Classroom Fundraising Series!

Howdy, y'all!

I am here to give you the inside scoop on classroom fundraising.

If you're thinking,

"Hey! I don't have a classroom. This isn't relevant to me!" 

Fear not! Most of the tips shared in this series are not specific to the world of teaching (though one is). I would highly recommend checking it out, anyway! :)

Now, back to classroom fundraising. We all know that teachers spend a ton (I mean, literally a ton) of money on their classrooms every year. We buy furniture, books, baskets, books, supplies, books, decorative items, books... the purchases really add up! We often feel like we're alone in our quest to fill our classrooms with wonderful learning materials and experiences for our students.

I felt that way, too! My first teaching job was teaching 3/4 and 4/5 year-old preschool inside of a daycare. I got $300 to spend on my classroom throughout the course of the year. It was a dream! I could happily buy things for my classroom and students, without worrying about it affecting my wallet.

Fast-forward to today! I teach kindergarten in a high-poverty, Title 1 charter school in central Ohio. I have no classroom budget, and yet, last school year, I received:

• 6 Kindle Fire tablets (with brightly-colored, rubber, child-proof cases)
• a beautiful classroom rug
• a smaller rug for our library
• 2 bookshelves
• 36+ National Geographic nonfiction books
• 300 laminating pouches
• 30 high-quality seat sacks 

And I paid about $10 out-of-pocket.

In addition, I have gotten the following items donated for our school carnival:

• (4) 1-day Park Hopper passes to Disney World
• (4) 1-day passes to the Columbus Zoo (2 adult, 2 child)
• $20 gift card to Steak 'n Shake
• $20 gift card to Olive Garden
• $20 gift card to Bob Evans
• $55 in gift cards to Half Price books
• $75 gift card to Target
• free appetizer coupons from Ruby Tuesday

And...

• $25 Kroger gift card for an end-of-the-year party
• 75 chili bowls and spoons from Wendy's for an end-of-the-year party
• $30 Walmart gift card for our kindergarten graduation
• 300+ water bottles from Giant Eagle for our kindergarten graduation

And, guys, can I be honest? I'm nothing special. Pretty much anyone can get the same results, if you're willing to take the time and effort needed! 

Because this is such a loaded topic, I decided to make it into a series! I originally tried to fit it all into one post, but I have so much to say about it that I just couldn't. 

The series will begin this Monday (8/8) and will have a different topic each day that week! I'll link the posts below once they go live.

Classroom Fundraising Series: Day 1 - Use Donors Choose (Part 1)

Classroom Fundraising Series: Day 2 - Use Donors Choose (Part 2)

Classroom Fundraising Series: Day 3 - Use your local resources (They want to help!)

Classroom Fundraising Series: Day 4

Classroom Fundraising Series: Day 5

I really hope you enjoy the series! Please feel free to leave any comments and/or questions you have. :)