Believe Jay - Elementary School Fundraisers - School Fundraiser Advice & Inspiration

HAPPY WORLD TEACHER'S DAY!

2013-10-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

HAPPY WORLD

TEACHER'S DAY!

Happy World Teachers Day!
October 5th, 2013

World Teachers Day

Wikipedia - Teacher's Day

Successful Fundraising for Elementary Schools - Free Book Offer

2013-08-05T10:54:00.002-06:00

Successful Fundraising for Elementary Schools: The Complete Guide

A school fundraising book about how to increase revenue in elementary fundraisers!

---NOW AVAILABLE---

What's more, if you want a paperback copy, I will mail one to you free of charge while supplies last. Just be willing to give a review on Amazon.com after you've used the book to increase your fundraising revenue! I would really appreciate a few Amazon reviews and I know you'll love the book!

Request Your Free Copy!

Get your paid copy at Amazon.com:

Successful Fundraising for Elementary Schools: The Complete Guide

Photo/Video contest - 3 Schools to win $1,000 each!

2013-07-09T13:04:00.001-06:00

Three schools will win $1,000 each just by submitting photos and/or videos of how they went 'Zany' to promote their school fundraiser this fall. Take a look at the contest specifics and sent the info to whomever you think would be interested!

It's a great way to win twice - first by hosting a super-successful fundraiser and secondly, by sending in photos, videos or links to content that shows how the school raised more by promoting the fundraiser!

Elementary School Carnival Sign Ideas - Food Signs, Banners, Posters, Flyers - PRINTABLES for PTA / PTO!!!

2013-06-03T16:30:00.002-06:00

Free PDF of Elementary School Spring Carnival Sign Printables

I just created some signs and food menus for my son's school carnival and thought it would be nice to share in case anyone else out there could benefit from them. Perfect for PTA or PTO members preparing for a spring carnival!

Essentially, from SlideShare, you can download the document (using the save button at the top of the presentation) and use any of the content there to make your own elementary school spring carnival signs!

Hope it helps! View & Download here:

http://www.slideshare.net/believekids/elementary-school-spring-carnival-sign-ideas-printables-printable-posters-banners-signs

Ok, check it out and remember to save it to your computer in PDF format!! Here again is the link:

http://www.slideshare.net/believekids/elementary-school-spring-carnival-sign-ideas-printables-printable-posters-banners-signs

Ok, until next time!!!

_______________

twitter.com/believekids
facebook.com/believekids
elementary school fundraising

Free eBook - 101: Low & No Cost Promotions for your Fundraiser...

2013-05-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! For a PDF copy of the 101: Low & No Cost Promotions for your Fundraiser - Click the link on the right hand side of this page! Section 2 is a link to the download - it's free!

http://believejay.blogspot.com/2012/04/101-low-no-cost-promotions-for-your.html

Entertainment Book Fundraiser Open for Business and Coming Out of Bankruptcy...

2013-05-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

Entertainment book open, closed, open again.

The closure of Entertainment book on March 12, 2013 sent a shockwave through the school fundraising industry. One question crosses the mind. 'How in the world does a company as big as this fall?'

Entertainment is a pretty big deal when it comes to fundraising companies. Although their commitment to schools and groups may change in the digital age, millions of people use their coupons for discounts in their local markets every year.

It would appear that investors played the biggest factor in the demise of the company, leading to a bankruptcy filing and complete shut down of the company - not the coupon fundraiser itself.

Of course, shutting down a company of this size gets people thinking and it wasn't long before family stepped in to reclaim the company making an offer of $11.3 million to buy the company assets.

Here are a few articles to look at for a better idea of where things stand:

Son of Entertainment Publications founders makes $11.3 million offer to buy company assets

Direct link:
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130322/NEWS/130329946/son-of-entertainment-publications-founders-makes-11-3-million-offer

_____

Entertainment® Coupon Book Company Acquired by Son of Company Founders

Direct link:
http://www.entertainment.com/about/company/press/entertainment-coupon-book-company-acquired-by-son-of-company-founders/

_____

So, how will the Entertainment book fare with their comeback? I guess nobody knows. From what I can gather, they seem confident in their ability to change with the times. They suggest that their business model had nothing to do with the bankruptcy so by all accounts they may just be back in business.

