Private School Fundraising Ideas That Work—Proven by Schools Like Yours

Private and independent schools need fundraising to ensure students receive a top education and have access to the resources they need to thrive in an educational environment. To be truly effective and make enough money to support the school, private school fundraising needs to go beyond the typical bake sales and car washes. Strong private school fundraising development plans are important to success. 

Unfortunately, like fundraising for any event, private school fundraising faces some challenges, including: 

• Limited resources: Fundraising with tight budgets and limited staff can be a challenge. 
• Decreased engagement: Donors may give early in the year but lose enthusiasm as the year goes on. 
• Rising costs: Rising costs in other areas must be balanced with fundraising. 
• Donor fatigue: Schools may hesitate to ask donors for money too often or get discouraged when participation is low. 
• Lack of strategy: Starting a fundraiser without a strategy can complicate all future school fundraisers. 
• Ineffective communication: Lack of experience in fundraising can lead to poor communication and underperforming fundraisers. (Graham-Pelton) 

So why is fundraising even necessary for private schools? The truth is that on average, tuition at private schools makes up about 84 percent of their annual budgets. However, when a school becomes over-reliant on tuition as the main budget source and enrollment decreases, the school’s ability to operate may be put into jeopardy. Effective fundraising for a private school can fill in the gaps. (Graham-Pelton) 

When it comeps to how these fundraisers look, this has changed post-pandemic. The pandemic shifted how the world worked and created a new normal, even when it comes to fundraising for private schools. This shift should cause private schools to look for alternatives to in-person fundraisers, not because they are no longer safe, but because offering a variety of giving opportunities is what creates success. The use of social media drives, challenges and information-sharing can help increase involvement when in-person events are costly or simply not possible. (Global Impact) And the student council can also play an important role in school activities and projects, including fundraisers to raise money for the school and its student population.

 Table of Contents 

• Building a Comprehensive Private School Fundraising Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide 
• Engaging Key Stakeholders: Parents, Alumni and Corporate Sponsors 
• Fundraising Events and Campaigns: Traditional Ideas with Modern Twists 
• Overcoming Donor Fatigue and Sustaining Long-Term Engagement 
• Data-Driven Fundraising: Using Technology and Analytics for Success 
• The Future of Private School Fundraising: Trends and Predictions 
• The Ultimate K-12 Fundraising Kit: 13 Essential Tools for Success

Building a Comprehensive Private School Fundraising Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide 

Private school fundraising development plans are key to creating successful fundraising events in whatever form you choose. While every school is unique in its resources and needs, there are several basic steps to improve your private school fundraising strategies: 

• Understand school fundraiser strategy tiers. Start by thinking about the ongoing or annual fundraising tasks the school conducts and ensure that short- and long-term needs occur harmoniously and support one another. 
• Audit current fundraising efforts. Identify which tiers you discovered are prioritized and review their performance. This creates a big-picture understanding and can reduce reliance on a single revenue stream. 
• Determine major campaign priorities. Look for big upcoming projects, like renovations or expansions that will need special attention over the course of a year or several years, and plan ahead. Take the opportunity to invest in fundraising infrastructure for immediate needs and future campaigns. 
• Review annual fundraising performance. Look into how effectively fundraising is serving as a revenue stream and find shortfalls, especially those that are constant. As you find good fundraising practices, work to take them to the next level for extras or to have in case of a tuition shortfall. 
• Review development performance. If your school does not already do so, try to solicit major gifts and build a continuous pipeline while maintaining relationships with your most influential donors. Consider a feasibility study to offer a deeper analysis. 
• Prioritize areas for improvement or investment. List all the improvements you want to make to your fundraising operations using the information you have gathered. Prioritize these improvements and make sure staff are trained to implement them. 
• Lay out a plan and timeline. Take the prioritized list and create a strategic plan and timeline to use as a roadmap to implement the needed changes, plan your objectives and keep things running smoothly. 
• Plan stand-alone events and mini-campaigns. Looking at the big picture, find spots where campaign events may be needed to fill in slow periods or gaps. These can be things like annual events, one-off sales, pledge-based fundraisers, concession stands or even things like a read-a-thon held over a break. 
• Implement, analyze and adjust. Put your plan into action by working through the prioritized list and timeline. Monitor it throughout the process and adjust it in real time as needed. (Redpath.com) 

