Elementary schools and middle schools hold school fundraiser events for many reasons. New sports equipment, trips, and new computer equipment are just a few of the many reasons. Sometimes it is the PTA or PTO that run the school fundraiser. Many times smaller groups such as the yearbook, student council or a class raising money for a field trip, even at the elementary school level that run the school fundraiser. Though each of these school groups work very hard to raise the money that they need, they sometimes have a difficult time.

One important factor that might get overlooked while planning a school fundraiser is communication with the parents of the students. Many times it is assumed that the students will fill the parents in on all that is going on at school, especially when it concerns the school fundraiser. After all, the students are usually super excited about it after they have seen all the incentives for selling that they could earn. But parents are busy and children don't always communicate in the way that the parents need to hear.

To increase parent participation in our school fundraiser we must make every effort to ensure that they are kept in the loop and reminded when events are scheduled and will soon be coming up.

Here are 4 tips that will help you get the most out of your school fundraiser.

1.) Start Your Communication With Parents Early in the School Year

At the beginning of the year we should send a letter to the parents outlining our plans for any and all school fundraiser events that are planned throughout the year.

2.) Secondary Communication

As we have said parents are just as busy as we are and sometimes an upcoming event may slip their mind. Send a letter home with the students take home pack a short time before the beginning of each school fundraiser throughout the year.

These first two tips are designed to keep parents "in the loop" for the things that you have planed but if you want to take it to the next level, keep reading.

3.) Publish a Newsletter or Ezine regarding your school fundraiser.

Use your school's newsletter to keep parents informed of things that are going on at school, especially when it comes to your school fundraiser. Be sure to ask your parents to sign up for the newsletter in all correspondence that is sent home. This will pay big dividends down the road.

Public schools and other educational institutions should have newsletter or ezine that is published regularly. A simple form should be placed on either the school's website or that of the local board of education. This will make it easy and painless for parents to sign up.

4.) Gather Email Addresses of each mom or dad at the school.

When correspondence goes home that needs to be completed by parents and returned be sure that there is a space to put an e-mail address right by the signature line.

If you build a database of all these email addresses that you collect, you can send out reminders when it is time for the school fundraiser. You would be surprised at how effective this is in making your school fundraiser a more successful.

These 4 methods will help you increase participation in your next school fundraiser. Not only of your students, but you will likely find more volunteers from the ranks of the parents that are willing to help.