5 School Fundraiser Mistakes to Avoid

School fundraising mistakes are inevitable, but they’re also valuable lessons on what not to do in the future. However, with a little awareness, it’s possible to avoid the most common slip-ups. So, what can you do to evade school fundraising mistakes and ensure your next charity event is a resounding success?

Knowledge is the key to navigating common pitfalls. Campaign execution is hard work, and the last thing you want is to see your initiatives flop due to preventable setbacks. This piece highlights the five most common school fundraising mistakes and how to avoid them, ensuring your efforts are met with success and meaningful contributions.

#1 Lack of Event Planning and Organization

A common school fundraising mistake, especially with newer groups, is poor planning and organization. This oversight can lead to chaos and confusion on the day of, plus missed opportunities to reach your target audience. The usual cause is last-minute rushing without having clear ideals, timelines, budgets, or clearly defined volunteer roles. Additionally, not leveraging digital tools might also hinder efficiency and coordination among your group.

The solution: Start early, brainstorm ideas with your team, delegate tasks, and set up clear communication channels. Use digital tools for better efficiency and coordination.

Six popular digital tools that assist school fundraising campaign management include: 

1. Communication platforms: Real-time messaging, Microsoft Teams, Slack
2. Project management software: Trello, Asana, or Monday.com
3. Online fundraising platforms: Donorbox, DonorsChoose, GoFundMe
4. Event planning software: Givebutter, OneCause, ePly
5. Social media platforms: Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram
6. Email marketing tools: Mailchimp, Constant Contact

The best digital tools for your organization will depend on specific needs, budget, and the technical ability of your users. Even the fee-based platforms will have free trials, so try a few out for size to see which ones your team prefers.

#2 Serving Alcohol When You Really Shouldn’t

Serving alcohol might seem like a good strategy for enticing parents and loosening purse strings at fundraisers. Nonetheless, it’s never a good idea unless it’s an adults-only event, and even then, you may need a special license. Another consideration is community perception. The sale of alcohol poses significant legal, safety, and ethical concerns. Moreover, the school risks liability for alcohol-related incidents. Remember, your school’s mission is to foster positive student development, and alcohol plays no part in that.

Be mindful that alcohol consumption also increases the probability of accidents, injuries, and risky behaviors. These things can lead to individual harm, damage to property, and reputational damage to the school community.

The solution: If it’s an adult-only event and you want to serve alcohol, check local regulations, obtain the required permits, and prioritize safety. Even if you have alcohol liability insurance, it becomes invalid if you fail to comply. Better still, ditch the booze. Choose fun-filled fundraising activities instead to protect attendees, avoid lawsuits, and build trust.

#3 Pursuing High-Risk Activities

High-risk activities like extreme sports demonstrations, mechanical bull rides, bounce houses, and trampolines are appealing to school fundraisers. But try to look beyond the allure of excitement and attention these attractions offer. Every high-risk activity comes with increased safety concerns, potential legal liabilities, and negative publicity risks.

Accidents can trigger lawsuits, causing not only financial burdens but also reputational damage to your club. Even with insurance, there will be a list of what’s covered and excluded at fundraising events, so always check your policy.

The solution: Instead of pursuing risky activities, focus more on safe and engaging school fundraising methods, such as the examples listed below.

#4 Intricate Fundraisers Without Proper Support

The fourth school fundraising mistake is planning intricate events or activities without the right resources and support. This lack of foresight can affect your group’s well-being and thwart your event’s success. Examples of complex, creative fundraising ideas are hybrid and themed events like murder mystery dinners and escape rooms. These activities take considerable planning. Large-scale functions like school carnivals and charity auctions are also complex and require extensive organizing and a potential overreliance on volunteers.

But don’t let the negatives put you off. Intricate fundraisers can be lucrative when done right. Your success relies on how thoroughly you prepare, strong volunteer support, and setting realistic expectations. The most common school fundraising mistake is to move forward without covering these bases. 

The solution: Consider the challenges involved and include relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process. The secret is to make sure your strategies and proposed execution align with your group’s available resources, commitment, and capabilities.

