(This is the fourth installment in a series of posts about classroom fundraising. Several of the topics can also be applied outside of the world of teaching, as well! So sit back, grab a hot [or iced] cup of coffee, and stay awhile!)
Hello! I hope you've enjoyed the past 3 days of learning how to raise funds and get things for your school and classroom. I love talking about fundraising and helping hardworking teachers get donations. In case you missed it, here are links to Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3!
Today, I want to talk to you about another great way to get donations to your school- simply applying for them! Now, please note: several of these items were gotten to raffle off at our school's carnival. Obviously, tickets to Disney World will not impact the lives of my students
(unless I could get enough for all of them... and plane tickets... and hotel rooms... and chaperones... let's move on)
but the funds raised from auctioning off those tickets sure can! The same goes for the tickets to the Columbus Zoo. Other things, like the $55 in Half Price Books gift cards and the $75 Target gift card, could have been used in my classroom, but they were auctioned off, too.
I got these things by applying for them. Some (like Half-Price Books) were easy- I just went to the store, told them my needs, filled out some paperwork, and was on my way. Some of the stores even gave me the gift cards right then and there! Others (like Target) were a little more involved- I had to take a letterhead explaining why I was asking for the donation, give our tax information, and wait. Others (DISNEY WORLD!) were done online. That one was pretty intimidating because I knew the stakes were so high, but it was approved the very next day! Imagine my shock when I opened my email and saw this:
It was a good day. :)
On a similar note, there are tons and tons of grants available for teachers and schools! They take a bit of work, as well, but the rewards are well worth it. I have only applied for one grant, and I'm still waiting to hear back about it, but will definitely be looking more into grant-writing after I finish grad school. I found a really informative article here that even talks about how a school in a tiny town in Iowa was able to snag more than $1 million in grants over the course of 4 years! THAT'S CRAZY, PEOPLE. If you're interested in grant-writing, definitely check it out.
Thanks for popping in today! :) Be sure to come back tomorrow to read about the most important part of any classroom or school fundraiser. Have a great Thursday!
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