Assessing Your School's Fundraising Needs and Opportunities 

Private school fundraising development plans require you to assess your school's fundraising needs and opportunities. This may sound overwhelming, but it's pretty straightforward. However, it may be time-consuming and will require help from a source who is knowledgeable about fundraising goals. Here are some focus areas when assessing these needs and setting clear goals. 

• Clearly define the mission. While most schools share a central purpose around facilitating learning, each has a different culture and community that affects the approach. Be clear on the mission so you can assess your actual needs. 
• Assess current needs. Discover what your school needs by focusing on what is most pressing. To do this, you need to evaluate current programs and resources to determineefficacy, gather feedback from parents and staff on potential ways of improving and then analyze your school’s performance data in academic areas to find where improvement is needed. Use a budgeting and analysis tool such as Excel or NBOA to help you understand needs. 
• Create fundraising goals. Set goals in these areas that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). (Peachjar.com) 
• Choose fundraisers. Now that the mission and goals are well-defined, choose fundraisers that reflect these areas and get started.  

As you go through the work of setting a mission and goals and choosing fundraisers, use tools along the way. Consider using a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as a way of strategic planning. (Investopedia) 

Engaging Key Stakeholders: Parents, Alumni and Corporate Sponsors 

The need for donors is obvious, but you must engage key stakeholders to gain new donors and retain those who have given in the past. This can include parents, alums, corporate sponsors and those who offer one-time or matching gifts. There are a few ways to do this, but the most important is to make it easy to donate. Here are a few ways to streamline the donation process to entice new donations and retain previous donors: 

• Prep your website for easy giving. People are more likely to give when donations are easy to make. Make sure you have a prominent DONATE button and simplify the process by creating minimal steps within a secure site with multiple payment options like PayPal, Venmo or credit and debit cards. 
• Educate new families about the giving culture. For families that are new to the school and those that are returning, make sure to offer information about the school’s culture of philanthropy. To educate families, make sure they understand how the school uses gifts and how to make a donation and see the value of previous gift giving through impact statements, success stories and progress reports. 
• Personalize email outreach. When sending emails, make them as personal as possible. Elementary school parents may not be as concerned about high school progress reports but will want to know about new playground equipment and how younger students are progressing. Incorporate photos, appreciative teacher testimonials and a clear call to action in each email that is specific to the donor. 
• Embrace social media. Social media can help you reach more parents, alums and potential donors than in previous generations. Harness the power of social media by offering regular updates about fundraising goals, giving initiatives and success stories that were made possible by previous gifts. This can encourage others to give and share. 
• Peer-to-peer fundraising. Because you are already getting parents, teachers and alums involved, use them as ambassadors by providing resources like social media to reach out to the wider community. Try social media challenges that can be recorded and shared, grade-level challenges or other ways that will help you reach your goal. 
• Promote recurring donations. A one-time gift is great, but a recurring gift is even better. Offer donors the option of giving recurring gifts with a simple click of a button on your website. 
• Recognize donor contributions. Donor recognition is one of the most important parts of donor retention. While it is best to ask before offering a public acknowledgment, a personalized email, video testimonial or letter can make donors feel special. If you need help creating heartfelt thank-you letters, check out our video detailing how to do this in just a few minutes using a free tool we built for organizations like yours. 

