Again, while I was researching different field trip ideas I came across an article that discussed different ways to fundraize for school field trips. With more and more school districts cutting back on spending I thought I would share the information.
Recycling Effort:
Community recycling is a great way to raise funds for a field trip. Students, parents and faculty can all participate, and the financial returns can be quite large. Funding Factory, an online fundraising program, allows educational and nonprofit organizations to earn money by sending in used cell phones and ink cartridges via its fundraising-through-recycling program. Ecophones, a similar fundraising company, also buys used cell phones and ink cartridges from schools. It offers up to $300 per phone and $5 per cartridge. With enough donations, you could raise plenty of money for a field trip.
Classic Car Wash and Bake Sale:
A car wash, an often-used fundraiser, is quite effective in raising money for field trips. Plan ahead for this event and spread the word as much as possible. Contact the local newspaper, local news, parent letter, posters...etc. Students will be able to practice their math and social skills while raising money for a good cause.
School Dance:
All kids enjoy a night of socializing with their peers. Gather a group of teachers to chaperon and charge a a few dollars for entrance. It is an easy way to raise money.
Raffle:
Raffles are surprisingly successful fundraisers. The advantages of raffles are that they're familiar and offer a small investment. Tickets often cost only $1, and the prize is generally worth around $100. If the prize can be donated by a local business, raffles offer pure profit.
Town Calender:
Selling a town calender involves collecting dates of sales, events, festivals, birthdays and other important events and publishing them on a calender for a fee. Residents can come to count on their town calenders to know when festivals or other events occur, and businesses can count on the calender to provide advertising. This is a double fundraiser in that you sell ads and sell the calenders.
Obviously there are many more ideas, just thought I would share a few!
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI have been researching different ways to bring science into the classroom in inexpensive ways. Your post caught my eye because I did a section on field trips, but I never really focused on fund raising. Fund raising is a great way to build community within the classroom and raise money. I really liked your idea of a town calender because it really gets the students involved with the community and learning about important events going on in their local town. This would be a great assignment for the students as well.