#5 Overlooking the Importance of Event Insurance

All parent-teacher groups should secure the right event insurance before organizing fundraisers. Without it, there could be financial losses, legal liabilities, reputational damage, and other risks. For example, recruiting volunteers for your fundraisers could be difficult without the right coverage. Another potential setback is not being able to secure venues that require insurance for holding events.

The solution: Get insured without delay! It’s more affordable than uninsured groups think. AIM’s event insurance starts at only $65/yr. If you can’t justify that because you don’t hold many fundraising events, there’s the option ofsingle-event coverage. Insurance for parent-teacher groups also offers peace of mind as well as protection.

School Fundraising Mistakes: Key Takeaways

Successfully navigating school fundraisers requires an awareness of the potential pitfalls. Your group’s organizers should know what proactive measures to take to evade or reduce the risk of common issues. The five school fundraiser mistakes outlined in this guide make it easy to avoid these blunders now that you know what they are.

Your group will quickly become more efficient at organizing school fundraising campaigns and raising much-needed money by embracing these six principles:

1. Plan and organize early
2. Learn from past mistakes
3. Prioritize knowledge
4. Seek support from volunteers at every stage
5. Give precedence to safety and legal compliance
6. Adapt and innovate, be open to new ideas

Embracing these six principles in your fundraising efforts will help you identify and address potential pitfalls as they happen. Remember to analyze the outcomes to measure successes and avoid future letdowns. Parent-teacher groups that don’t track miss out on valuable insights for future fundraisers and, worse, risk repeating the same mistakes over and over. 

Further Reading: Expand Your Knowledge

Boost your expertise further with our curated collection of blogs! We’ve categorized them into Fundraising, Group Management, and Insurance for your convenience. Whether you’re looking for ideas and tips for successful fundraising strategies, effective team communication techniques, or insurance options, we’ve got you covered.

Fundraising Tips for PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs

• 5 Last-Minute Holiday Fundraising Ideas for Schools
• 7 Music Booster Club Fundraising Ideas That Hit the Right Note
• 8 Summer Fundraising Ideas for Booster Clubs
• 9 Holiday Fundraising Ideas for Booster Clubs
• AIM’s 2020 Holiday Event and Fundraising Guide for Parent Teacher Groups
• Booster Club Fundraising Incentives to Help Raise More Funds
• Event Planning Checklist & Tips for the Perfect Event
• Four Steps to a Successful PTA, PTO or Booster Club Event
• Fun and Profitable Summer Booster Club Fundraising Ideas
• Fun Fall Activities for Parent Organizations to Plan
• How to Plan Your Next Fall Carnival
• How to Plan Your Next Fun Run or Jog-A-Thon Fundraiser
• Prepping for a Silent Auction? Here’s What You Should Know
• Spring Fundraiser Ideas for Schools and Parent Teacher Groups
• Top Five Fundraising Ideas for your PTA, PTO and Booster Club
• Viral Fundraising Challenge Ideas for Schools and Parent Teacher Groups

Group Management

• 10 Volunteer Recognition Ideas for Parent-Teacher Groups
• 6 Tips to Help Your Booster Club Organize & Thrive
• Booster Club Email Newsletter Tips
• Booster Club Membership Recruiting Tips
• Booster Club Social Media Ideas and Needs for Success
• Booster Clubs: Everything You Need to Know About Running One
• How Can Social Media Affect Your Organization?
• How to Mix Your Parent Group and Alcohol
• How to Remedy Your Parent Volunteer Recruitment Issues
• Increase Booster Club Membership This Summer
• Increase Male Engagement in Your Parent-Teacher Group
• Need more parent volunteers? Try these 6 ways…
• Resources to Help PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs Succeed
• Your End-of-the-Year Parent Teacher Group Checklist

Insurance Related

• Does a Booster Club Need Insurance?
• Don’t Limit Your Fundraising Event Fun, Use One Day Event Insurance
• Everything You Need to Know About Single Event Insurance
• Fall Carnival Mishaps That Could Cost Your Parent Teacher Group
• Fall Carnivals Insurance Coverage Presentation
• Fun Run Fundraisers and PTA, Booster Club, or PTO Insurance
• Ideas and Insurance Answers for Your Fall Festival or Carnival
• Is your PTO, PTA or Booster Club event fully covered?
• One Day Event Insurance vs. Annual Event Insurance
• Upcoming Fundraising Event? Don’t limit your fun!