People have been doing school fundraisers for a very long time. And it doesn’t matter if it’s to buy new books for the library or to send the band to a competition 300 miles away, some fundraising activities are as traditional as the school song and torturing freshmen.

However, does tradition mean that we should just stick with the same school fundraisers no matter what? Isn’t there something a little more lucrative out there? After all, the idea of a fundraiser may be to get others to donate some money, but those activities still require some initial investments to get things started. And, unfortunately, most schools have to work within a very tight budget.

Some of the classic school fundraisers that seem to show up every year include programs that send the kids out to sell chocolate, magazine subscriptions or coupon books to friends and family or, in some cases, door to door. Many of these fundraisers require the school to make some kind of investment upfront, and there’s no guarantee on the return.

Sometimes a small group within the school will use an activity like a carwash fundraiser to put together the funds for special occasions or equipment. This happens whenever a school can’t quite afford the necessary items. But, just like the other example, it requires some investment without a promise of a return.

If you can get the student body excited about your financial goals, these fundraisers can work pretty well. For example, when a team needs to buy some gear for the next big game, they’ll probably work extra hard at the carwash. But what you really need to ask yourself is: should you work harder or should you just work smarter?

Working smarter means that you will never restrict yourself to the basic activities when there is so much more you can do. Go ahead with the carwash, but include a concession stand with it. You can make more money by offering treats and drinks to your customers while they wait for the kids to finish the car.

Raffles are another classic fundraiser, but you don’t have to settle for selling plain old tickets. Try selling lollipops with the raffle number written on the stick. This way, even if a customer isn’t interested in participating in the raffle, they still might be willing to chip in for a simple gift.

There are many ways to improve school fundraisers. Always try to think of ways to make it easy for someone to give you money, and always deliver the goods as promised. Take the necessary time to prepare you activities and follow through with them and you’ll always find success.

Marc Cornish is a writer who contributes to the ongoing conversation about fundraising companies and fundraising programs.

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