The smells of cookies, cakes, brownies, cupcakes and pie are tempting and hard for both children and adults to resist. Consider organizing a bake sale to raise funds for the PTA. Host bake sales before and after sporting, drama and musical events held at your child's school, as well as during back-to-school nights. Ask members of the PTA to donate baked goods that they prepare or purchase from the store. Check with your school to learn if there are any restrictions on selling home-baked goods.
Encourage students, teachers and staff to wear their wackiest hats to school. Charge students $1 to participate in wacky hat day, and charge teachers and staff $2. Advertise this fundraiser at least a week in advance so everyone has enough time to decide what hat they want to wear. Hold a contest and have students and staff vote on the wackiest hat. Use the money you collect towards the PTA.
Collect books from the community that cover a wide range of genres. Invite community members to drop the books off at the school or set up “drop spots” at area businesses. Give participating businesses bins their customers can use to donate their books. Gather all the donated books, separate them by genre and assign a price for each book. Invite members of the community, students and staff to browse the books and purchase ones they might enjoy. Donate leftover books to nearby shelters and day care centers.
Restaurant owners participate in fundraisers that allow groups to designate a night to their cause. When customers come into the restaurant, the participating group receives a percentage of the sales. Partner with an area restaurant to schedule a monthly fundraiser for your PTA. Ask the owner to donate between 5-10 percent to your organization. Invite parents, students, family and friends to visit the restaurant for dinner to contribute to your PTA group's fundraising efforts.