In this blog you will learn:

• What a fitness fundraiser is and they different types you can host.
• The benefits of choosing to organize a fitness fundraiser for your school.
• Tips to get started!

What is a Fitness Fundraiser

A school fitness fundraiser involves students participating in physical activities, such as running or exercise challenges, to raise funds for school-related initiatives. Students and families spend the week(s) leading up to the big day collecting pledges from friends, family and community members—pledges can be flat donations or per lap, mile, minutes, etc.—and then throw a fun and exciting event day for students to complete their physical challenge.

Popular Fitness Fundraisers:

• Fun Run: Students run laps around a designated area. Many schools pump up the music and encourage teachers, staff, and families to attend and cheer them on.
• Color Run: Similar to a fun run, but with the addition of checkpoints that disperse bursts of color powder as students run through them.
• Glow Run: This fitness fundraiser option moves a fun run indoors to a school’s gym or other large room that can fit a race course area. Schools use glow in the dark decorations and light features to illuminate the space when the lights are off to create a fun and exciting experience.
• Dance-a-thon: Also an indoor option, students dance along to popular music, tracking how many minutes they’ve been moving and grooving for to earn funds. Oftentimes, schools will use choreographed dances that students can follow along to, encouraging participation. Booster takes a dance-a-thon up another level with its DanceFit program which is powered by the popular video game Just Dance!

5 Benefits of Hosting a Fitness Fundraiser

Why choose a fitness fundraiser to celebrate Global Running Day? There are so many benefits! Here are our top five reasons this type of fundraising event can be beneficial for your school.

Students learn valuable life lessons.

With a fitness fundraiser students are all working together towards a common goal, teaching teamwork and the importance of collaboration.

Pro Tip: Fun group challenges such as “the classroom that raises the most in one week wins a pizza party” or “the grade that collects the most pledges in a particular day wins an extra recess” will further encourage students to work together!

Fitness fundraisers encourage exercise and healthy habits.

These fundraisers are all about getting your students active and building healthy habits that will carry on after your fundraiser ends—making host one the perfect way to celebrate Global Running Day!

Pro Tip: Use your fitness fundraiser as an opportunity to teach your students and families about “why” running and other exercise is good for your body. This includes sharing that physical activity has a direct positive impact on academic performance—something families will love hearing about!

These fundraisers foster a strong sense of community.

Teachers, staff, students, and families all play a role in this type of fundraiser, bringing your school community together.

Pro Tip: Make it a school-wide event so all grades can participate and invite everyone to your event day to cheer students on and celebrate everyone’s efforts.

Schools tend to see large profits with fitness fundraisers.

When done right, fitness fundraisers can help your school raise huge profits to go towards improvements and resources  you need.

Pro Tip: Use an online fundraising platform to make it simple and easy for your students and families to share and collect donations. This will also allow your school to keep participants motivated by providing updates on your progress. If you choose MyBooster, you can also streamline the reward process with its built-in prize management system.

They’re a BLAST!

Ask any student that has participated in a fitness fundraiser and they’ll tell you how much they loved it. It’s a fun and exciting day for students that they will not soon forget.

Pro Tip: There are tons of ways to make your big day extra fun. Blast some music, offer snacks and treats, or make event day shirts so your students can match!

Tips to Get Started Organizing Your Next Fitness Fundraiser

• Pick the right date. A fitness fundraiser is a great option on Global Running Day or any other time of year! However, you should always consult your school and community calendars to identify any conflicts before locking in your date.
• Choose your fitness fundraiser. Consider the time of year and your local weather when deciding on the type of fundraiser your school will host. For example, if your fundraiser is during a rainy or cold season, opt for an indoor glow run so weather won’t be an issue.  Alternatively, if getting students outdoors on a beautiful day is your goal, a fun run or color run is the perfect fit!
• Organize volunteers and resources. Once you have decided what type of fitness fundraiser you will be hosting, you can start to make a list of how many volunteers you will need as well as what resources are necessary to be successful. For some schools, bringing in an outside fundraising company to handle some—or all—of the logistics can be a huge benefit. Booster offers custom service levels, so your school can get the exact amount of additional support you need.
• Provide incentives to participate. Your fundraiser can only be a success if your school community participates! Offer rewards for students that sign up and hit different set goals. These can be physical prizes or group experiences such as an ice cream treat or pajama day.

