It’s likely your school and/or foundation receives money from an annual appeal for tuition assistance or scholarship funds from parents in your school and alumni. This can be a heartfelt plea to help the less fortunate. In addition, consider what ‘appeals’ to those who don’t partake in asks that are broad or general. It might be a specific ask for a specific item the school needs.

For other donation activity throughout the school year, get specific:

– A Christmas-themed giving campaign could feature gifts others could buy in part or whole for the school. Include a variety of items at various price levels, and be sure to connect them directly to the help they will provide students and staff.

– A Valentine’s Day (Love My School!) campaign could be similar, with various gifts that positively – and immediately, if possible – impact the students.

Consider what ‘appeals’ to those who don’t partake in asks that are broad or general. It might be a specific ask for a specific item the school needs.

– Be on the lookout for upcoming days that might be fun, such as

— Amazon Prime Day where you could list a few items;

— Catholic Schools Week;

— National Donut Day, where people could pitch in a few bucks to buy donuts for the staff;

— National Arts in Education Week, where you ask for donors to buy art supplies;

— A sports-themed challenge, where people might guess the winner of NFL games or pick teams for a ‘March Madness’ style bracket contest;

— and so forth.

– Make a game of it, using a company that conducts a sports pick’em style challenge where your families can play along for a $10 (or similar) donation. They could have a chance to win money or prizes. Most popular might be the college men’s basketball tournament, the college football bowl games, or the regular season of the NFL.

– Events are fun, offer a chance for face-to-face engagement, but can be complex and a challenge to pull off. But they can also be a great fundraising opportunity that feels less like an ask and more like a celebration of your school and parish. The event possibilities range from a dinner and auction to a family-themed carnival to a wine-and-cheese tastings with a variety of entertainment.