Easy Ways to Fund-raise

No time to bake cookies or organize an auction? Try one of these “passive fund-raising” programs. 

By Caroline Grannan

It’s time for another school fund-raiser. Parents, start your ovens. Remember to bake brownies for the bake sale. And don’t forget to solicit donations for the silent auction and volunteers for the Spring Carnival’s Beanie Toss.

Wait!

There’s an easier way. It’s called “passive fund-raising,” which involves less community-building but also far less labor than the old standbys. Here’s how it works: Your local school or parent group registers with a fund-raising program. You sign up as a supporter. You shop. A percentage of your bill kicks back to the school as a donation.

Passive fund-raising can work so well that the PTA at San Francisco’s diverse Lakeshore Elementary School budgets for about $10,000 a year from passive fund-raising methods (a total of $80,000). The foundation that raises funds for Mill Valley K-8 schools, called KIDDO, raises $192,000 a year for 2,200 students. Across the bay, the 485-student private Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito makes $20,000 a year from a mix of passive fund-raising programs such as SchoolPop and eScrip.

The key to such fund-raising success is getting the word out. These sources can help: