Catholic School Fundraising Ideas
- Easy Fundraising Ideas has a section devoted to fundraising products that are specifically geared to Catholic schools. While some of these are somewhat generic -- such as flower bulbs and cookie dough that can be sold to raise money -- there are also items designed solely for faith-based institutions. These include such items as "Journey of Faith" candles and "Faith Lollipops" molded in such shapes as angels, crosses and praying hands.
- Totally Catholic Fundraising specializes in assisting Catholic schools, churches and other organizations with their fundraising needs. Its fundraising products include more than 200 faith-based jewelry items, including rings, bracelets, crosses, crucifixes, necklaces, medals and anklets. In addition, the firm also offers close to 100 different rosaries, including those specific to confirmation, first communion and devotion to saints. The company's website (totallycatholicfundraising.com) features an FAQ page specific to Catholic school fundraising with information relating to pricing, delivery time and profit expectations.
- On her website "I've Seen Something," writer Jessi McCafferty offers some ideas for Catholic school fundraisers. As she points out, the donor pool for a Catholic school is generally limited to families of current students and past alumni, as anyone without a connection to the school is not as likely to contribute. With this in mind, McCafferty suggests such fundraising ideas as sales, school fairs and holding events such as dances. In addition, she suggests launching a contest for students to offer their best fundraising ideas, which may inspire some outside-the-box concepts that hadn't previously been considered.
- Investigating the successful fundraising efforts of other Catholic schools can be an excellent source of ideas for your own school. For example, a 2008 article in "The Washington Post" chronicles how St. Joseph School in Virginia was in danger of being closed down unless the school could raise $1 million. Ultimately, the school remained open after more than $900,000 was raised through efforts such as cookie sales, a vacation raffle and a campaign that targeted friends, alumni and others within the community.
