Develop a simple idea to organize your event around. For instance, a school carnival is one of the more common and simple events to organize. School carnivals can consist of both simple and elaborate games, raffles and rides. The carnival itself can have its own theme also. For instance, a fall festival or a spring celebration can provide suitable themes for school carnivals.
Recruit older students to help with the promotional effort. Jim Berigan, of Top School Fundraisers, notes that older students are the best promotional tool you have at your disposal. Older students are perceived as "cool" by younger students who look up to them and want to be like them. If your older students are convinced that attending the school fundraiser is a good idea, the little kids will be also; little children can be very persuasive in convincing their parents of the need to attend the fundraiser.
Offer a product or service that the community needs. This product or service should be unique in order to eliminate as much competition as possible. Fundraiser Help suggests an ink cartridge recycling program as one possible avenue to make money. Cartridges can be worth up to $20 each and you can simply take them off the hands of local businesses and individuals who may have otherwise thrown them away.
Analyze your costs carefully. It's easy to fall into the trap of buying expensive concession-stand foods or promotional materials that can cut into your profit margin. Avoid incurring unnecessary costs and stick to the primary task at hand--raising money. Most parents and members of the community don't need extra incentives to entice them to provide a little extra cash for the school. Keep it simple.
Recruit the school board or other administration officials to participate or oversee the fundraiser. In some school districts, fundraisers have to be regulated by school administrators if they are expected to raise a certain amount of money. Recruiting administrators to oversee the fundraiser can eliminate some of the unnecessary stress that you might otherwise feel from trying to handle every aspect of the fundraiser on your own.