Here is the original post with the comeback announcement comment at the bottom of the post:

Entertainment Book Maker Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Closes Doors...

Direct link:
http://believejay.blogspot.com/2013/03/entertainment-book-maker-files-for.html?showComment=1365528483548#c8898169890489751275

__________________________

Ok, until next time

Twitter - @BelieveKids
Facebook - @BelieveKids
Pinterest - @BelieveKids
Elementary School Fundraising

iPad Resources for the Classroom #edtech

2013-05-16T09:52:00.002-06:00

iPads in the classroom are incredible learning tools!

Let's face it, learning has changed and there's just a bit of a lag before everyone is using a device such as the iPad to effectively teach and learn inside the classroom. If you're able to or have already integrated iPads in your school, you'll quickly realize many resources exist to help ensure a smooth and effective transition.

Here are some resources that will help!

Quick List of iPad Resources in the Classroom

direct:
http://blog.web20classroom.org/2011/03/quick-list-of-ipad-resources-for.html

Free Elementary School Fundraising Samples & Info...

2013-04-29T14:48:00.000-06:00

In your travels you'll run across many fundraisers. The thing is, how do you know which fundraiser is right for your school or group?

The decision process you go through should go further than just feeling right. Your decision should be based on what is right for your school at the time you will be running it.

Things like 'I need the highest amount of money that can be raised' or 'This is a secondary fundraiser' are important to know.

If you decide you need to raise top-dollar, there are only a few companies that can do that effectively for you, without adding work to your already busy schedules (or interrupting class time).

Go ahead and follow the instructions on the video to get elementary school fundraising information from Believe Kids BEFORE you make your next fundraising decision.

Thanks much!!!

http://believekids.com/ is direct link - click on Free Info Kit on the top of the page.

Spring School Fundraising Flower Bulbs - Checkout this flower bed!

2013-04-17T16:52:00.000-06:00

While it's snowing in our Denver headquarters, I received a photo of a flower bed in Texas where the Believe Kids flower bulbs were planted a few months ago from a school fundraiser. This looks amazing so I wanted you to see it!

Amazing flower bed of school fundraising spring flower bulbs

Pretty amazing! Ok, thanks for looking!

____________________

This blog URL: BelieveJay.Blogspot.com
Flower bulb fundraiser

Keep Calm and Believe

2013-03-29T12:36:00.001-06:00

Keep Calm and Believe

__________________________________________________________

Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising helps schools nationwide become believers! Schools can raise more while fundraising less! It's a simple two-week traditional fundraiser with a twist - it's REMARKABLE! High dollars, unreal products and promotion on facebook and twitter just to name a few.

Find out if it's right for your school: Elementary school fundraising at www.BelieveKids.com

Ok, until next time!

School Fundraising Gaps - Reasons for Poor Fundraising Results...

2013-03-27T12:59:00.002-06:00

School Fundraising Revenue Gap

I ran across a news story (link below) where one school raised $22k and another raised $2k.

There is talk about the income of parents being different, the number of students being more at one school and possibility that there may have been some donated items. These just aren't true reasons - there's more here than meets the eye.

Here's the thing... it's not economic and it has nothing to do with the number of students. If we were to take a closer look, you'd see a difference in the way the fundraising is done at the various schools.

I do see a post or two about this every year and it seems that the obvious reasons are overlooked. One school made more of an effort. One school made fundraising more important. One school felt more of a need.

Today, many schools are able to earn $22k in ONE two week fundraising campaign if it's important and effort is put behind it. If a school raised only $2k, they are not fundraising properly. In fact, they may be doing nothing at all.

When we look at gaps in school fundraising revenue, it comes down to who did what and what did they do. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Thousands of dollars at stake in school fundraising gaps

Direct link: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/thousands-of-dollars-at-stake-in-school-fundraising-gaps-1.1212356#ixzz2OlZo3Dq0

Your thoughts? Chime in below!

_________________

top-dollar elementary school fundraisers
This is the BelieveJay blog at believejay.blogspot.com

Entertainment Book Maker Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Closes Doors...