Fitness fundraisers offer many benefits that go well beyond the profits your school will also raise! Whether you choose to host a fitness fundraiser on Global Running Day or any other time of the year, you’re not only encouraging healthy habits and movement among your students but also paving the way for a stronger, more connected school community. Ready to learn more about the different ways Booster can help your school organize a successful fitness fundraiser? Reach out today!

In this blog you will learn:

• Steps to hosting a successful high school fundraiser.
• Top fundraisers that work for this age group.
• Why fundraising is so important.

High School Fundraising Guide: Steps to Get Started

Focus on individual teams, clubs and groups.

While elementary schools find success with exciting events and fundraisers that benefit the entire school, at the high school level, the major needs for funding shift to areas such as the baseball team or drama club.

Pro Tip: By honing in on individual clubs and teams your school can host multiple fundraisers throughout the year as the donor base will be different for each interest. You can even host the exact same fundraiser multiple times!

Keep it simple.

This is a key step in our high school fundraising guide! The easier and less time-consuming the fundraiser is, the more likely you are to get busy students to participate.

Pro Tip: High school students are extremely tech savvy! Take advantage of this and utilize an online fundraising platform with your fundraiser to allow students to quickly and easily share details via text, email and on their social media pages.

Pick the right time.

There are a few factors that should go into selecting the best time to host your fundraiser. First, take a look at your school and community calendars to make sure your potential high school sports fundraisers will not conflict with any events or other fundraisers that may tap into the same donor base. Equally important is taking into account the team or group schedule you are raising funds for. For example, if you are raising funds for the football team, it may be beneficial to host a fundraiser at the beginning of the school year when the excitement of the upcoming season can drive up donations.

Pro Tip: Depending on the type of fundraiser you choose, planning it around a special event or holiday can help you raise even more funds! Sell wrapping paper during the holiday season or custom spirit gear outside of a big game.

Incentivize your students.

School fundraisers can only be successful if your students are motivated. Offering incentives such as prizes, rewards or perks can get them excited to participate.

Pro Tip: High school students love a friendly competition. Get creative with a reward for your top participant such as principal for the day or a pass to skip class and let the games begin!

Be an excellent storyteller.

Family, friends and members of the community are extremely vested in the teams and groups students are a part of. When asking for donations, share what you are raising funds for and how it will improve the experience of being a member of the group or team. This will also make donors feel like they are a part of the bigger picture which will make them more likely to donate again when you host another fundraiser.

Pro Tip: Videos and photos of your team and group members are very powerful! Highlight members of your team or group on your fundraising page, share images of previous improvements donors have helped with, or make a video of your students sharing what they are raising funds for.

High School Fundraising Guide: Top Fundraisers to Try

Sell discount cards.

Students sell discounts to local shops and restaurants that donors already know and love, making this option a win-win for everyone!

Ask for direct donations.

Donation fundraisers are a simple, but very effective fundraiser. Ask your friends, family and community members to give a donation toward your cause. Use an online fundraising platform to make sharing and giving even easier. Booster can save you additional time by handling all the heavy lifting of reaching out to your donors too!

Organize a custom gear sale.

From t-shirts to tumblers, Booster offers a huge selection of products to customize with your team or group logo and colors. Easily sell your gear to adoring fans on opening night of a show or at the big game!

Host a product sale.

With options to sell via in-person with a catalog as well as online, students can easily reach out to donors to purchase high quality items they need or want.

High School Fundraising Guide: Why It’s Important

• Fundraising can help offset some of the costs that come with joining a team, club or group so that more students have the opportunity to participate.
• Not only does fundraising allow teams and groups to raise necessary funds, but it also serves as a valuable bonding experience, promoting teamwork and uniting members as they work towards a common goal.
• Fundraising teaches high school students who are on the brink of entering the real world the importance of hard work.

High school students are already juggling a myriad of commitments from academics to clubs and sports, making fundraising a different challenge than it is for younger students. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! When planning your next fundraiser, remember these steps to getting started, and you will successfully raise the funds you need to make your team or group the best it can be!

