Money is a topic that is never too far away from the minds of school leaders.

In their annual report on Education Spending in England 2022, published on 12 December 2022, the IFS stated:

“Following on from cuts to most areas of education spending during the 2010s, the government has provided additional funding at successive spending reviews between 2019 and 2021. However, rising levels of inflation and cost pressures have dampened the effects of extra funding, putting severe strain on providers’ budgets right across the public sector. High ambitions for the education sector will also be harder to achieve in an era of further constraints on public spending.”

In fact, total spend on education in the Uk for the 2021-22 year was £116 billion. While that sounds a lot, it represents just 4.6% of national income, well below the levels of the late 2000s.

With funding largely centred around curriculum provision, it leaves little for extracurricular activities. This means that for a modern school to thrive, it must consider alternative methods of generating income.

At Eduprise, we have decades of experience helping schools do just this. From hosting a successful fundraising event to developing relationships with local businesses, we help schools to make the most of the opportunities available and ensure they are able to go above and beyond for their students.

In our latest blog post, we discuss school fundraising ideas that can give your school a welcome financial boost.

Host a Fundraising Event

It is not unusual for a school to host an event. Nor is it uncommon for them to host a school fundraising event. But, it is not often that the school actually advertises the event as a fundraiser.

For example, summer fairs usually involve stands selling cakes, raffles, and tombolas. They are, in essence, fundraisers; but they are disguised as school events.

There’s nothing wrong with arranging a school fundraising event and advertising it as one. In fact, it sets the expectations of parents and the local community, and encourages them to contribute more toward the cause. Sure, you don’t want to come across as desperate, but requesting funds to improve the education of children? That’s an easy sell.

If you decide to host a school fundraising event, good advertising is crucial to having a good attendance. Find out how Eduprise can help make sure your event is a success.

Send Fundraising Packs to Businesses

Raising money should always be on the agenda for your school, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. There are many businesses who would be willing to help with a fundraiser — you just need to contact them.

If you’re wondering why businesses would help, the answer is CSR: corporate social responsibility. CSR is a form of business self-regulation. It involves contributing to society, whether in the form of money, time, or resources. Crucially, if businesses can achieve their CSR goals by working with you, they can also benefit massively. Research has proven that consumers are more likely to choose a business involved in CSR than one that isn’t.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, we communicated on behalf of The White Horse Federation to work with a number of large companies to collect home learning devices, helping to bridge the digital divide.

If you would like some assistance in putting together your school fundraising pack, contact Eduprise today.

Launch a Fundraising Competition

Everyone wants to be a winner, so give them a chance to be one.

There are two key factors to running a successful competition. The first is advertising. If no one knows about the competition, no one will enter, so you need to spread the word. Communicating with parents will encourage entries from stakeholders. Promoting the competition on social media will drive entrants from outside your normal audience.

The second key factor is the prize. Even the most kind hearted of people may decide not to enter without the motivation of an attractive reward. If you have already thought of what the prize will be, great! If you haven’t, it might be time to call in some favours. Contact local businesses and ask if they’d be happy to donate an item or even their services as a prize. You may also find that parents or school governors have contacts who can help.

One final consideration is the price of entry. Make sure that the cost of entrance is comparative to the prize. People won’t pay £10 to enter a competition for a new toaster, but they will pay £10 to enter a competition for, say, a new laptop.

A well-advertised school fundraising competition with a desirable prize will raise a lot of money for your school. Find out here how we helped Wellfield School in Durham win a £500,000 grant to improve their sports provision.

Raise Funds through Your Website

Your school’s website is a useful resource for those looking for information. It may be your students, their parents, prospective students/parents, current teachers, or aspiring teachers. And while its primary purpose is to offer information, it can be used for so much more.

The way people donate money is changing. No longer is there a handover of cash; most transactions are completed digitally. The success of websites such as JustGiving and GoFundMe shows people’s willingness to donate money online.

Your school may already collect money online, through ParentPay or another online payment program. If so, the parents of your students will be familiar with paying for school requirements in this way. Why not give them the opportunity to give donations online, too?

Eduprise develops community websites for schools that seamlessly integrate with their existing website. Through the community site, you can promote your school fundraising activities and accept donations for your projects. If you would like to find out more about our community websites, contact the Eduprise team now.

Apply for Grants

Events, competitions, and business engagement are some of the best for small-scale school fundraisers. But, if you are looking for a big cash injection, you may have to look elsewhere.

There is a plethora of grants available to schools, some offering cash, others providing funds for specific projects. The diversity of the grants means there is sure to be something that is perfect for your school’s needs.

The downside? The application process.

There is a lot of competition for these grants, most of which require you to submit long, detailed applications to even be considered. This does have its benefits; it means you focus on the aim of the project, the problem it solves, and the results it will achieve. But finding the time in your busy schedule to complete the application can be a challenge.

Luckily, we can help. Our team has written grant applications for schools all over the country, securing millions of pounds in the process. If you would like to discuss the grants available to your school, contact Eduprise today.

There’s Only One Way to Find Out

School fundraising shouldn’t be a taboo subject, but most schools still find it difficult to advertise their need to raise money. The best school fundraisers are advertised as such; but they also highlight the benefits the money will have. You may be surprised by how many people are willing to commit to raising money for your school.

The only way to find out is to start planning your next fundraising activity.

The team at Eduprise works on fundraising projects with many schools. We help them raise money and draw attention to their fundraising activities. Our focus is the marketing of the fundraiser; increasing awareness and driving engagement. To learn more about our fundraising support for schools, visit our services page now.