2013-03-19T14:27:00.000-06:00

Entertainment Publications, producer of the Entertainment Book has closed it's doors. The Troy, Michigan based fundraising company produced a thick coupon book yearly for use in approximately 160 local markets in the United States as well as many in Canada.

The company, which has been around since 1962 reportedly had been experiencing internal turmoil with it's investors. A chapter 7 bankruptcy filing was announced on 3/12/13. In the United States, a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy filing means closing doors and selling off assets. Entertainment Publications layoffs were company wide.

What the future holds is uncertain. There is value in a business that has become a fundraising standard with schools and groups who make a profit selling the books but, what seems inevitable is that the school fundraising landscape has changed.

For folks with a 2013 coupon book, the coupons are still good and should be accepted by vendors.

_____________________

Here is a little note I wrote to some of our customers in response:

In the event you haven’t already heard, after over 50 years of operation, Entertainment Publications filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The closing of their office was abrupt and the company laid off over 600 employees.

Although we never considered Entertainment to be a direct competitor, many schools we work with have called in asking for advice. Clearly, the company was important to schools and groups all across the country and they will be missed.

Beyond the coupon books, Entertainment did offer cookie dough to some schools. In case your school is in need, we’ve asked our employees and representatives to be helpful in expediting cookie dough fundraisers to any schools requiring a quick solution.

The loss of Entertainment reminds us that many good people are working hard to support education each and every day. We extend our very best wishes to employees out of work as a result.

If there is anything we can do to assist you or your school, please let us know. If you need urgent help replacing a spring fundraiser call 1-877-7-BELIEVE (1-877-723-5438).

To View Believe Kids Fundraising Lineup, click here.

For News on Entertainment Publications, click here.

_____________________

Ok, until next time!
Elementary School Fundraisers

Elementary School Fundraising Bonus Offer - March 2013 iPad mini giveaway

2013-03-07T09:29:00.001-07:00

http://www.believekids.com/marchoffer.aspx

Can Parents Help My School Fundraiser Succeed!

2013-01-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, the parents in your school are the key component to your fundraising success!

Take the time to plan out the fundraiser so it's simple for parents to understand and participate in. Set an expectation such as the number of items a parent should sell. Communicate dates effectively. In other words, make it important and tell everyone what to do.

These simple factors are often overlooked leaving parents unprepared on turn-in day. Things like not understanding what is being sold, by whom and to whom top the list of confusions that leave fundraising packets in the recycle bin.

Reverse the trend of low participation in your fundraiser! Just make it easy, set your expectations and make it important! The parents will do the rest of the work.

Ok, until next time!

_____________

school fundraising

Should I Involve the Principal in My School Fundraiser?

2013-01-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

OMG! YES!!!

Involve the principal in your school fundraiser whenever possible. If you can host a concise fundraiser where there is 'buy in' from the principal, faculty and teachers, you can raise enough funds in one fundraiser to not have to fundraise the rest of the year.

Getting the Principal on board means that you can more easily earn the allegiance of the administration and teachers too! Go do it, you can thank me later!

Ok, until next time!

________________________

elementary school fundraising

$1,500 Early Bird Fundraising Bonus - Winning School Announced...

2013-01-14T20:55:00.003-07:00

I love giveaways and this one is particularly special! Check it out!

Should my School Fundraiser Have Online Shopping?

2013-01-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes. Your school fundraiser should have online shopping. As time progresses, it's becoming clearer that online purchases is just commonplace. If you don't have an online component to your fundraiser, you either have a funky thing going, or it's not as well developed as other fundraisers on the market. Online fundraising sales, while not the main way people purchase, is still A way people purchase. Don't miss the boat :)

Ok, until next time!

_____________________

elementary school fundraiser

Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising

2013-01-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Believe Kids is a nationwide school fundraising company.

The disclosure here is that if you read my blog, you'll know that I don't self-promote. At least I generally resist the temptation to talk about myself since we're all in this together. The things is, today I want you to know that my company hosts very successful fundraisers - high-profit school fundraisers that are easy to run.

The company mostly teams up with PTA and PTO's for school-wide fundraisers. Two main catalogs a year allow groups to successfully exceed fundraising goals.

No games, just amazing catalogs. So, after 10,000 plus fundraisers, we are certainly experts. Ask me anything and take a look when you get a chance.

