Top school fundraisers get smart and creative during tough times

With school budgets shrinking and fundraising falling short because of the faltering economy, PTAs, PTOs and other parent groups are feeling the pinch.

It’s not time to retreat, retrench and lower expectations. It’s time for creative fundraising ideas. We’re talking, after all, about the quality of our children’s education.

I spoke recently to two upbeat women heavily involved in two of the region’s most widely respected parent groups, Torrey Pines High School Foundation’s executive director Bobbi Karlson and Friends of La Jolla Elementary School, Inc.’s president Haleh Bolour. They had some creative ideas that they used during their fall fundraising drives.

Step up your efforts

Both women said this was not a year to try new fundraisers. They stayed with what had worked in the past, but stepped up their efforts. That meant contacting families more frequently and making sure they understood exactly how their money would be used.

“To say that we are nervous about the economy’s impact on fundraising is an understatement,” said Karlson. “We realize these are really tough times.”

Bolour said parents when presented with a clear picture of how the school benefits from the group’s Annual Giving Campaign are more inclined to contribute.

“They are smart enough to know that they don’t want to see programs cut, so they are willing to give,” Bolour said.

A friendly phone call can make the difference

Karlson said donations to the Torrey Pines Foundation’s Shared Vision program, which benefits all students at the school in Carmel Valley, were down about 50 percent from a year earlier. So the foundation’s board decided last month to organize a phone bank in hopes of filling the gap. They concentrated on families who had given to Shared Vision the year before but had not contributed in 2008. Calls were also made to families who had never given. In all, 13 board members called about 650 families.

Board members worked from a script that was friendly, reminding parents of the fundraising drive and asking if they would like to make a donation of any amount. Karlson said about 50 percent of the families contacted that night either made a donation over the phone or through the foundation’s Web site, or they said they would make a contribution by the end of the year.

“We did hear some sad stories,” she said. “But we each had people who said they really appreciate what the foundation does.”

During the 2007-2008 school year, the Shared Vision program brought in about $400,000. This year, some of the money raised is helping upgrade the school’s Mac computer lab, provide resources for the College and Career Center and cover the first phase of an effort to bring on-demand video into the classroom.

Karlson said the phone bank was so successful it will likely continue next year, although it may be scheduled closer to the start of the school year.

Involve you school principal

The Torrey Pines Foundation also hosts in-home receptions every fall. The school principal attends the gatherings and makes brief remarks on the importance of the foundation’s financial support. Karlson said donations made during the events were down in 2008, but the events will certainly continue.

Bolour said Friends of La Jolla Elementary was pleased that parent support brought the group close to meeting its 2008 goal for its Annual Giving Campaign. Parents frequently received email blasts updating them on how many families had contributed and how much had been raised. Room parents were asked to reach out to parents in their classes. She also said a large thermometer at the front of the school kept parents up to date on the success of the campaign.

“Many people said they liked the visual updates,” Bolour said.

While the La Jolla group focused its message on what donations provide at the school, next year it may alter the approach and let parents know what may have to be cut if donations fall short. This year, the Friends group paid for some fourth- and fifth-grade teachers to reduce class sizes, an art teacher, music instructor, a librarian and a technology coordinator, among other things.

Friends of La Jolla Elementary holds a thank you party for families donating over a certain amount. The event is held prior to the group’s spring gala, another major fundraiser. Bolour said parents who attend get a preview of items that will be available for bid during the gala.

Bolour suggested that parent groups adding ‘new’ fundraisers in hopes of bringing in more money may be taking too great a risk during these uncertain times. The better option, she said, is to be more creative with the fundraisers you already have.

“We can overwhelm the parents and maybe risk shooting ourselves in the foot,” she said.

Learn more: The risks facing our schools and our children are mounting. Los Angeles Times’ columnist George Skelton wrote a great column this week outlining the peril. You can read it here. Newspapers are great. Please don’t let them die. Subscribe to one.

PTO Today, a fantastic resource for parent volunteers, just posted a comprehensive report on how the economy is impacting school fundraising. It includes suggestions for coping with the new reality. You can read the report here.