Shift in school-fundraising? Garbage bags better than candy or magazines

Michael Nilsen, spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, says there's no clear answer, but the best approach is probably "a mix," such as a letter physically sent home with an option to mail back, followed by an email reminder with an online payment option. He added that because online sites charge different fees for various services, the right one depends on the group's needs.

For example, PayPal takes a 2.2 percentage fee for donations to registered charities, plus a 30-cent transaction fee, so if a parent donates $100, the PTA gets $97.50. Razoo.com charges 4.9 percent, so the PTA only gets $95.10 from $100, but Razoo also provides easily customized websites, social media integration, video thank-yous and email confirmations for tax-deductible donations. Melissa Panszi-Riebe, former PTA president of Burroughs Community School in Minneapolis, said Razoo helped the school raise $90,000 by making it easy for the 800 kids to send out invitations and thank-yous for read-a-thon pledges.

"People knew that a percentage was being taken out and asked why should we do online giving if we can give a straight check?" Panszi-Riebe recalled. "We said you can still give a check if you're more comfortable doing it." But because there were out-of-state givers like grandparents, she thinks more people donated online than would have if they'd had to "write a check, find a stamp and mail it."

EVENTS

Many schools host tried-and-true fundraising events throughout the year – bake sales and raffles any time there's a crowd in school, whether for Election Day, concerts or parent-teacher night. Other events are more labor intensive: Carnivals require volunteers to run games and activities. Auctions need committees to solicit donations, track bids and arrange delivery and payment.

In San Francisco, the Alvarado Elementary School's annual scavenger hunt has a high-tech spin: Teams get lists of clues, then use cellphones to photograph answers as they scour their neighborhoods. Teams pay to participate but most money raised comes from corporate sponsors making donations in exchange for having their names attached to the event.

Beth Sperber has organized a variety of fundraisers for the three Manhattan public schools her son has attended – everything from sales of donated used books and CDs, to bake sales and talent shows, to sales of "spirit wear" – bags, hoodies, T-shirts and other apparel bearing the school name. She's also hosted jewelry sales in her home where designers come in person to offer unique items, priced $20 to $200, then give the school 35 percent or more of their sales.

Judy Antell of Brooklyn, N.Y., has hosted three or four "house parties" for the high school her three daughters attended. Since parents of teens spend very little time at kids' schools, the parties were conceived partly as a way for parents to socialize. Tickets were $25 to $50, with parties hosted in neighborhoods around the city on different nights.

Lorraine Esposito helps organize an annual "Night of Rock" event to fund a teen center in Scarsdale, N.Y. A number of parents there happen to work in the entertainment industry and put on a first-class show at a local bar with a stage. Esposito says it's important to find a theme that's a good fit, whether it's a 4H-style fair in a rural area or a ski night in a mountain town.

And as with most fundraisers, Esposito said, the money raised is only part of it: "It's really about building community."

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