Green Fundraising
Schools are desperate for funds, especially now, but how to raise money without lowering environmental standards?
Wrapping paper? More ancient forests destroyed for brief disposable pleasure and long-term landfill waste. Candy bars? More sugar! Bake Sale? A 2000 report from the Centers for Disease Control found bake sales in two-thirds of schools, contributing to obesity rates. Time-strapped parents purchase low-nutrition baked goods for the sales, send their children to school with money to buy them back, and end up paying twice.
Let's get to the better, greener options! Many schools continue to rely on, and profit from, well-known efforts that are environmentally friendly:
Scrip/e-Scrip: Gift certificates or cards -- for use at local retail stores -- can be purchased by schools at a discount and sold at a profit. Many grocery chains have programs that disburse a percentage of a shopper's purchases to a school they specify.
Walk-a-thons, Bowl-a-thons, and other sports-related fundraisers promote physical activity for students and can be lucrative for schools.
Auctions: Auction items are more fun when they include fun experiences with teachers or senior staff. Parents can bid on a hike and picnic for 6 kids with their beloved 3rd grade teacher; a middle school teacher or the school principal can cook a gourmet dinner for 6 in the bidder's home.
Recycling:
Why not consider a plan that doesn't cost parents any money? More than 350 million printer cartridges are thrown away and 35 million cell phones are replaced and discarded annually. There are several organizations that recycle used printer cartridge, cell phone, and other e-waste for cash, reducing the volume of waste in landfills while benefiting your school.
- Cartridges for Kids: Pays schools and non-profit organizations cash for empty laser and inkjet cartridges, used cell phones, laptops, PDAs, GPS devices and iPods. Earthtone Solutions and Funding Factory have similar e-waste recycling fundraising programs.
- Terracycle pays students and schools to collect empty juice packs and wrappers. Terracycle makes bags, pencil boxes, and other items out of the packaging, which is not generally accepted in standard recycling programs. We spotlighted Terracycle in our May 2008 focus on reducing waste.
Help from the Experts: The following organizations will help you raise money for your school by selling eco-friendly products.
EcoLabel Fundraising Eco Sprouts Fundraising Equal Exchange Go Green Fundraising Greenraising Help Fundraise KORU Fundraising One Small Step: Reusable Lunchware
Participation is usually free, and most companies accept unsold inventory so you're not stuck with leftovers; frequently there are no up-front costs to the school. Some, like Equal Exchange, even offer curriculum resources so kids (and parents and teachers) can learn about the positive ripple effects of their fundraising efforts.
Products include:
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs, which save money and energy
- Reusable logo water bottles like the stainless steel Klean Kanteen
- Recycled office supplies like pencils made from recycled newspapers
- Natural foods and fair trade coffee, nuts, and chocolate
- Plants - flower bulb, seed, and tree kits
- Organic cotton clothing, tote bags with your school's logo, and more
EcoMetro Guide: The EcoMetro Guide is a savings book with nearly 300 coupons for organic food and dining, local arts and culture, green home, gardening, travel, and recreation. Guide users can save money while exploring their community and supporting local, sustainable businesses. The retail price of the book is $20 and your school keeps 35-50% depending on the total quantity of books sold. There are no up-front costs -- just return what you don't sell.
The EcoMetro Guide (which is known by other names in different metropolitan areas -- see below) is currently available for the following metropolitan areas:
- East Bay & Silicon Valley/Santa Cruz in Northern CA: "EcoMetro Guide"
- Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA: "Chinook Book"
- Denver/Boulder, CO: "EcoMetro Guide"
- The Twin Cities, MN: "Blue Sky Guide"
Take heart and give it a try! Explore a few of these options and discover what works best for your school fundraising efforts. Your whole school community will benefit -- along with the environment we all share.
Resources:
For an interesting and ecological twist on fundraising for your parent association, check out inlu.com. It's a site that lets you send electronic invitations and organize a gift -- in this case, a gift to your school. Take a look at their sample parent association invitation/fundraiser:
For a comprehensive directory of recycling and other fundraising opportunities go to:
The following websites offer a good overview of the issues surrounding school fundraising, and provide examples of what other schools have done: