School Fundraising a Billion-Dollar Business - NonProfit PRO

School Fundraising a Billion-Dollar Business - NonProfit PRO: "The school year’s opening bell has yet to ring, and already a multitude of children are preparing to sell candy bars, cookie dough and coupon books.
School fundraising season is here, with children and their parents pitching family, friends and cornered co-workers to support everything from cheerleading competitions to new band uniforms."



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Not Very Giving - NYTimes.com

Not Very Giving - NYTimes.com: STANFORD, Calif. — AS school gets rolling across the country, many parents will be asked to make a large financial contribution to their children’s school. In Hillsborough, Calif., for example, parents receive a letter from the Hillsborough Schools Foundation in which the amount requested is $2,300 per child.

School fundraising grows up with mobile wallets, daily deals — Tech News and Analysis

School fundraising grows up with mobile wallets, daily deals — Tech News and Analysis: With the growth of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, services like Fundly, Razoo and Dibbee have made it easier for schools (and other nonprofits) to solicit donations from their communities online. But other startups are pitching schools with even more interesting fundraising models that take a page from the books of consumer e-commerce companies.

Mass. Bake Sale Ban: Apt Obesity Response or “Nanny State” Overreach? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Mass. Bake Sale Ban: Apt Obesity Response or “Nanny State” Overreach? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: Bake sales are somewhat de rigueur for small, largely volunteer community or charity organizations, including lots of school-oriented fundraisers. Kid-made cupcakes available for a quarter or half dollar are virtually ubiquitous as a means of generating a little money for school activities, the school band trip, the sports event, or books for the underfunded school library. Tell us when you haven’t come across a school bake sale and perhaps purchased a chocolate chip cookie or two.

In Massachusetts, however, the state is aiming to ban bake sales before, during, and after school as part of an effort to fight youth obesity

California Watch: Public schools increasingly rely on private donations | abc7news.com

California Watch: Public schools increasingly rely on private donations | abc7news.com: School foundations and PTAs used to raise money for the extras high-tech projectors and special field trips. But these days, private donations to schools have grown dramatically and are being used to prevent teacher layoffs, keep libraries open, and save music and foreign-language classes.

California K-12 foundations, PTAs and booster clubs raised about $1.3 billion in 2007, according to the most recent tax filings analyzed by the Public Policy Institute of California. That's up from $70 million in 1989, according to the institute.

Not just cutting check for schools, businesses are writing new lessons | StarTribune.com

Not just cutting check for schools, businesses are writing new lessons | StarTribune.com: Just cutting a check for a school doesn't cut it anymore for businesses.

In a significant shift away from "checkbook philanthropy," corporations in Minnesota and nationwide are not merely writing checks but are helping to write curriculums for schools, design or teach classes and train principals.

Where private foundations award education cash - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Where private foundations award education cash - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: "The analysis, the first comprehensive examination of philanthropy activity in this area, showed that the biggest chunk of the money — 38 percent — went to teacher recruitment, while 22 percent was spent on professional development, 14 percent on teacher preparation and less than 10 percent for everything else."

Shrinking budgets forcing teams to be creative with postseason trips | Varsity Extra: High School Sports | Idaho Statesman

Shrinking budgets forcing teams to be creative with postseason trips | Varsity Extra: High School Sports | Idaho Statesman: "But as Idaho’s school districts deal with budget cuts from the state legislature and mixed results in local levy elections, it’s possible for some officials to see a time when a qualifying team wouldn’t participate at state championship events.

“I could foresee a team at some point saying we’re not going to state because we can’t afford it,” Capital athletic director Steve Sosnowski said."

Record-breaking strut � Blount Today

Record-breaking strut � Blount Today: "The Parent Teacher Organization at Sam Houston Elementary will be fulfilling a lot of teachers’ wishes after students raised a record amount of more than $30,000 at the annual Smokies Strut."

Merritt Island High's alumni donation a $3 million surprise | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com

Merritt Island High's alumni donation a $3 million surprise | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com: "The 485 students who graduated that year donated at least $3.1 million -- yes that's right, $3.1 million -- to the Brevard Schools Foundation. It was made possible largely thanks to a single donor, who the foundation said insisted on anonymity."

Schools find new revenue source in foundations, non profits and corporations | mycentraljersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com

Schools find new revenue source in foundations, non profits and corporations | mycentraljersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com: "SOUTH PLAINFIELD — A weakened economy has taught community supporters of New Jersey's public schools a sobering lesson: If they want extras or pet projects to continue, they'll probably have to look beyond taxpayers to do it."

