For K-12 schools and associated club and sports programs the ability to devise and execute a variety of successful fundraising efforts throughout the year is no longer a luxury. For many of these programs today, it is a matter of survival.

Faced with ongoing, ever deeper budget cuts, the income generated by fundraisers often covers necessary equipment and supplies, but is also increasingly being used to supplement or cover teacher’s salaries, in-classroom help, coaches or other critical staff just to keep the doors open and avoid full program closures.

As a result, parents, teachers, coaches, and school administrators with little to no professional fundraising experience are being charged with selecting and running an effort that must generate significant amounts of money with no room for error. Even successful fundraisers that generated income in the past are now expected to generate more this time around.

One of the most lucrative methods of fundraising is through printed materials such as calendars, posters, catalogs and greeting cards. With a minimal investment these items can generate thousands in fundraising revenue, but they have to be done right.

“Where our old school calendar broke even and was hardly worth the effort, our new calendar made over $3,000,” says Nathan Garner, Band Director of the award-winning 75-member Hamilton Aggie Marching Band of Hamilton High School, Hamilton, Alabama. “Our program depends on fundraising. We can’t afford unproductive, generic efforts.”

Fundraising decision makers like Garner need to know what the best revenue generators are, how to increase return, offset materials costs, and also maximize advertising revenue, donations, community involvement and even media coverage. Since these decisions aren’t obvious to the non-professional fundraisers with their school or club’s budget on the line, one of the best ways they can guarantee success is by learning from other schools that have done it best.

Garner was able to achieve his dramatic turnaround in revenue from calendars after he discovered useful information at the website of Printing Center USA, an online print specialist that provides a Market Smarts section for educators.

From its experience working directly with schools, clubs and sports programs seeking to raise cash, Printing Center USA has developed and posted actual case studies and examples from successful schools who have used things like calendars, posters, greeting cards and more to maximize their return on fundraising efforts. Together, these case studies serve as a set of “best practices” for other schools in the same boat.

“I was very interested to see what has worked at other schools,” says Garner of the site.

Marching to a $3,000 Profit
The Hamilton Aggie Marching Band had sold an annual band calendar before, but it was a relatively small tear-off type with a single picture at the top, printed by a local printer. “We’d sold ads to local businesses in our old calendar, but they were so small, they were more of a donation,” says Garner.

With the help of Printing Center USA, Garner saw the possibilities of creating a larger, custom band calendar. He requested samples and was impressed with the price and quality. Starting with the company’s downloadable template, he quickly created a new calendar and worked with them to optimize everything from format and design to cost and delivery.

“For the same price we’d done the smaller tear-out calendar before, we created a large 28-page calendar with a full-color photo of the band on the cover, and black and white photos of the band and kids inside,” says Garner. “Friends and families loved seeing their kids in the bigger photos, and businesses liked the bigger ads.”

To get people excited about the calendar, the band printed people’s birthdays and anniversaries over photos throughout it. Each birthday, anniversary, or “in memory” listing cost $1. With the purchase, people listened to local radio stations and a local TV station to hear their names announced “on air” on their birthdays and special occasions. One daily winner from the birthday listings received a free meal from a local eatery, and one weekly winner from the anniversary listings received two movie tickets at a local cinema.

Out of 500 printed calendars, the band sold most at $5 each, and gave copies to those buying ads. They sold ten $25 ads on most of the inside pages, as well as a total of almost 1,000 birthday, anniversary, and “in memory” listings. Since the calendar cost $1,200, it netted the band over $3,000 in profit while generating much excitement and involvement in the school and community.

Next time, Garner plans to check out the Marketing Smarts section of Printing Center USA’s website to see what other schools have successfully done for fundraising.

“We’re thinking about adding a CD of band music to a future calendar, or posters with scheduling and advertising,” says Garner. “You’ve got to keep trying new things to keep things fresh. The entrepreneurial skills the kids are learning from creative fundraising will serve them well both in school and out of it.”

Rounding Up Almost $8,000
The Hawaii High School Rodeo Association printed a 15-month calendar to raise money and showcase students in the high school rodeo program. Each of 15 graduating seniors received their own page with a description of their future.

To incorporate other students in the calendar, smaller student pictures bordered the calendar’s top pages each month. The bottom pages were simple and clean, each with a different drug-free slogan. A community photographer donated the photography.

Based on user recommendation, price, and value, the Rodeo Association chose Printing Center USA to print the calendar.

When the Rodeo Association sold the calendar around the community and at rodeo events for $15, 700 were sold out of 750, generating $10,500. After paying for the printing cost, the rodeo association netted almost $8,000 while honoring its graduating seniors.

Making Student Service Real to Donors
Archbishop Murphy High School, a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in Everett, Washington got creative by using its annual report to honor donors and raise money for the school. The report included photos of the students in the many services they contribute to the community, along with descriptive captions, and a donation envelope in the report’s center.

“From international relief, to food and clothing drives, to working at retirement homes and summer camps, our students are actively giving back to the community,” says Patti Means, Archbishop Murphy High School’s Director of Communications. “While honoring donors in the report, we wanted to show them what their generosity is helping to make possible, both in the lives of our students and in the lives of those they touch.”

As a convenience to donors, Means wanted to place the school’s existing donation envelope in the report’s center, so those wanting to contribute to the following year’s activities could do so more easily.

Printing Center USA was happy to work with Archbishop Murphy High School when asked to include the donation envelope in the report. “They said ‘No problem’ and worked with us to get the best paper, print quality, and format at the best price,” says Means.

“Other online printers we’d considered weren’t willing to modify what they offered, gave no personal support, or wanted to bill us by credit card,” says Means.

“After working with our service rep, Ernestine, Printing Center USA gave us what we wanted and was happy to bill us by purchase order, which our school requires,” adds Means. “Now when I see a printed piece I like, I send a copy to Ernestine and she tells us how we can do something like it ourselves.”

Besides the annual report, the school has also used the company’s printing services for a boys’ basketball team poster. The poster includes a large color team photo, the team’s schedule, and advertisements from local businesses, which essentially cover the cost of the poster.

“With the down economy, schools need to fundraise more creatively so they can give their best to students and the community,” concludes Means. “Partnering with an online print specialist like Printing Center USA to do custom work, while doing more with less, can be part of the solution.”

For other successful school fundraising examples and tips, visit www.printingcenterusa.com (and check the Marketing Smarts section); or call 1.800.995.1555; Fax 406.771.7777; email support@printingcenterusa.com; or write to Printing Center USA at 117 9th Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401.