How to Have Effective Elementary School Fundraiser Kickoffs

Your students are your biggest asset when it comes to elementary school fundraising so convincing them to participate in your fundraiser should be your primary concern. Furthermore, there is no better way to get students excited about your sale than to have a well-organized fundraiser kickoff meeting.

Put Your Best Foot Forward
You only have one shot at making a great first impression when it comes to your kickoff so why not make the most of this opportunity? You should see your kickoff as an opportunity to present your case to your students. The pressure is solely on you to create the sales momentum that you will need to make your fundraiser a success. If you want to get your students excited about your fundraiser then your kickoff presentation is going to need to be choreographed to perfection. In other words, your students should experience your kickoff assembly as if they are attending a professional production.

Plan to Be Successful
Pulling off a successful kickoff takes meticulous planning. You will need to know what you want to talk about and how you plan to present it:

• Who’s going to introduce the fundraiser?
• What points do you want them to cover?
• When do you plan to introduce the prize program?
• How should you close out your assembly?

It would be wise to have a dress rehearsal prior to your kickoff as well. In other words, practice what you plan to say to your students. If you are showing a kickoff video make sure that you have given yourself plenty of time to set up and test your equipment. Make sure and test your microphone as well as your sound especially if you plan to have music.

Take Your Kickoff to the Next Level
There are things that you can do to enhance the impact of your kickoff:

• Have music already playing as your students are walking into your assembly area
• If possible, plan to have your principal introduce as well as close out your fundraiser assembly
• If you are showing a video make sure that the screen is as large as possible and that your equipment is hooked up to a good sound system:
  • Watching a video that is both big and loud will be much more exciting for your students than say watching it on a 27 inch TV
  • Arrange to have someone dim the lights prior to the start of your video
• If you plan to introduce additional fundraising incentives, have them initially covered up on a table in the front

Don’t just assume that your students will be excited about your fundraiser just because you have great prizes. If you want their full support you will need to earn it.