Planning, Ticket Sales, Execution, and Success for School Fundraisers

A seasonal school fete may be a longstanding tradition in your community, or perhaps your school has never attempted this popular event. Either way, count on positive feedback from the students when you announce that you’ll be selling tickets to the festival of the year.

More than any other school fundraising event, your fete for education requires long and careful planning, but the payoff can be tremendous. Imagine creating an event to which you’ll sell hundreds of event tickets, along with ride tickets, game tickets, food tickets, drink tickets, translating into much needed funds for the organisation, along with hundreds of happy children.

Doing it right takes months of planning, so begin now and ensure a smooth and well-organised fete.

Step 1: All Aboard!

You can’t do it alone. Find like-minded individuals who are willing to commit the time and energy amongst the P&C. You’ll need to work closely with the Parents & Citizens Association, naturally, but you’ll need to form a Fete Committee to look after the details.

Make sure that all the participants are aware of the level of commitment required and able to stick with you through to the end. Let them know what will be expected and listen when they tell you what they are able to contribute.

What details are required to start?

• Your Goal: Everyone on the committee should agree on certain aspects of the plan. How much money do you wish to earn, where will that money go once you have it, and what message do you wish to spread about your school through the medium of the fete?
• The Date: Find out what other major events might be going on each weekend, including sporting events, fetes at other schools, or large community celebrations. Many people like to hold their fetes in May, but consider how much more interest you will get if you choose an unusual time in which nothing else is going on.
• A Theme: Have some creative fun, taking into account the interests of your students. Do they love animals? Fantasy novels? Music? Sports? It can be nice to let the children choose the theme (from a list of appropriate topics that you’ve generated in advance) with a secret ballot.

Step 2: Division of Labour

Everyone should have a role to play. It keeps people from stepping on one another’s feet, and ensures that certain jobs aren’t forgotten. The three people who are willing to make the biggest commitment should be responsible for the biggest jobs:

• Fete Convenor to act as chair, liason, and mediator
• Fete Secretary to document decisions and complete the handover book
• Fete Treasurer to handle money and keep accurate financial records

Beyond that, you’ll have to take account of how many volunteers you have, and what work needs to be done. Some suggestions for committees:

• Set up
• Clean up
• Security
• First aid
• Hiring
• Publicity
• Photography
• Entertainment

As soon as your crew has their marching orders, create a directory with names, jobs, phone numbers, and emails to facilitate communication.

Next week: Details, Details