Philanthropists join to focus on best way to help schools - CharlotteObserver.com

Philanthropists join to focus on best way to help schools - CharlotteObserver.com: "Foundation for the Carolinas announced today the formation of a committee to explore the most effective and appropriate role for the philanthropic giving to play in the community’s quest to achieve key school system goals.

“This effort is an extraordinary opportunity for the private sector to deepen its support for public education,” said Catherine Bessant, the foundation’s governing board chair and a senior Bank of America executive."

Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation announces $100,000 donation in fundraising campaign - AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation announces $100,000 donation in fundraising campaign - AnnArbor.com: "While it's unlikely the foundation will meet its goal, it announced a $100,000 donation from the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop today and said it's working on a $50,000 matching grant. In total, the campaign has raised $300,000 and will wrap up July 31.

“I think we have made a great first foray into major gift fundraising for private funding of public education in Ann Arbor,” Executive Director Wendy Correll said, adding AAPSEF usually brings in about $200,000 annually."

More than 1,000 ready to participate in Craven Relay for Life | participate, ready, craven - Local - ENCToday

More than 1,000 ready to participate in Craven Relay for Life | participate, ready, craven - Local - ENCToday: "Hopes are high for this week’s annual Craven County Relay for Life, with a record number of participants, increased corporate sponsorship and a fundraising goal that is halfway home.

The two-day event is Friday and Saturday at Grover C. Fields Middle School, with 100 teams and 1,152 participants registered."

Cutten parents resurrect fundraising foundation - SGVTribune.com

Cutten parents resurrect fundraising foundation - SGVTribune.com: "A parent-based foundation that once supported Cutten School District was recently resurrected as that campus faces another year of budget cuts.

The Cutten Ridgewood Student Foundation currently involves about 50 parents along with some school staff, and was released from its 15-year dormancy a few weeks ago to help fill the district's budget gap of $150,000. Consistent state budget cuts and the recent downturn in the economy has left schools across the state scrambling to rearrange their finances and make cuts."

Nonprofits merge to help schools - NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA

Nonprofits merge to help schools - NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA: "hough federal dollars for that initiative dried up long ago, 20 years after it inception NEBC has continued to thrive past the livelihood of its contemporaries. While it plans to continue its mission for the next 20 years and beyond, the NEBC recently decided its programs would be better served working under the nonprofit umbrella of the Newburyport Education Foundation, which raises tens of thousands of dollars to supplement programs at the city's schools.

The merger will allow the NEBC to spend less time fundraising and more time identifying and building partnerships that help Newburyport kids gain valuable experience in the real world prior to graduation."

United Way winds down with large donations - The Londoner - Ontario, CA

United Way winds down with large donations - The Londoner - Ontario, CA: "With this year's United Way campaign drawing to a close a trio of organizations made significant donations to the fundraising effort this past week.

Last Monday the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) announced a record $337,336 donation to the United Way agencies of Elgin-St. Thomas, London-Middlesex and Oxford – with United Way of London and Middlesex receiving $232, 361."

Fundraising in recession tests area's private colleges | The Columbus Dispatch

Fundraising in recession tests area's private colleges | The Columbus Dispatch: "Kenyon College has raised more than two-thirds of its $230 million goal at a time when many other schools are scrambling to make up for pledges that have fallen through because of the lousy economy.

'Everyone was worried about the economy,' President S. Georgia Nugent said, 'but I don't think we had a single prospective donor say, 'No, I can't make a gift' or 'It will take me a little longer.' '"

Nonprofits cling to creative strategies in recession - Living - MiamiHerald.com

Nonprofits cling to creative strategies in recession - Living - MiamiHerald.com: "More casual cocktail parties, fewer black tie galas. Old-school coin canisters at checkout counters to help supplement dwindling corporate donations. And a renewed emphasis on the friends-and-family plan for bringing in cash.

In the new economy, South Florida's nonprofit community is retooling its fundraising approach with creative thinking and a return to grassroots work."

Terre Haute News, Terre Haute, Indiana- TribStar.com - ISU receives ‘one of the largest philanthropic gifts from a private individual in school history’

Terre Haute News, Terre Haute, Indiana- TribStar.com - ISU receives ‘one of the largest philanthropic gifts from a private individual in school history’: "The ISU Foundation is making the recommendation. The gift “is one of the largest philanthropic gifts from a private individual in school history,” said Gene Crume, foundation president. The announcement comes as the university prepares to launch the public phase of its comprehensive March On! fundraising campaign."