Whether you’re trying to raise funds for new equipment for your playground, school supplies for your students or you want to finance a special field trip, hosting a fundraising event at your child care center is a great way to achieve these goals. A fundraiser goes beyond just money though, it can create new connections with parents and teachers and help build a sense of community among your staff! 

You may be on board with the idea but the task of putting together an entire fundraiser on your own can seem daunting to say the least. We’re here to take some of the pressure off of you with some top tips for planning a fundraiser at your child care center. We’ll cover some of the basics, including a few details you may not have thought of to help make whatever event you decide to host a huge success.

Brainstorm Fundraising Ideas

For a fundraiser to be a success you’ll need a good idea that appeals to a large amount of people in your community. Consider ideas like a bake sale, silent auction, car wash, or even a benefit concert. Take stock of your community and try to pick an option that you think will draw in the most amount of parents, family members and members of your child care center’s community. You can even narrow it down and send out a poll through a parent engagement app to see which options they might be the most interested in participating in. It’s a good idea to try to aim for achievable ideas as the most exciting may not be the most viable option when you take your budget and resources into account. When brainstorming, remember to keep it fun, accessible, and most of all, realistic.

Plan Out Goals and a Budget

Before you can even begin to plan out any details of your fundraiser you’re going to need to sit down and define your goals. Do you need to make a specific amount of money in one sitting? Do you want to raise awareness of your child care center or a charity you care about? Once you have these details listed, you can move on to creating a budget. It’s good to go into this section with a few ideas in mind in case any may not be cost-effective to do. When creating a fundraising budget, make sure you include every possible expense your idea may require. Think of things like:

 

• • Venue rental

• • Supplies

• • Decorations

• • Refreshments

• • Marketing materials

• • Entertainment

Keep in mind, you’ll need to make the cost of these expenses back. By budgeting ahead of time, you can make sure your fundraiser actually ends up raising funds instead of losing them along the way. 

Build a Team

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Whether you recruit fellow staff members or the parents and families of students, you’ll need some help when it comes to getting your fundraising event up and running. If you’re managing the fundraiser, make sure to assign roles and keep communication open during every step of the process. A diverse group of people can help bring new ideas and insights to the planning and execution processes too. 

Reach Out To Your Community

If you want to take your fundraiser to the next level, go beyond staff and parents and reach out to other businesses, organizations and community members that may be able to help. You can receive sponsorships, prizes for drawings, publicity and more. This is also a great way to help reduce costs, increase your fundraiser’s credibility and create new connections for your organization and the next fundraising event down the road. 

Create Backup Plans & Be Flexible

Even the best-laid plans experience some hiccups. If you’re inviting performers, caterers or your fundraiser will feature other “moving pieces”, try to have a backup plan and don’t let it get you down. Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to hosting events like fundraisers and even if things aren’t perfect, attendees know it’s all happening for a good cause. No matter what happens, as long as you reach your fundraising goals, the event will have been a huge success.

Organizing a fundraiser for your child care center can have a huge impact on your students. By utilizing these tips, you can plan an exciting, engaging and successful fundraiser that helps your center reach its goals and creates connections along the way. With a little planning, a willing team and some community participation, you’ll be able to create a memorable event that helps your center and sticks with everyone involved.

If these tips were helpful for fundraiser planning, just wait until you see how helpful Jackrabbit Care can be for your child care center! Schedule a call with one of our product experts today to learn more!