In this blog you will learn:

• Spring fundraising ideas for elementary school students.
• Fundraisers that work for middle schoolers.
• Best fundraisers for high school students in the spring.

Top Spring Fundraisers for Elementary School Students

Organize a bake sale.

Ask families to contribute a baked good and set up your table in a high traffic area such as pick up/drop off or at a school event. You can also ask for parent volunteers to be in charge of the actual bake sale.

Pro Tip: Use an online sign up sheet such as a shared google doc or Signup Genius so that families signing up can see what is already being contributed. This will ensure you get a good variety!

Why It Works: There’s little-to-no upfront cost for this spring fundraising idea, making it instantly profitable. Plus, younger students love to work on projects with their parents. This is an opportunity for families to bake together!

Plan a fitness fundraiser.

Get students moving their bodies with a high-energy fundraiser such as fun run fundraisers, a color run or dance-a-thon. Leading up to the big day, incentives families and students to collect pledges for laps run, minutes moving or just set amounts.Then have a blast and bring your community together at your fitness fundraiser event!

Pro Tip: A fitness fundraiser requires a lot of time and planning. Bringing in fundraising experts can help offset the workload and help you raise even more. Booster offers a range of services, from simply adding its online fundraising platform to your DIY event to a full-service fundraiser with a dedicated Booster team from start to finish. You choose how much help you need!

Why It Works: Elementary school students are motivated and eager to be involved in fun activities. This is also an impressionable age to teach students about being healthy and active.

Throw a festival.

Spring is the perfect season to plan an outdoor festival and enjoy the nice weather. Set up crafts and games for families, blow up a bounce house, organize a raffle—get creative with activities! Sell entry tickets and offer concessions to raise additional funds.

Pro Tip: Invite local food trucks or restaurants to sponsor your event in return for valuable advertising space on your event marketing material and a spot to sell items at your festival.

Why It Works: Many families are newer to the school system and welcome opportunities to be involved and meet other parents. Throwing a festival is a great way to bring everyone together and build community!

Best Spring Fundraising for Middle School Students

Arrange a plant sale.

As the season begins to change, many members of the community will be revamping their yards and gardening. That makes it an ideal time to team up with a local nursery! Donors are already planning to purchase plants and flowers, it’s a win-win to do it through your fundraiser and know that their money is also helping a good cause.

Pro Tip: Timing is key for this fundraiser! Make sure you get the word out in advance and plan for a date that will ensure you are reaching your donors before they start working on their yards and may have already made purchases elsewhere.

Why It Works: There are a few different ways to host a successful plant sale. Students can collect orders in advance or you can ask the nursery for a proceed of purchases on a particular day and focus on advertising. This allows you to choose the format that fits your school and students the best.

Sell quality products.

From cookies and popcorn to kitchen gadgets and homeware, there are so many options with product sale fundraisers! Students and families can quickly and easily share their school fundraisers online and through text and email to collect orders.

Pro Tip: Partnering with the right school fundraising company is the key to success. You want to make sure that what you are selling your donors are quality items. Booster carefully curates products that donors want and need and updates its catalogs to be appropriate for the season.

Why It Works: Spring is far enough removed from the holiday season and shopping exhaustion, making it an ideal time to offer your donors the opportunity to purchase products.

Put together a car wash.

Grab some buckets, soap and sponges and set up in a high traffic area such as the school parking lot or local shopping center to offer your community the chance to have their cars cleaned and support a good cause.

Pro Tip: Make signs that share what you are raising funds for and put them up at your event. Donors are more likely to give when they know what their money is going towards.

Why It Works: It’s spring cleaning season—and that includes washing up dirty cars after a long winter! Plus, student volunteers will have a blast working together on a nice spring day. This one will absolutely build school spirit and community!

Spring Fundraising for High School Students

Partner up for a restaurant night.

Ask a popular local restaurant to partner with you and donate a portion of proceeds on a select night to your fundraiser. Then get the word out!

Pro Tip: Create fliers, email and text templates and social media graphics to give to your students and families. The easier you make it for them to share information about your fundraiser the more likely they are to get involved.

Why It Works: High school students and families are super busy! This fundraiser does not require much time from volunteers. It also gives families an opportunity to skip cooking for the night and grab a bite together!

Ask for direct donations.

