How to Advertise a School Fundraiser | Booster

Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or a newbie, last minute panic is a common fear, especially if you’re unsure how to advertise a fundraiser. Will everything go off without a hitch? Will people actually show up, participate and most importantly, DONATE?! 

In this blog, you’ll learn more about: 

• Online Ways to Advertise Your Fun Run
• Traditional Ways to Spread the Word
• What to Do After Your Fun Run

Calm Last Minute Panic by Knowing How to Advertise a Fundraiser

Marketing is the key to school fundraising success. No matter how great your event is, it won’t be a success if no one knows about it. Gain confidence in how to advertise a fundraiser with these tips to squash last-minute panic. 

Identify Where to Advertise Your Fundraiser

Society is busy and we are all constantly inundated with messages. In order to stand out and get your message heard, you will need to reach out to people many different times on a variety of communication channels. 

Social Media. The platform your school typically communicates on is the best place to start, whether that’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or another social media channel altogether. 

Flyers sent home with students. Print advertising is not dead! Give families something to hang on their refrigerator with the information you want them to have close at hand. Maybe that’s the fundraiser start date, how to log into your fundraising platform, or pictures of all the awesome prizes students can earn.

School Announcements. Teachers often read the school announcements to their class. They are frequently also posted on the school website for parents to see. So this is a good spot to communicate with teachers, students, and parents all at the same time. 

Flyers at local businesses. Bop around to gas stations, libraries and other high-traffic businesses and ask if you can hang a flyer on their bulletin board with information about how people can donate to their local school. Consider including a scannable QR code for easy donating.

Ask a local newspaper, television, or radio station to cover your event. Everyone loves a feel-good story, especially in this day and age. What could be more adorable and “feel-good” than a bunch of kids finally together at school running around having fun? If news outlets pick up your story, it’s a great way to get free, quality advertisement. 

Email newsletter. You should always make it a point to gather email addresses from the students’ parents so you have this avenue to quickly and effectively communicate. A fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to put those email addresses to good use for your school.

School texting system. Make use of your schools text notification service at key points in your fundraiser. For example, as your fundraiser kicks off, remind all parents to sign up online and make a donation. As your fundraiser is wrapping up, send out a message updating parents on where you are with your fundraising goal, reminding them how the fundraiser will benefit their student, and asking for donations before the date the fundraiser ends.

Know How to Advertise a Fundraiser BEFORE the Event

The time leading up to your fundraiser is key to building momentum and excitement for your event. Think of it as a snowball effect. You start out small when your event date is still a ways in the future. Then keep it gradually increasing until the week of your event when your marketing efforts grow from a tiny snowball to a full-sized snowman. 

Start with a few sneak peeks. Did you find the right school fundraising company [link to blog about benefits of working with a school fundraising company] to work with? Share about the company’s fundraising theme for the year, and how the company will make this fundraiser the best ever for students!

When you choose a date for the fundraiser, make a splash with “Save the Date” messaging. Let people know how excited your school is for all the fun and support that’s about to happen and ask them to keep a lookout for more information to come soon. 

As your fundraiser gets closer, share pictures or videos of smiling students and highlight how excited they are for the upcoming fundraiser and especially the project or equipment it will fund. The week of your event, take pictures as the school fundraising company transforms your school into an awesome fundraising venue. 

Recognize How to Advertise a Fundraiser DURING the Event. 

Throughout the week and on the day of your event, assign someone to be responsible for posting pictures and updates as you make the final preparations for your fundraiser and it begins. 

Capture up-close shots of fun items and get pictures of students smiling and having fun! Post these pictures in live time with a link where people can donate. Make sure to save these photos in a safe spot for next year. They will be perfect to share before your event to get people excited for another fun time! 

Throughout the fundraiser, post live updates with the level of donations you have received. Good fundraising software like Booster Tech will let you run reports in real time. Make sure to thank people for their generosity with every post and include a link where others can donate. 

Understand How to Advertise a Fundraiser AFTER the Event

After your fundraiser, highlight event sponsors and give them added exposure associated with the huge success of your fundraiser. The goal is to give your sponsors as much publicity as possible so it’s an easy “yes” for them when you ask if they will sponsor your event next year.

Post a cute picture of the kids having fun at your event along with a thank you message to all sponsors mentioning they played a key role in helping you reach your fundraising goals. Make sure to tag sponsors whenever possible. This ensures they see the post in a timely manner so they can share it and gain even more positive publicity for your school and their business. 

Do a thank you campaign with pictures and videos of students, teachers and administration holding hand-written thank you signs. Invite parents to share these posts with family and friends who donated to help show their appreciation.

Send a press release to local newspapers detailing the success of your fundraiser, what the donations will be used to purchase, and listing your sponsors. Don’t forget to include a cute picture of students having fun at the fundraiser! 

Once the fundraiser donations are spent, get more fun pictures of what was funded and share them thanking everyone, once again, for their generous support. People love to see what their money was used for, and this will help increase donations even more in the future. 

Be Confident You Know How to Advertise a Fundraiser

Congratulations! With these tips, you will look like a marketing genius. When last minute panic rises up in your heart, calm your nerves with confidence. You know how to advertise a fundraiser, and with the right marketing everything will turn out great! Get started today!