• Leverage website pop-ups. Website notifications can create effective last-minute reminders for potential donors. These can be triggered by time spent on a site or after scrolling. Find the balance between overwhelming viewers and being persuasive. (Finalsite.com) 

Maximizing Parent Involvement in Fundraising 

Private school fundraising aims to generate funds for what your school needs and wants. This can be a challenge for private schools that may be smaller than public schools. However, private schools tend to have parents who want to be involved in some way to get the best education possible for their students. Try getting parents involved beyond the traditional fundraising ideas. 

This starts with letting parents know what you need through weekly newsletters, updated websites and even PTA meetings. Next, be creative to get parents and extended families involved in different activities. Try digital volunteer initiatives or micro-donations toward a very specific goal. Schools, teachers, staff and children need support, so make it interesting. (Tedxmilehigh.com) For fresh new ideas on how to go beyond the ordinary, check out these PTA fundraising ideas. 

Fundraising Events and Campaigns: Traditional Ideas with Modern Twists 

Traditional fundraising ideas are great, but offering a new twist on a classic or moving to a new model can get people excited to donate. While there are hundreds of ways to create an event, we highlight a few here. Make sure you include the community and all grade levels for different events and have fun or create a challenge to meet a goal. 

• Bottle or Can Drive: Consider a bottle or can drive in states with a bottle deposit. Instead of the traditional year-long collection and concerns over storage space, try hosting a BBQ or potluck where families bring covered dishes and all the bottles or cans they can share. Give advance warning so families have time to collect. Make sure volunteers are present to take the items to the redemption center. 
• Family Sports Day: Creating a fun, active event that gets families and children of all ages involved at the school can be a great way to raise money. Charge an entry fee and have activities that work for different ages. Offer simple prizes for the winners. Creating an online registration option streamlines the process. (A family sports day would be great as a Spring fundraiser since the weather is milder.)
• Spirit Days: Spirit week or spirit days not only enhance school spirit but can raise money. Have students and teachers pay a nominal fee to dress in certain ways on a given day. This can be especially useful for schools with uniforms that want to offer a jeans day once a week or once a month. 
• Penny Drives: A penny drive is simple and helps people get rid of loose change. Create a challenge where each class has a penny jar, and those who raise the most get a pizza party or movie day. To add to the challenge, allow other classes to add silver coins to other rooms’ jars of, and that will be removed from the class’s penny count. This raises more money and adds to the fun. 
• Watch Events: Create a watch event for a major sporting event, the Oscars or other special event. Have participants pay to attend and watch the big event at the school or projected outdoors. Participants can bring snacks to share and enjoy a fun, cost-efficient activity as a family. This is a great time to sell school-related merchandise for extra funds. 
• Go Virtual: Hosting online events like online auctions, social media challenges or shared movies over Zoom can allow people to donate from the comfort of their homes while still being involved.  

For even more unique ideas with a twist, check out this guide on the 157 fundraising ideas we’ve seen from our work with thousands of schools. Vanco simplifies ticketing, registration and event management to make event coordination easier, whether in-person or online. Vanco can integrate seamlessly into any event that is being planned. Interested in learning more? Check out Julie’s story of how her school raised $16,000 from their first event using Vanco. 

Overcoming Donor Fatigue and Sustaining Long-Term Engagement 

Donor fatigue is defined as “a lessening of public willingness to respond generously to charitable appeals, resulting from the frequency of such appeals. (Oxford Languages Online Dictionary) Donor fatigue causes a decrease in donations to an organization. This can be a problem for private schools when tuition does not cover the yearly budget. There are clear signs of donor fatigue, including: 

• Lower donations 
• Declining email open rates 
• Lower click rates 

Donor fatigue can occur because donors feel unappreciated, unimportant or undervalued. (CatholicFundingGuide.com) According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, donor rate retention dropped from 43% in 2010 to just 38% in 2019, meaning long-term donor relations are struggling. (whydonate.com) This means it is important to reverse donor fatigue or prevent it altogether. 

