Outdoor fundraising projects for PTAs
Image: Two adult women helping children dig in the mud in a woodland area.
Ideas to add to your Pinterest board
Speak to your school to find out if they have any outdoor projects in mind that your committee could fund. If they’re drawing a blank, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Playground equipment
- Sports equipment
- Containers, cubbies or sheds
- Outdoor classrooms
- Wellie racks
- Sensory gardens
- Trim trails
- Picnic benches
- Vegetable patches
- Outdoor kitchens
- Sunshades
- Playhouses
- Forest schools
- Wildlife gardens
- Bike sheds
Research, research, research
Once you’ve chosen a project, it’s time to start planning. All schools are different, and the cost of building work and materials can vary considerably depending on how much space you have to work with, so it’s important to go beyond a simple Google search to figure out the funds you’ll need.
Before setting a fundraising target, shop around with different suppliers and get as many quotes as you can. Don’t just settle for the price listed in catalogues and on websites – always have a conversation about your needs first.
Explore your options. It might be cheaper to break the work down amongst different professionals rather than have one company do everything. It might also be cheaper to buy materials separately from multiple retailers, or stagger the work out over time (especially if you’re not confident about raising the funds all at once).
Don’t be shy in asking the professionals what they think would look best in your space, and remember to include the school in every stage of the decision-making process. You might want to approach parents for their opinions too – if they have experience in planning or building similar projects, you’ve struck gold!
Getting the money together
Now for the big question: how are you going to raise the funds? Whether you look to your school community, involve corporate partners or combine multiple approaches, there are many different ways to get the money together.
Dazzling discos, quizzes and fairs
What are the classic moneymaking events for your PTA? There are lots of low-effort, low-cost events you could hold, including movie nights, bingos and quizzes. Or you could go all out on a fair featuring stalls, games and entertainment.
Alongside the old faithfuls, consider holding some outdoor events to match the theme of your project. Sponsored runs, campouts and barbecues are all big crowd-pleasers, but if you’re struggling to choose, ask parents which events they’d be most interested in attending.
Eyes on the prize
Events require prep and volunteers, and if your school community is on the smaller side, it might not be worthwhile holding too many of them. Instead, get creative with some non-event fundraisers.
Get the children involved with non-school uniform days, break the rules days, tea towels and matchbox challenges. Competitions, raffles and auctions are popular, and you could easily tie them in with an outdoorsy theme to remind everyone what their donations are supporting. For a super low-effort option, organise a big night in or sign up with easyfundraising, which allows you to raise money simply from parents shopping online.
Reach out
Crowdfunding allows you to reach lots of people for donations quickly. There are several online crowdfunding platforms to choose from, such as GoFundMe and JustGiving, and they take minutes to set up. This is a great option if you’re active on social media or if the school is willing to email parents with the link to your page.
As well as sharing your page with individuals online, you could share it with businesses to request sponsorships. Find out which local companies are following Corporate Social Responsibility schemes and fire off an email or, better yet, speak to them over the phone or in-person.
Doing the paperwork
If your PTA is a registered charity and looking to raise a substantial amount of money, grants are a great way to cover costs and, with a little organisation, are relatively simple to apply for. They take time to complete, so check the deadline and make sure you know how long it will take to gather everything you need, such as supporting documents and budgets.
Charitable trusts don’t usually advertise or publicise what they do, but Grants4Schools provides a database of the latest grants and funding opportunities available to schools and PTAs from the EU, UK Government Agencies, the National Lottery and Grant Making Trusts & Foundations. You’ll need to pay an annual subscription for this, but it’s available to all our members at half price.
Looking for some quick wins?
Want to help the children fall in love with nature but don’t have a lot of funds or space? Or maybe you’re pressed for time? Here are some smaller projects you can focus on that won’t break the bank.
- Green-fingered volunteers
Is your school’s outdoor space in need of sprucing up? Whether it’s just a bit of weeding, putting together a flatpack shed or planting an elaborate floral display, ask volunteers and parents if they fancy an afternoon beautifying the school grounds. You never know, it could turn into a gardening club!
- Pots and planters
If your school is more tarmac than turf, add a splash of greenery with some pots, planters and raised beds. They’re relatively cheap to get hold of, and you can get the children involved in sowing the seeds.
- Bug hotels
Build a sanctuary for insects, help the environment and teach the children about the importance of little critters by setting up some bug hotels. They’re inexpensive to buy and relatively easy to make from scratch if you have a crafty volunteer with some spare pieces of wood.
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