The easiest spring fundraising idea is to simply ask for donations. Make sure to be clear on exactly what you are raising money for.

Pro Tip: To maximize your direct donation fundraiser you should use an online fundraising platform. This will allow students and families to reach more donors in less time! Booster’s platform, MyBooster, will also allow you to customize your fundraising page so you can clearly share why you are raising funds!

Why It Works: When done right with an online fundraising platform, this is another fundraiser that does not require much time and effort from busy students and families. This fundraiser can also be repeated throughout the year for different teams and groups raising funds as the target donors will vary.

Sell custom gear.

From t-shirts to hats to tumblers, there are many different items you can customize with your school colors and logo.

Pro Tip: If you set up an online store with Booster, they will only ship what is actually purchased, meaning no upfront costs or leftover inventory. Ordering in bulk is also a great option if you want to sell at a specific event or game where donors will be eager to show off their school spirit.

Why It Works: Spring kicks off a new season of sports and events so there are ample opportunities to build school spirit. This is another fundraiser that can also be done more than once for different teams and groups.

When planning your spring fundraising, remember to not only leverage the season’s energy, but to also take into account the group of students you will be working with. Whether it’s young elementary school students or busy high schoolers, aligning your efforts with their schedules and interests will maximize the funds you raise, all while building community and school spirit.

In this blog you will learn:

• Tips to to plan a last minute fundraiser.
• Ideas for last minute fundraising.

6 Tips to Make Last Minute Fundraising a Success

When you’re planning for last minute fundraising, you have less time to actually—plan! That means you need to make every minute count. From ways to save precious time to ideas on how to work efficiently, these tips and tricks will help you plan and execute your fundraiser.

Keep it simple.

Sure, a high-energy event fundraiser such as a fun run is super appealing. It’s fun! But this type of fundraiser also requires quite a bit of advanced planning. When short on time, keep it simple and schedule these larger events out on your fundraising calendar.

Use an online fundraising platform.

With MyBooster students and families can share your fundraiser with a quick click via email, text and social media. This allows them to reach more donors in less time—anywhere in the world! The fundraising platform also cuts out all the tedious time spent tracking and collecting donations. Plus—there’s zero upfront cost and schools on average raise 91% more!

Reach out to your loyal donors.

Tap into your list of donors that support your fundraising efforts repeatedly. Reach out via email or phone to share what you are raising funds for. This is also another reason to utilize an online fundraising platform. MyBooster keeps track of your donors and saves you time by efficiently sending out emails for you.

Use social media.

You will most likely not have time for traditional marketing strategies such as printing up posters and distributing fliers, social media can help you reach an audience instantly! Use an easy-to-use design website to create some quick graphics—Canva is a great choice and totally free!—or use images that showcase what you’re raising funds for and get sharing. Make sure to ask students and families to also share your posts to their pages for increased awareness.

Promote corporate matching.

Many companies will make a donation to a fundraiser equal to the donation made by an employee. This is an effortless way to double a donation when you’re under time constraints with last minute fundraising! Get the word out and remind your donors to check the policies at their companies. If you opt to use MyBooster, the platform simplifies the process and allows donors to search online while making their donation!

Make your time shortage an asset!

Giving donors a limited amount of time to make a donation will create a sense of urgency which can be a huge benefit. They are more likely to click and donate immediately rather than put it off until later and possibly forget. Also remember that donors are more likely to give when they know what their money is going towards, so share your story and share it often! Explain why you need to raise funds quickly and how this fundraiser will benefit your school.

Last Minute Fundraising Ideas that Work

Selecting the right type of fundraiser is crucial when you have a limited amount of time to plan and execute. These five fundraising ideas can all be up and running quickly, don’t require a huge entourage of volunteers and promise to raise big funds to help you reach your goal!

Ask for direct donations.

Possibly the easiest fundraiser to host, students and families simply ask for donations to raise money for a particular goal. Choose to use Booster and they will handle all the heavy lifting, contacting your donors in a personal way and making this fundraiser effortless.

Plan a pledge-a-thon.

While you may not want to host a large event, you can still plan a pledge-a-thon quickly without the event aspect. For example, a read-a-thon can easily be organized utilizing an online fundraising platform to collect donations for the amount of pages or hours a student reads in a designated time.

