Joint Announcement Fundraising Mums Merges with the Fundraising Directory By Mandy Weidmann (the Fundraising Directory) and Shannon Meyerkort (Fundraising Mums) __________ We are pleased to announce that the content on the Fundraising Mums website will soon transition to the Fundraising Directory, creating a powerhouse of fundraising resources for Australia’s schools and clubs. Fundraising Mums, founded by Shannon Meyerkort in 2015, has been dedicated to investigating as many unique ... read more
Top Fundraising Advice
One of the nice things about working in the fundraising community is that people are very generous and willing to share their advice and experience. I approached some of Australia’s most respected fundraising businesses and asked about the most common mistakes they see and their top tips for schools and fundraising groups. I spoke with Emma McNeilly, founder of Expressions Australia, Sophia Stefanos, Managing Director of Schoolyard Stories, Kellie Gornall, founder of Fundraising Mugs, ... read more
Alumni Fundraising
Every year your school farewells some of your best and most loyal customers – your graduating students (and their families)! It makes sense to retain a connection with your alumni, as they can be an untapped source of donations as well as customers for future fundraising events. While high schools and universities might maintain contact with graduated students, primary schools can still facilitate an alumni program by continuing to communicate with parents of children who have left the ... read more
The Big Show: School Fun Run
School Fun Run has been a part of the fundraising landscape in Australia for more than thirty years, and during that time has helped schools hold tens of thousands of Fun Runs. Originally starting as a healthy alternative to food-based fundraising in the 1980s, School Fun Run was ahead of its time for its approach to wellness-based fundraising. It is now well established as a leader in Australian fundraising with offices across Australia and New Zealand. Fundraising Idea: all-inclusive ... read more
Containers for Change (WA)
It’s been a long time coming but Western Australia’s container deposit scheme will be launched on October 1st, 2020, providing WA schools, sporting clubs, charities and community groups a great new way to raise funds. Run by Containers for Change, the program provides a refund of 10 cents for each eligible container that is returned to a Refund Point. The program is designed to reduce both landfill and litter and increase interest in sustainable practices and recycling. It also gives schools ... read more
Quick Idea: The Anti-Raffle
This is a simple but fun idea that subverts the usual raffle idea. Instead of having a great prize that everyone wants to win, you have an embarrassing prize that no one wants. Everyone is given a free raffle ticket as a condition of entry for another event, such as a quiz or bingo night. To make as much money as possible, you should have multiple ‘prizes’. The idea is that if someone’s number is drawn, they can pay money to NOT win the prize. The prize is then drawn again, and hopefully ... read more
The Ultimate Guide to Holding a Fete – Resources Bundle
Fundraising Mums is all about saving you time and effort, so I am bundling together some of my articles around a single theme, so you can find them all at once. This is the ultimate guide to holding a fete with all my Fundraising Mums resources in the same place. START HERE When our school held its inaugural fete in 2018, we learned some lessons the hard way. https://fundraisingmums.com.au/8-lessons-i-learned-from-our-school-fete/ The Dwellingup Pumpkin Festival is one of the state’s ... read more
How To Choose a Fundraising Product that is Right for You
There are literally hundreds of fundraising products and businesses on the market – all with unique ways of helping you to raise money for your school or club. With so much choice, it can be overwhelming. Here are some questions to focus your search for the right product for your next fundraiser. The purpose The specific reason you are fundraising might impact on the product you choose – are you raising money for an ongoing project (new playground, air conditioning, new computers) or will ... read more
Book Bingo
Book Bingo is a fantastic activity that is suitable for kids of all ages, regardless of weather or lockdown status. Book Bingo can be done as a school holiday activity, a class-based activity or even as a fundraiser as part of Book Week celebrations. You can run it as an online activity/event and I have provided alternative rules for a book scavenger hunt as well. Find out more about how to host a read-a-thon here. I have created three Book Bingo Cards which you can download and use for ... read more
How to Write a Press Release
A press release is an official statement that is released to the media (such as local newspaper or radio station) to give them information about a specific matter. It has a strict format and provides journalists with information in the hope they will write an article to promote or celebrate your event. Remember, a press release is a pitch to the media, to get them interested in your story so you need to include an angle that is newsworthy. When would a school/club need to write a press ... read more