Believe Kids Elementary School Fundraising

P.S. Referrals in every state including AK, HI, Guam & Puerto Rico :)

Increasing School Fundraising Revenue...

2012-12-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rewarding sellers with a prize program is a great way to go!

If you're concerned about how much money you can make from your fundraisers, that's good! Today, fundraising is challenging and there's not all that many good ways to raise funds. Obviously, I'm partial to Fall gift catalogs, but here's an older post that outlines the easiest and most effective way to increase any school fundraising revenue:

How to Increase School Fundraising Revenue

http://believejay.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-increase-school-fundraising.html

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

Involve Teachers in your School Fundraising!

2012-12-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you're hosting a school-wide fundraiser, you probably realize that teachers can be for you or against you. Take for instance a school where the teachers don't want any interruption in their day. They will purposely not mention your fundraiser, all but insuring that it doesn't retain excitement over the 10 or so days you run the fundraiser.

On the other hand, consider what happens when the teachers retain the initial excitement of the fundraiser from kick-off to order turn-in. What a difference!

Instead of kids forgetting about the fundraiser, kids can go home and encourage parents to participate! This is HUGE!

Why in the world would a teacher want to support a school fundraiser? Because if the school reaches their fundraising goal, they can sit back and enjoy uninterrupted classroom time for the rest of the year!

Ok, until next time!

______________

Support a school fundraiser

Keep Your Fundraising Short!

2012-12-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Keep your fundraising short and to the point!

Nothing is more maddening than things that won't go away... things that won't end.

Have you ever watched a 6 hour movie? See I haven't either. Probably because people just know that it won't fly. That it needs to be shorter. That it needs to come to an end at the right time.

That time, is around 1:30 with a movie. With a school fundraiser, it's 10 days.

Two full weeks of fundraising is the right amount of time to kick it off and wrap it up. Then, the only thing remaining is the delivery which will be a few weeks off in most cases.

Keep your school fundraising simple, short and to the point!

__________________

elementary school fundraisers

Incentivize your Fundraisers!

2012-12-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

One fundraising fact you may not know is that schools that decide against using the prize programs that fundraising companies offer, do way less in revenue than the ones that use the prize program!

Perhaps even more shocking is the fact that these prize programs cost the schools nothing!

If you're going to run a elementary school fundraiser, seriously consider the prize program you get offered. It will earn you a lot of money over no incentives.

Hit me up if you have questions about this! I'd love to help clear things up if I can!

Question... Why would you consider NOT using a provided student prize program?

Ok, until next time!

_________________

elementary school fundraiser

Fundraising Fatigue

2012-12-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

There's a real phenomenon called 'Fundraising Fatigue'. It's characterized by a reluctance to support fundraisers and other events at school as a result of too many fundraisers.

Pay attention to how parents feel about your events and activities. Search out the honest feedback but keep in mind just about everyone these days is somewhat resistant to charitable giving.

This resistance to charity sounds like 'I'd rather...' and may not be helpful. What is, is getting feedback about the way the school feels given it's various activities.

What you should look for is a balance of fun activities in varying categories. Fundraising should be heavy-hitting so you can spend the majority of your time on other productive, fun and educational pursuits.

Balance is the key!

Ok, until next time!

_______________

school fundraising

Support Your Child's Teacher!

2012-12-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Support Your Elementary School Teacher!

Before holiday break, do something nice for your children's teacher!

I know it seems like it would be fun to play with kids all day and have summers off. Yep! And this thinking is perhaps why teachers need your encouragement.

In school, the relationship between the teacher and your child is paramount. Just remember though, it's the relationship between you and the teacher that creates a team!

If you're talking with your child's teacher and supporting them, they will be encouraged to do more and perform at a higher level! There's this thing in schools called personal development. Basically, the concept that teachers will take it upon themselves to learn more and perfect their craft. Without the support and encouragement from parents, really, is there a need to be better? I would argue that the kids don't know what they are missing by having disengaged teachers.

Give your child's teacher some encouragement before the semester wraps up and send them on their holiday breaks with the incentives to come back in Spring fired up and ready to engage with the most important people in your world, your kids!

Ok, until next time!

______________________

Fundraising advice and inspiration