It's back to school season in the United States, and that also means it's time to go shopping. Lots of general school supplies are needed for kids this time of year, and many relatives or friends like to try and help out by giving gifts to get the school year started. Here are several great gift ideas for kids who are getting ready to start elementary school this year:
A Bicycle. Bikes are wonderful gifts for kids and most of them will adore you for giving them one. In some areas of the country, bikes are the primary transporation for elementary kids going to school.
Padlocks and Bike Locks. If you're looking for gift ideas for kids that already have a bike, consider buying them a bicycle lock and chain instead. These are particularly useful for kids who ride their bikes to and from school. If you're buying gifts for children who don't use their bikes to go to school though, you can still use this gift idea. Most of them still need some sort of padlock: For gym lockers, regular lockers, and even to lock their backpacks with.
Book Covers. These are one of the most frequently overlooked items needed for school children. They can be home made easily with paper gift wrapping, or even paper grocery bags. This is a fun way to spend time with a special child in your life, and that's a gift in and of itself.
If you're not able to spend the time making these though, or the child prefers something more "cool" or mainstream, book covers in a large variety of styles can be purchased at many stores, and they're excellent as last minute gifts.
Books and Games. Regardless the ages of the elementary children you want to buy gifts for, books and games are almost always a sure hit. Older children might like more "grown up" books, while younger children will enjoy books with pictures and drawings. Be sure not to buy books that are too simple for the reading level of the child you're buying gifts for though.
Games are another gift that's almost always welcomed by children at the elementary school age level. And thanks to the proliferation of interactive electronic games these days, there's a wide variety of interesting and stimulating games that make fun gifts.
Electronic Organizer. These are especially useful for - and appreciated by - older elementary school kids. Electronic organizers, or personal digital assistants, are excellent an excellent gift idea. These don't have to be expensive gifts at this age either, a starter Palm Pilot PDA goes for around $100 - not much more than the calculators many kids need for school these days.
Elementary School Fundraising Ideas
Offering something families use and spend discretionary income on is a great idea. The good news is that there are other school fundraising ideas besides coordinating a special event or conducting a catalog-based fundraiser.
These often end up overwhelming your supporters with multiple fund raising products that aren't everyday items for most people.
In this series, we'll take a look at three school fundraising ideas. Part Three looks at Prepaid Phone Cards.
These are simple products that your group can offer that provide these benefits:
1) They are easy to sell
2) They offer good value
3) They produce excellent results
School Fundraising Ideas: Prepaid Phone Cards
What do I need to know about prepaid phone cards?
Phone cards can be used for fund raising purposes just like the discount cards. Several suppliers offer a $10 card that can be customized with your group's name and logo.
For an extra fee, you can even get custom artwork on the front of each card, thereby reinforcing your "brand."
Prepaid phone cards are also available in different face values with variations in minutes included, international rates, access charges, etc. Most common are denominations of $20, $25, and $30.
Profit margins on prepaid phone cards are similar to other school fundraising ideas that are product-based. The trick is to source ones that offer excellent value to your supporters.
Think in terms of potential users, i.e. families with college students, distant relatives, people that travel frequently, or individuals who make international calls.
Look for features and offerings that would appeal to these user groups. Because of the variety, customization, and large market, phone cards are great school fundraising ideas.
What you'll usually find is that you can't equal the best deal offered by mega-retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart while still maintaining a desirable 40% profit margin.
So, in evaluating school fundraisers like phone cards, you face a choice of staying with a $10 card that offers decent value or leveraging the best offerings available in the retail market.
Consider putting together a one-page brochure based on the AT&T phone cards offered by Wal-Mart. Instead of a 60-70 minute card that sells for $10, think about reselling the AT&T 120 minute card for $15.
While putting together your sales pitch, play up the value of being able to add additional minutes in the future either through Wal-Mart or AT&T at a great per minute rate.
You can make a three or four choice brochure with profit margins in the 25% to 35% range. The phone cards still offer excellent value and name brand recognition. A 120-minute card costs $10, a 250-minute card costs $18, and a 500-minute card costs $30.
Use your brochure for order taking and try to arrange a special bulk discount with your local Wal-Mart. They are fundraiser friendly!
Phone cards are also among the top school fundraisers for overall profitability each year.
Selling discount cards and prepaid phone cards positions you for a better chance at a larger portion of your supporters' spending.
And, because of their high unit volumes, healthy profit margins, and ease of sale, they are excellent school fundraisers because they'll produce exceptional profits.
Both Kathy Burns-millyard & Kimberly Reynolds are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
