donate their old (but still in good condition) books. Invitations are sent out to the community to support the PTA fundraiser.

Make a Deal with a Local Coffee Shop (or Diner)

PTAs can partner with a local coffee shop or diner. The deal is the PTA will bring customers to the shop for a certain amount of commission. Most shops are willing to give out commissions as high as 20%. This PTA fundraiser doesn’t just support a school fund a field trip but helps a local business gain customers as well.

Art Gallery

Schools train many young passionate artists. PTAs can make good use of the students’ talents by hosting an art gallery for a fundraiser. This PTA fundraiser can make a great deal of money by charging an admission fee and auctioning some of the best arts in the gallery. The amount of money that can be raised will most probably cover some field trip costs.

Grab a Bag

This PTA fundraiser has a lot of potentials in raising money for a field trip. The idea is to fill a bag with different items – it could be any items from a thrift store and adding a few expensive ones. The bags will be sold for a flat fee. Expensive items can be collected from parents with vast professional networks. Companies that they work for can have something of value to donate. The excitement comes from not knowing what each bag contains.

PTA Talent Show

PTA talent show is another enjoyable fundraiser for a field trip. Students often have hidden talents. However, in a PTA talent show, instead of the students performing, the parents and teachers are the performers.        Scout for talents among the teachers and parents. Arrange days for rehearsal and invite the community to support the PTA fundraiser. Convince more community members to support by highlighting the value of expressing creative talents, but also put good emphasis on the cause of the fundraiser.

Offer a Class

Oftentimes, some parents and teachers have hidden special skills. It’s like “oh I didn’t know Ms. Jones, the librarian, is a good chef. Find these hidden skills and ask them to volunteer to offer a class for the community. Every signup will be asked for a small donation to raise funds. This way PTAs can help better the community and at the same time raise funds for the field trip.

It can be challenging to put up a PTA fundraiser for a field trip as most parents and teachers are overwhelmed and tired from work. That is why PTA fundraising ideas should be efficient and enjoyable as possible. Schools must let parents and teachers know as early as the start of the school year about possible fundraisers. Planned after school and other extra-curricular activities (aimed to enhance learning for students) must also be presented to parents during enrolment. This is to help them understand the importance of conducting PTA fundraisers. Constant communication with parents and teachers is vital to gain their much-needed support for any fundraiser. Lastly, always demonstrate parents and teachers how field trips help in the enhancement of the children’s education.

Tom Gardner