Sell custom gear online.

There’s no waiting for custom products to be created and shipped when you sell with Booster’s online store option—they only ship exactly what is ordered. This also avoids any upfront costs and leftover inventory.

Offer a service.

The idea is to offer a service your donors need. For example, if you are in need of a fundraiser around the holidays, set up a gift wrapping service. If you need some last minute fundraising during the spring, organize a pop up car wash. You can get creative with this one!

Host a restaurant night.

Ask a local restaurant if they are willing to donate a portion of proceeds from one day to your fundraiser and then get the word out!

While taking the time to plan out a fundraising calendar at the beginning of your school year is ideal, the reality is that unexpected situations can lead to last minute fundraising needs. The good news is, that even with a time crunch, it is still possible to pull off a successful fundraiser. Follow our tips and choose a fundraiser that fits with your time constraints and you will be on your way to reaching your fundraising goals!

If you reside in North Carolina and are interested in school fundraising or fundraising for schools, reach out today to find out more!

In this blog you will learn:

• Steps to host a bake sale fundraiser.
• Tips to make your fundraiser really stand out.

Five Steps to Hosting a Bake Sale Fundraiser

Here are five steps to consider when planning a bake sale fundraiser to make it a success.

Sign up volunteers.

A bake sale fundraiser relies heavily on volunteers for a variety of jobs. Not only do you need a team to organize and run your actual sale, but you also need students and families to donate the food items you plan to sell.

From cookies and brownies to muffins and pies there are so many different types of baked goods you can offer at your sale. To ensure you don’t end up with duplicates, use an online signup sheet such as a shared google doc or signup genius so your participants can see what has already been donated. You can also request a certain amount of donations for each category of baked goods.

Decide on a date and location.

A bake sale fundraiser works really well when planned around another special event or holiday. For example, give your fundraiser a festive theme and sell individual sweet treats as well as full pies and cakes families can purchase for an upcoming holiday. Or team up with a high traffic event such as a school open house or sporting event and sell baked goodies to visitors. You can even take your sale off school property and set up a table at a community center or local shopping area.

Get the word out!

Share information about your bake sale fundraiser on social media and encourage students and families to share your post on their personal pages. You can also ask bakers to share previews of what they are making and tag your event to reach an even larger audience. Along with advertising online, make posters and flyers to distribute in your community at places such as your local library or shops and markets.

Designate a drop off time.

Plan a time ahead of your sale when your bakers can drop off their treats. If possible, try to give more than one opportunity to accommodate busy schedules. Make sure you have somewhere safe to store everything if you don’t plan on setting up immediately after.

Set up your table and start selling!

You can have a set price for everything, ask for a free-will donation or individually price each treat. Pick the method that works best for you then put up a sign or label your items to inform donors. You may also want to label what each item is.

Tips to Make Your Bake Sale Fundraiser Stand Out

Now that you have the steps to get started with your bake sale fundraiser, here’s how to make sure it really stands out and you maximize the funds you raise!

Decorate your table or booth.

An eye catching presentation can attract more potential donors. Depending on when and where you are hosting your sale, you can include a fun theme such as holidays or school spirit. You can even share this theme with your bakers so they incorporate it into their creations!

Share what you are raising funds for.

Donors are more likely to give when they know what their money is going towards. Make a sign that shares your goals! This can be general such as the PTO or as specific as a certain project such as a playground update.

Offer multiple payment options.

While cash is always easiest to collect, you risk missing out on sales for donors that don’t happen to have money on hand. Accepting Venmo and displaying your barcode is a simple way for quick on-the-go purchases and can increase the funds you raise!

Double up on your fundraisers!

Start a product sale fundraiser that features food such as cookie dough the day of your bake sale and put your catalog out for visitors to browse. All your sweet tooth donors can purchase a treat from your sale to enjoy right away and buy some extra treats for the future!

Say thank you!

Print out little thank you cards you can include with each purchase or share a thank you shoutout on social media with an update on your progress. Make sure to also thank your volunteers! Acknowledging all of their hard work will help you find volunteers for future fundraisers.

A bake sale fundraiser is a fun and tasty way to bring your school together to raise funds for a common cause. By following these steps, your school can turn a simple bake sale into a community-building, fundraising success—all while your donors get to treat themselves to some delicious baked goods!

