Teachers are the backbone of any school fundraising event, from communicating with parents to posting on social media and budgeting proceeds. So what do they have to say about the effectiveness of traditional fundraising?
We Were Curious to Hear Our Teachers
Our team here at Sixpence recently released a “Teachers React” video, featuring teachers across multiple school districts and areas of study. The video covered many obstacles dedicated teachers and faculty face every year when budgeting and fundraising for their classroom. While the average out-of-pocket cost for classroom supplies hovers around $500, many teachers said the average could be much higher, perhaps even into the thousands! Several teachers recounted their experiences having to provide all sorts of supplies, from whiteboard markers to binders and even whole pieces of furniture!
We Heard All Sorts of Stories
Some Surprising, Some Familiar
The teachers also talked about the fundraisers they had to participate in over the course of their career. Many revolved around tedious trinket sales such as selling candies or fruit baskets, school apparel, or tickets for 50/50 raffles, which burden not only teachers trying to organize these events but the parents who are then forced to push products on friends and family. Others required far more teacher labor, such as car washes and bake sales. One of the more common fundraisers was candle sales, which one teacher described as leaving parents “with a bunch of products you aren’t going to use.”
They Loved Roundups' Potential
At the close of the video, teachers were given an introduction to Sixpence’s roundup crowdfunding, a service that allows donors to round up daily transactions to the next whole dollar, with the difference being deposited towards the charity of their choice. The teachers explored our app, learning how roundup services can give them a consistent monthly budget funded completely through parents,all without the need for fundraising events or sales. Each teacher was eager to imagine the endless possibilities they could have with roundup funding, from brand new books for the classroom to athletic uniforms and trips abroad!
As an educator, your primary goal is to supply students with knowledge and skills they can use to be successful in their work and personal lives. Yet, without the proper tools and resources, many students are unable to fully reach their potential. So when you budget for this coming semester, ask yourself, what could I accomplish with the kind of resources available to me through roundup fundraising?
Click here to view the video, or share it with your colleagues!
