We are having a fundraiser next month. We'd like to have a "prize" for the highest selling Elementary /Junior / High School students (we are a school for K - 12). Initially, I thought lunch from a local eatery with the Principal. Hubby says that's too goofy. Can I get some suggestions please? Even if you only have one idea for one level - I'll take it! I am really at a loss!
One 4th grader suggested a gift card to a "good" store or restaurant. She even said $10 would be awesome! How much is a good amount to spend?
We are a tiny private school. Fundraising helps us raise money for "extra" stuff. I don't want to spend a HUGE amount of money on prizes, as these would be donated by our Parent Organization.
Thanks Mamas...Ya'll always help me out!
Gift cards to the movies, cool mall stores, etc. THose are good ides. Having a teacher kiss a pig- kids love those, but it is sometimes hard to get teachers and principals to agree.
Have to agree with hubby--nix to the lunch idea with the principal--that would be torture, not a prize!
Kids always like gift cards--maybe it could be for a cool book store like Borders or Barnes and Noble if they are in your area. $25 would seem like a good prize for a kid I would think.
I won a $15 check when I was in 2nd grade for first place in an art contest. I thought it was awesome. So, yeah, gift cards would be great.
My husband is a principal. The kids have always loved eating out with him as a prize since they get to miss a little class time too, and everyone else sees them leave and come back. I think that is one of the best parts. They got to pick a restaurant from a few choices - also very cool. Even when my husband was at a high school, the kids loved it. But he has to be well-liked. If the principal isn't the coolest person (according to the kids), then have the child pick their favorite teacher.
I don't know how many you need, but I've got lots of ideas. The first one is, most local businesses will give prizes/gift cards/gift certificates to schools in their surrounding communities so I bet you could narrow things down that way and then have some people on the PTA board or Parent Organization make calls out and ask these businesses. it would be a tax ride-off for them and no money out of your pockets! Plus, free PR for the business at hand. If you've got a bakery or Great Harvest Bread, getting something from them would be good-even if you have to buy it-like a dozen donuts, bread w/homemade jam etc. $10-20 Gift cards to movie theaters, tickets to sports, concert or other events etc. I think board games are another great idea-pretty economical to purchase and you can have a variety of them for prizes.
You could even have Themes for the Gifts w/gift cards or in baskets like: Date w/Dad (maybe ice cream shop or fast-food and sporting event), Meal w/Mom (GC to restaurant), Fun for Family (w/DVD or Blue Ray and popcorn, candy etc. in a basket). I hope this helps and gets you thinking of other creative ideas as well.
This was fun!
Our school has done gift baskets as prizes--in the past, we've done a spa basket, a game basket, a dinner out basket, a book basket, school spirit basket (really easy--we included school logo water bottles, sweatshirts, etc. in it). etc. You could have each grade level have a themed basket (you could even ask the kids what they want as a theme for their grade level). Then, families all donate a small item to include in the basket. That way no one is out a lot of money and you get some really neat prize baskets. Almost all the items donated were under $10--most under $5. One of the best baskets was a "Box Tops" basket--it was for younger elementary kids and families donated items that had the box tops labels--the kids were so excited to try to win a basket full of fruit chews, cereal, juice boxes, etc. Plus, the school had 40+ box top labels donated back.
We've also done things as simple as $10-$20 at Borders, Target, Best Buy--kids LOVE it!
Donations from businesses are always great. You could get a pizza place to give a free small pizza if they reach x$. That should be the first thing you establish is the $ amts to determine who gets what. Walmart and Target have great inexpensive toys and items as well. Our Scout troop did this recently. We mostly gave gift cards and the $ was higher the more you sold. When we were looking at options in the store I had found a large styrophoam airplane for $10 that we had thought about using for boys who sold over $600. For participation they each recieved a flashlight that costs $1. That could even be used as a gift for a $ amt. When we were searching gifts we found about 20 or so items that kids would like all under $15.00 and some were large enough that they would have been comperable to a large amount sold. Sleeping bags for $10-$15 We were looking only for things that boys would like but you'll have a larger variety doing boys and girls. Have 2 options in each catagory 1 boy and 1 girl. They get to pick then you go buy. Not sure how much in dollars might be sold but we had up to $6000 I believe so that scout I think received a remote control car also less than $15.
I don't know if they have Gattitown in SA, but here in Austin, I've seen that as a prize for elementary kids and a fun activity for teenagers.
You can't go wrong with a $10 or $20 gift card to Target!
How about making a poll to have the children take of something they would like to see be the prize so they feel like they contributed that much more, and it gives them more incentive to work harder to get it, and its definatly something kids would want.
Or, I think a $25 gift certificate would be good. You can always make up a small list of stores that would be appropriate and let them choose which one they would like it to be to.
Or get one that is a prepaid visa.
Our school did the grande prize as a scooter and I think a small tv but you had to sale so much...don't remember the amount.
Gift cards are great
Tickets to a cool/fun local attraction or sporting event
