PTA Fundraising In A Challenging Economic Climate
Now more than ever, people are thinking hard about how they spend their money, especially on non-essentials. We’re sure you’ve noticed that, in this economic climate, PTA fundraising is getting ever more challenging, but are you equipped to respond to it?
Recent research by Barclays Bank suggests that despite economic challenges (or even because of them), generosity is actually prevailing. The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone, but the resulting drop in disposable income is not dampening people’s charitable spirit. In fact, charitable donations are only fractionally down on pre-Covid levels.
Giving has gone digital
What has changed is the way in which people donate. Traditional channels have been dramatically overtaken by digital, with more people now donating through digital methods than through cash. PTAs need to embrace digital fundraising methods to stay in step with this change in giving behaviour. Of course there is still a place for traditional fundraising events, so don’t mothball your tombola drum yet, instead start bringing digital fundraising into your mix.
Incentives are powerful
There will always be those who simply cannot afford to contribute to your fundraising. But for those who can, you need to give them a reason to support you, rather than the mountain of competing requests they receive. One way to do this is to offer incentivised giving. Incentivised giving is very effective because people get the feel-good factor of supporting you whilst also having the chance of a prize or reward in return.
Examples of incentivised giving:
- Prize competitions e.g. guess the name of the teddy
- Lotteries, raffles and tombolas
- Naming opportunities e.g. personalised bricks
You may be wondering if incentives really have an impact on people’s decision-making. The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Research shows that 4 out of 5 people are more likely to contribute to a fundraising lottery than they are to make a donation. Additionally, 4 out of 5 people who support a fundraising lottery make a second purchase. The average length of time that people support a lottery varies from 18 months to 4 years, much better than one-off fundraising methods.
Digital + Incentivised = a win-win situation
If you can combine the ease of fundraising online with the lure of a potential prize/reward, you’re onto a winning formula. By launching a digital lottery, you are offering the convenience of supporting your PTA online, with the incentive of a cash prize. All you have to do is spread the word using digital channels such as social media. Just make sure you keep your messaging personal, and be sure to convey the difference their contribution will make to the school/pupils. All of that makes for a reliable source of ongoing fundraising income for your PTA, that requires very little upkeep.
Your School Lottery:
Starting a digital lottery is easy with Your School Lottery, and there are no set-up fees. If you’re still concerned about asking people for money at a time like this, tickets for Your School Lottery cost just £1 each. Over 2000 UK schools and PTAs already raise £millions a year with us. With just 50 weekly players you can raise over £1000 a year.
With Your School Lottery you get a personalised webpage to sell tickets from, free downloadable marketing materials and full customer support for you and your players. We process all the payments, carry out the draws and distribute the prizes for you. All you have to do is shout about it! Plus you’ll raise money week-in-week-out, even during school holidays!
- No need for printed tickets
- No need to source prizes
- No set-up fees, no risk!
See how Your School Lottery can help make fundraising easy.
Sign up before Christmas to receive a free Art Resource Pack for your school. Just launch your lottery then contact us with the claim code PKIND3. For more information click here or call 01865 582828.
