How to create a
fundraising purpose

Fundraising for a Purpose

School fundraising is a necessity. Fundraising for a purpose turns the necessity into a cause that everyone can get behind. We understand that most schools and non-profits need money for general funds, and we want to help you achieve your goals. To do this, you need to maximize participation. Parents, students, staff, and supporters need to understand the cause, or the WHY, to get excited about helping. Our years of school fundraising experience show that fundraisers with a clearly defined cause or purpose tend to do much better. Participation is higher from parents, students, and staff, while also giving supporters a better sense of what their purchase or donation will be used for. Increased participation and increased supporter confidence can lead to higher success rates. 

A Strong Cause Equals Higher Participation

One of the easiest ways to increase your fundraiser’s success is to increase participation. Getting everyone excited and on the same page about the purpose of the fundraiser will go a long way towards increasing participation and sales.

How to create a fundraising purpose: 3 steps

Step One: List your Needs

You may understand that fundraising for “general funds” goes to support field trips, supplies, building maintenance, and more. But most people need a more powerful story to really get excited and motivated. Go ahead and tell your story. Put a cause behind your fundraiser and watch it soar!
But how do you tell your story? How do you create that cause? Think about simplicity. People don’t want a long story; they want a clearly defined short one.
Spend just a few minutes listing some actual needs that the money will be used for. They can be big needs or everyday essentials. But if you have big needs, focus on those: a new roof, iPads for the students, a class trip, a special event, etc.

Big needs lead to easier stories and more motivation. All you are doing is brainstorming some quick ways that the money will be used. Everyday essentials can be important as well. Telling parents and supporters that the money is going to be used for classroom supplies might not sound exciting, but telling them that the money will be used to provide free supplies that parents would otherwise have to pay for starts to get interesting.

Step Two: Define Your Cause

After you have listed your needs, define them in a clear and concise sentence. For example: “We need money for a new roof,” or “We’re raising money for a class trip to New York City,” or “The funds will be used to purchase classroom supplies.” The point of this step is to simply drill down to the root of your cause. The goal is to be as specific as possible. Don’t get bogged down in the details.

Step Three: Tell Your Story

The final step is to tell your story. Remember that you are writing to both motivate participants and reassure supporters. In a lot of ways, it is even more important to write something that will help parents, students, and staff get excited. If the participants understand the cause, they will be more eager to share. That energy will be transferred to supporters. Tell the story in just a couple of sentences. 

For example: “Our school’s roof is over 20 years old. Help us raise money to ensure the safety of our students as we seek funds for a new roof.” Or “The rising cost of school supplies can become a burden for our families. There are daily items, such as pencils, paper, notebooks, and countless other supplies, that parents have generally been tasked with providing. Help us alleviate this burden and meet our goal of providing all these needs at no additional cost to our families.”

Think of this format for your story: define the need, give the why, provide the benefit.

Now you’re ready to start fundraising!