The challenges that UK schools face when it comes to fundraising
With a recent change of government and the pre-warning that the October budget could be ‘painful’, now more than ever, people are thinking hard about how they spend their money, especially on the non-essentials.
PTA fundraising is becoming more challenging and the cost of living crisis could become a cost of GIVING crisis. The drop in disposable income, however, is not dampening people’s charitable spirit at least!
One thing that PTAs should acknowledge is that giving has gone digital!
PTAs need to embrace digital fundraising methods to stay ahead of the game with this change in giving behaviour; traditional channels have been dramatically overtaken by digital, with more people now donating largely through digital methods than through cash. There is still a place for traditional small change cash spending at fundraising events, but bringing digital fundraising into your mix could help too. How about buying 10 or 20 tickets on the door for £10 – and pay by card…rather than people turning up with no cash?
What other factors are affecting fundraising in the UK?
Budget Constraints: Many schools in the UK face tight budgets, particularly in recent years due to reduced government funding. This makes it difficult to allocate resources for fundraising initiatives, including paying for staff time or marketing materials.
High Competition: Schools are competing for funds with numerous other nearby schools, charities, community groups, and non-profits. This increased competition can make it harder to attract donations from businesses, parents, and the wider community.
Economic Pressures: Factors, such as rising living costs, can limit the amount of disposable income that parents and the local community have available to donate.
Time and Resources: Teachers and school staff are often stretched thin with their primary responsibilities of teaching and running the school. Organising and managing fundraising events requires time, effort, and specialised skills, which can be challenging to find especially if there is no PTA.
Fundraising Fatigue: Parents/communities are often asked to contribute to various causes, leading to fundraising fatigue. This can result in a lower response rate to school fundraising efforts, as people become overwhelmed by the never-ending requests for support.
Engagement Challenges: Engaging the wider community in school fundraising efforts can be difficult, especially in areas where there is limited connection between the school and local residents. Building these relationships takes time and effort, which schools may struggle to provide.
Whilst fundraising is a vital way for schools to supplement their budgets and fund important projects, it remains a difficult task. That’s why here at Kids Just Recycle, we’ve come up with 4 ways for you to earn cash for your school:
- Install a FREE school branded recycled clothing bin in your school premises, so that your local community can drop off any reusable clothes, shoes or household fabrics that they no longer need. You could earn a staggering £400 per reusable tonne!
- Take on our Kids Fill The Bag challenge! Just fill 40 refuse sacks of reusable pre-loved clothes, household textiles and paired shoes and we will pay you a HUGE £500 for your donations. We even have downloadable resources on our website to help you promote your fundraising initiative.
- If you have already installed one of our FREE branded clothing recycling bins on your school premises, you can earn a £100 referral fee by recommending another school or business in your area to do the same. If they go ahead and we install their bin, you get rewarded and you can make as many referrals as you like!
- If you have a recycling bin that isn’t one of ours, we will pay you £150 to switch to a Kids Just Recycle bin!
For more information, get in touch with our friendly team today!
Blog written by www.wendyjenningscreative.co.uk