Personalizing the Donor Experience 

To reduce donor fatigue, consider personalizing the donor experience. Some of the areas you can focus on include: 

• Examine your strategy. Review how often you are reaching out to donors for donations, but also just to show appreciation. Not every communication should ask for more funding. 
• Express gratitude. Thank donors in some way for every donation, no matter the size. This can be in a public forum, a video testimonial about the effects, a personalized letter or even a plaque recognizing larger donations toward a specific goal. 
• Send thoughtful appeals. When you send an appeal for a donation, be sure to address motivation. Target donors based on personal characteristics to help them feel more connected. Target criteria may include areas of interest, giving patterns or levels of giving. 
• Know your conors. The better you know your donors, the easier it is to meet their needs and ensure they feel fulfilled by giving. Keep records of personal communications to understand how they prefer to give and what prompts their donations. 
• Share positive impact. Instead of always focusing on the need, share positive impact statements about donations with donors. Catastrophic language can turn donors off, making them think they cannot make a real difference. (CatholicFundingGuide.com) 

Personalization can lead to larger donations and long-term donation retention. 

Data-Driven Fundraising: Using Technology and Analytics for Success 

Data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help you tailor your donor outreach to create more engaging campaigns and personalized messages. With accurate data, you can personalize messages, communication platforms and ask amounts while individualizing donor interactions. Gather this data by keeping detailed records from past fundraising campaigns and personal correspondence and measuring success rates for individual campaigns. (Resources.foundant.com) 

Predictive Analytics for Major Gifts and Campaigns 

Predictive AI uses algorithms and machine learning to analyze data and predict future outcomes. In fundraising, predictive AI can reveal which donors are most likely to make large contributions based on past behaviors, demographics, wealth indicators and other factors. (CCSFundraising.com) 

This analysis begins with data collection and organization. Set policies to eliminate unnecessary or inaccurate information by auditing your collection processes, then standardize the data input process to prevent non-standard entries. Finally, establish procedures to refresh data when you receive new information. (BWF.com) 

Tools to Help You Track Your Success and Save Time 

Fundraising or accepting payments of any kind can be overwhelming. Make the process easier with tools that streamline the process. RevTrak provides schools with robust data insights on payment processing and donor trends. This helps schools track and manage online payments from donations, event registrations, concession stand sales, merchandise sales and more, which can then be used to provide essential analytics to inform future strategies. 

The Future of Private School Fundraising: Trends and Predictions 

Private school fundraising is a necessity that will continue in the future. There are a few trends and predictions that can help guide your school in choosing the best options when it comes to receiving donations, including: 

• Less giving and higher inflation: In 2022, American charitable giving was down to its lowest level in 30 years, partly due to inflation. This is a two-fold problem, as inflation also limits the purchasing power of the donated funds. 
• AI use to increase donations: AI tools and predictive analysis are becoming commonplace to help schools tailor donation opportunities and target those most likely to give. 
• Fundraising automation: New and emerging technology tools can increase automation and eliminate repetitive tasks so humans are free to focus on the overall mission. This further streamlines the donation process, making giving easier. 
• Social media use: A social media presence is a must now and in the future. Social media allows for a broader reach and deeper relationships within and beyond the community. Up to 55% of individuals who engage with an organization online take some sort of action to make a difference, whether by donating time, money or making a purchase. 
• Generational power shifts: As leadership in organizations passes to the younger generations, fundraising should acknowledge this generational diversity. 
• Transparency: With all the opportunities to give, make sure your school is offering transparency and follow-up in financial management and project progress or completion. (LinkedIn.com) 

Vanco Events and RevTrak are aligned with the future of fundraising, particularly as digital and hybrid events continue to grow in popularity. As the future of private school fundraising becomes increasingly digital, we can help you easily manage hybrid events and digital donation campaigns with integrated analytics to optimize future efforts and provide needed help for families in meeting the requirements of private school billing and tuition payments. 

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• Prom and Homecoming guides with flyers, plus event checklists for flawless organization 
• Four inspirational video guides to keep generosity going all year 
• An in-depth guide on choosing the perfect platform for your school’s needs 

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