4 Easy School Fundraisers for PTA, PTO, and Sports Teams That Work
Sep 23rd 2020
Raising money for your school or team can be difficult during this time of social distancing, but there are some tried-and-true fundraisers that still work.
Trying to plan and organize a school fundraiser nowadays can be daunting, since COVID-19 has changed so many aspects of school in general. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, there are still effective ways to raise funds for your school.
In recent years, several companies have emerged that specialize in school and sports team fundraising. Many of them include elaborate websites that require students, parents, and their relatives to create logins to donate.
Some of these programs are fantastic but if you are looking for easy, tried-and-true fundraisers for your school, try these simple options:
- Car Magnets
Promoting school spirit - both on campus and off - is a great way to bolster your fundraising efforts. While students may not be attending classes in person, they and their families are still going out for essentials, and car magnets are a great way to show school or team spirit everywhere they go. While Circle Car Magnets are definitely the most popular shape, there are a wide variety of options available including Oval Car Magnets, Square Car Magnets, Rectangle Car Magnets, and even Custom Shaped Car Magnets.
Fundraising car magnets are an economical item for schools or teams to purchase directly from the school, through their PTA / PTO, club, or team because the profit margins are immense.
Custom car magnets are often sold for $5 - $10 each which can generate a very nice return on your investment!
The numbers speak for themselves. Car magnets are a simple fundraiser that anyone can afford with an incredible return on investment to raise funds for your school.
Bumper Stickers / Decals
Bumper stickers aren’t a new concept, but there are some new uses for them that make this a fantastic fundraiser for your school, team, or PTA / PTO. Bumper stickers aren’t just for bumpers anymore. These high-quality vinyl stickers can be placed on rear windshields, computers / laptops, windows, doors, and can be made as a decal or removable cling.
Here are just a few school fundraiser ideas for bumper stickers / high quality vinyl decals:
- School Spirit Bumper Stickers
- Booster Club Decals
- Team Spirit Decals
- PTA / PTO Support Decals
- School Spirit Laptop Decals
- Proud Parent Decals
- Class of 2021 Decals
They come in the traditional Rectangle Bumper Sticker shape but can also be ordered in a variety of decal shapes and sizes including Square, Circle, Oval, or Custom Shape, all of which can be easily removed from vehicles and are guaranteed to be weatherproof for a minimum of 2 years - though they typically last much longer.
Pricing on vinyl bumper stickers varies depending on the number of ink colors used, size/shape, and the quantity selected.
For example, 500 quantity 3” square decals printed with 2 colors can be purchased for roughly $0.65 each while a traditional 3” x 10” bumper sticker would be closer to $1. Both can be sold as a fundraiser for $5 - $10 each. This would turn your initial investment of roughly $325 - $500 into $2,500 - $5,000 once all of the bumper stickers are sold. That’s a return of 500% - over 1,500% on your initial investment!
3. Plastic Discount Cards
Plastic Discount Cards may require a bit more legwork to get started, but it can definitely pay off when it comes to raising funds for your school. Discount cards are an incredible fundraiser that can be used to support your school, team, or PTO / PTA. Students & parents can purchase these discount cards that offer coupons to local businesses and vendors. This will raise money for your school while also saving your supporters hundreds of dollars on things like take out, services, and other novelties.
Start by finding local businesses and vendors who would be willing to offer a discount of 10% or more to anyone who presents the discount card to the business. It will be a fantastic way to earn money for your fundraising campaign, help your community’s local businesses gain new customers without spending money on expensive advertising, and save your supporters some cash on things they would have purchased anyway. Best of all - the card will expire each year so this is a fundraiser you can do annually.
Plastic discount cards are typically sold for $5 - $15 each and are often associated with PTA / PTO membership or as part of an athletic fundraiser. Some companies skimp on quality with their discount cards so be sure to purchase plastic discount cards that are the same size and thickness as a credit card, and can be fully customized with your school logo and all of the discounts being offered.
As far as pricing goes, 500 plastic cards with full color printed on both sides can run about $0.95 per card. This would mean that an initial $475 investment would bring in $2,500 - $7,500 once all cards are sold. That’s a HUGE return on investment!
4. School Spirit T-Shirts
School Spirit T-Shirts are another very popular fundraiser for schools, teams, and PTA / PTOs. There are a couple of different strategies that can be used when it comes to school shirt fundraisers.
One option is to pre-purchase a wide variety of colors and sizes that you will hold in inventory and sell throughout the year. These are popular with in-person events or schools with bookstores. They can be huge moneymakers but keep in mind that you may be left with unsold shirts. Another option is to announce and market a special t-shirt event and set a deadline for when the orders must be placed by. You then tally up the quantity needed for each size / color and purchase the shirts after the fact. This way you aren’t purchasing anything in advance but you will then need to distribute the pre-purchased shirts to students and parents.
Some schools do a combination of both depending on the time of year, type of event, or shirt being sold. When it comes to the actual shirts, the most popular are standard cotton t-shirts with tie-dye shirts and moisture-wicking “sports” t-shirts gaining in popularity. School t-shirt fundraisers include:
- School Spirit Shirts / Spiritwear
- PTO / PTA Fundraisers
- Athletic Team Fundraisers
- Graduating Class Shirts
- Alumni Shirts
- Field Day Shirts
- Team Championship Shirts
Pricing can vary greatly depending on the type of shirt, number of ink colors used in the design, and the quantity of shirts purchased.
For example, if 250 cotton t-shirts are printed with 1 color, this can cost roughly $7.50 each while a “sports” shirt printed with 3 colors would cost roughly $10.00 ea. These shirts are typically sold for $10 - $25 each. This would mean an investment of $1,875 - $2,500 would generate $2,500 - $6,250 in revenue. This brings a net profit of $625 - $3,750 once all 250 t-shirts are sold but unlike some of the other items that are sold annually, t-shirts can be sold much more often.
Not sure where to start?
Print Mascot prints magnets, decals, plastic cards, and apparel for schools like yours!
Our friendly representatives are available to assist you in determining which products will work best for your school fundraiser. We offer FREE design services on any purchase over $250. In addition, all of our products are printed in the USA!
Call (800) 327-0693, click here to request a quote, or click here to schedule a FREE virtual strategy consultation on ZOOM.
