The 2020-2021 school year is already proving to be a challenging one. School administrators, teachers, and parents are scrambling to make changes for this atypical school year. Many PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs are feeling the uncertainty of the year as well. No place is that more apparent than when it comes to 2020-2021 fundraising.
Many schools with limited budgets are making big changes to create safe learning environments for students. They are looking to the school’s parent teacher groups to help them with crucial funds for the 2020-2021 school year. The only problem is many parent teacher organization fundraisers aren’t safe to hold due to health concerns. Many parent teacher groups are looking for alternative fundraiser ideas, especially virtual events. Here are 9 Parent Teacher Fundraiser Ideas for 2020-2021.
In-Person Parent Teacher Fundraising Events
While many in-person fundraising events like carnivals, cook offs, and door-to-door sales are off the menu, there are still many in-person fundraisers your parent teacher group can safely do.
Coin or Recycling Drive
Holding a coin or recycling drive at your school is a good way to get parents and students involved. Collecting coins or empty cans in a freestanding receptacle reduces the amount of person to person contact for your event. You can make the fundraiser even safer by using an automatic coin sorter to reduce coin handling. One of the pros of this type of fundraiser is you can run it for weeks or months at a time.
Food Truck Friday
Sometimes referred to as a food truck rodeo, this event invites local food trucks to park around an open location and serve food and drinks to hungry kids and parents. You can space the food trucks and provide line markers to maintain social distancing. It’s a great way to get the community involved and spend some time outside with the family. This can be a one-time event or a recurring event so long as weather permits. For an extra bonus, consider selling tickets for purchasing food and drinks beforehand.
Outdoor Movie
Projecting a movie on an outdoor screen or building is a great way to have an in-person event that allows families to spread out and follow distancing guidelines. You can sell tickets to the event and concessions for an added bonus. If you’re concerned a loud PA system might upset the neighbors, you can try an FM transmitter so moviegoers can listen to the movie through portable radios.
Fun Runs & A-thons
Fun runs are a very popular fundraiser and continue to be in the 2020-2021 school year. You can take precautions like breaking the event into smaller groups with staggered start times. You can also try a different a-thon like bicycling or swimming. These a-thons necessitate more space between participants.
Some PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs are taking their fun runs virtual. Phones can easily be used as pedometers and mileage can be tracked with many smartphone apps. Allowing participants to run individually and track their progress together online. This means you can make your fun run, bike-a-thon, or other a-thon an ongoing event.
Virtual Parent Teacher Fundraising Events
One thing to consider during the 2020-2021 school year is many parents are not yet comfortable participating in an in-person event. Especially if you are considering a Fall fundraiser, an in-person event may be leaving money on the table if people are too worried to attend. The good news is that while virtual events may be new for your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club, they’re no more difficult than running an in-person event.
Online Auction
This is often the first type of fundraiser that comes to mind when people think of virtual fundraising. An online auction can be an easy and effective way to raise funds for your school. You can go low-tech by hosting a video of the items for auction and allowing people to call in or text their bids. Or, you can use one of the many digital auction services to help you run a live online auction. Here are three service partners that can help you run your online auction.
Service Day
This is one of the auctions you can perform online. Unlike auctioning items, members of your parent group or school staff can offer their time and expertise as an auction item. Be mindful what you allow as an auction item can be performed with appropriate social distancing. Service Day auction items can include services like lawn care, babysitting, even a home-cooked dinner for two.
Clip & Save Fundraiser
A clip and save fundraiser is the perfect way to raise funds for your school with a minimal amount of administration and person-to-person contact. Many parent teacher groups take part in these fundraisers every year. Box Tops for Education is the most well-known clip and save fundraiser and has done away with both the clipping and saving. If you download the Box Tops mobile app, you can scan your receipts to automatically count participating items.
Digital Sales Fundraiser
The restrictions of the 2020-2021 school year have put traditional product sales fundraisers on the back burner. However, there are many product sales fundraisers that run online. Many of the usual suspects are included in online sales, including packaged foods, gift wrap, even cookie dough. There are also alternative online sales ideas, like running an online book fair for your school.
Online Casino/Game Night
While an in-person casino night fundraisers would be ill-advised, a virtual casino night can help parents and teacher enjoy a little adult-themed entertainment in a safe way. If your group isn’t interested in a gambling theme, or want to involve students, consider running an online game tournament. With all the participants competing for a grand prize and bragging rights.
Checklist for Virtual Fundraiser Success
For many PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs this is the first time they have considered running a virtual event. The process can be nerve-wracking. But, here is an eight-step checklist to making your virtual fundraiser a success.
- Keep the WHY of your fundraiser at the forefront
- Choose an event type your participants will love
- Start planning sooner rather than later
- Follow federal, state, and local laws
- Engage online attendees through audience participation
- Make it easy to donate for multiple payment methods
- Have current insurance coverage
- Practice a dry run before the event
Insurance Coverage for the 2020-2021 School Year
Right now, we’re receiving a lot of questions from PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs about what insurance coverage they need for the 2020-2021 school year and if they even need coverage.A shift away from in person events and toward virtual events may pose slightly less risk in many cases, however it in no way eliminates risk.
Our most frequent claims fall under Embezzlement coverage and General Liability, which holds true even in the current pandemic. It should be noted that we see a correlation between the economy, unemployment rate, and the level of embezzlement claims we process. With many families struggling to make ends meet due to COVID-19 circumstances it’s especially important you protect your group’s funds.
Another increased liability risk during COVID-19 is in regards to the decisions your directors and officers are making. Directors and Officers Liability protects your group from lawsuits for “wrongful acts.”’ It may include the decision on what type of fundraiser to have or managerial decisions made by your group’s officers.
Virtual Event Insurance Coverage
With some parent teacher groups not holding in-person events they wonder if they need general liability or event insurance. It may seem like there are fewer hazards in holding a virtual event but if a virtual participant is injured in their home during your virtual event or at your direction, your group may still be liable. Additionally, General Liability coverage also extends medical payments to volunteers which would be a great benefit if someone is hurt prepping for a virtual event or fundraiser.
Personal Property Insurance Coverage
Even virtual events require fundraising supplies. If you are preparing for an online auction or casino night you will need prizes and auction items. Property insurance covers your fundraising supplies and can cover your organization’s personal property that are in your care, custody and control like computers, health and sanitation supplies, and more. This coverage protects your group’s supplies from fire, theft, and vandalism, which can happen even if the supplies are in storage.
If you keep your mind open to what events are possible and follow the 8-step checklist your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club can make the 2020-2021 school year a success. For a quick look at what is and is not covered by AIM see the Playlist of Events. You can also check our FAQ Page for more coverage information. Make sure to follow AIM on social media and share your 2020-2021 fundraiser pictures with us!