Read on to learn more about why the start of school is a great time to start a gear fundraiser! You’ll see some creative back to school shirt ideas—plus score some tips on how to make sure your sale is a big success!

In this blog you will learn:

• Why hosting a sale at the beginning of the year is beneficial.
• Ideas for creative back to school shirts.
• Tips to make your next custom gear sale a success.

Benefits to Hosting a Sale at the Beginning of the Year

Building out a fundraising calendar that encompasses the entire year can help you get organized and ensure you raise enough funds to reach your goals. Fundraisers that take a lot of time and effort work great a little further into the school year, but a custom gear sale can be up and running quickly and easily. That makes this type of fundraiser ideal for the beginning of the year!

Hosting a custom gear fundraiser at the beginning of the year also gives new families the opportunity to stock up on school gear and show their school spirit at upcoming events. For families that are already part of the school system, a beginning of the year sale allows them to purchase custom tees, sweatshirts and more that the kids have outgrown or misplaced.

Plus—your school can plan a spirit day after the sale! Not only will this get families excited to purchase new gear, but it’s also an excellent way to set a positive tone of community and inclusion for the year!

Ideas for Back to School Shirts

Selling custom gear such as tumblers, hats and more is always a great way to raise funds and school spirit.

Adding back to school shirts provides families with an additional option and increases the chances they will purchase more than one product. That means even more funds raised!

Here are some creative ways you can design and celebrate back to school with custom gear.

• Grade-Specific Back to School Shirts: Design a shirt for each grade in your school. You can do a different color per grade or stick to school colors and just change the numbers such as grade or graduation year!

This idea provides families with a new back to school shirt they can purchase each year as they progress through school. It makes each shirt a special moment of the year. These shirts are also a great way to group students on field trips or school wide events and assemblies.

Bonus: Give families some creative ways to turn these shirts into keepsakes such as making a graduation blanket!

• Graduating Class Shirts: Whatever range of grades your school encompasses, there is a class embarking on their last year before moving on to the next school in your community. Celebrate this big milestone with graduation shirts they can proudly rock all year!

Bonus: Host a special session on school picture day for students to snap some graduation pictures in their special tees.

• Teacher Shirts: Many teachers love showing off their school spirit just as much as the students, so why not design a shirt just for them! Use your school colors and give your teachers a shout out with text such as #1 Teacher or Teachers Rock.

Bonus: These back to school shirts make great gifts! Classes can organize together to purchase a shirt for each teacher or the school can work as a whole to purchase them for teacher appreciation week!

• Team and Extra Curricular Activity Shirts: Back to school also means back to the hustle of extra curricular activities. Give your sports teams their own special shirts by adding a soccer ball, musical instrument or ballet slippers to a shirt design with your school colors and logo.

Bonus: These shirts can offer another opportunity for a dress up day at school. Designate a day for your students to wear something that shows what they love doing!

• Customize Sweatshirts: While obviously not a t-shirt, with fall weather rolling in, sweatshirts are a perfect item to include in your sale! You can use all of the same ideas such as graduation or grade specific sweatshirts or keep it more generic.

Bonus: Parents are already shopping for warmer fall clothes so this is a win-win opportunity for them!

Tips to Make Your Sale a Success

• If you order in bulk, set up your sale at high traffic times. For example, if there is an orientation before school actually starts where students and families can visit the school, set up a table to greet them! Other great options include drop off and pick up, school tours and meet the teacher events.
• When getting the word out about your back to school shirt sale, remind families about all the fun events coming up that will be perfect to rock their spirit gear! You can also remind them it’s a great opportunity to purchase gifts and get ahead on holiday shopping.
• Because back to school time is a busy time for families, you should use social media and email blasts often to remind parents about your fundraiser.

The back to school season is one of the most exciting times of the year, filled with enthusiasm and school spirit. It’s also the perfect opportunity to launch a custom gear fundraiser, particularly with the introduction of limited edition back to school shirts.

By hosting this fundraiser at the beginning of the academic year, you not only kickstart your fundraising efforts, but also allow families to embrace their school spirit right from the start.

Booster’s in-house design team is standing by to help you create the perfect custom gear for your school. Get started today!