Start With the Goal, Not the Event

Before deciding between a fun run, carnival, walkathon, spirit wear fundraiser, or another school event, determine what your PTA or PTO actually wants to accomplish.

Your goal might be to:

• Raise money for new playground equipment
• Fund classroom supplies
• Help pay for a school field trip
• Purchase new technology
• Create an event that brings school families together
• Build more school spirit

A clear goal helps your committee make better decisions about the type of fundraiser to run, how much you can spend, how many volunteers you need, and how success will be measured.

Choose the Right PTA Fundraiser

Not every fundraiser is a good fit for every school. Consider the age of your students, the number of volunteers available, your fundraising goal, your budget, and how complicated an event your PTA can realistically manage.

Build Your PTA Event Team

One person should not be responsible for every part of a school fundraiser. Giving volunteers specific responsibilities makes it much easier to keep the event moving.

Event Chair

Oversees the entire event and keeps deadlines and responsibilities on track.

Treasurer or Budget Lead

Tracks expenses, donations, sponsorships, and fundraising revenue.

Volunteer Coordinator

Recruits volunteers and creates the event-day volunteer schedule.

Sponsorship Coordinator

Contacts local businesses and tracks sponsorship commitments.

Marketing Coordinator

Handles email, social media, flyers, school announcements, and family communication.

T-Shirt Coordinator

Manages shirt styles, colors, artwork, quantities, sizes, ordering, and distribution.

Event-Day Coordinator

Manages setup, supplies, signs, check-in areas, and event-day logistics.

Create Your Budget Before Spending

The total amount collected during a fundraiser is not the same as the amount your PTA actually raises. Every expense reduces the final amount available for the school.

Common expenses can include:

• Venue fees or permits
• Custom T-shirts
• Signs and banners
• Food and drinks
• Equipment rentals
• Prizes and awards
• Marketing materials
• Entertainment
• Payment processing fees
• Unexpected event-day expenses

Estimate costs before committing to purchases, then continue updating the budget as actual expenses come in.

Build Your PTA Event Planning Timeline

Working backward from event day can help prevent last-minute problems and give each committee member a clear deadline.

8 to 12 Weeks Before

• Choose the fundraiser or event
• Set the fundraising goal
• Get school approval
• Create the initial budget
• Recruit committee members
• Reserve locations if necessary

6 to 8 Weeks Before

• Begin contacting sponsors
• Choose T-shirt styles and colors
• Begin working on artwork
• Set up registration
• Begin promoting the fundraiser

4 to 6 Weeks Before

• Collect registrations
• Collect shirt sizes
• Recruit additional volunteers
• Confirm vendors
• Order necessary supplies

2 to 4 Weeks Before

• Finalize shirt quantities
• Place the T-shirt order
• Create volunteer assignments
• Finalize the event layout

One Week Before

• Confirm attendance
• Organize shirts
• Prepare registration materials
• Print signs
• Confirm volunteer arrival times

Find Local Event Sponsors

Local businesses may be willing to support your fundraiser financially in exchange for recognition within your school community.

Consider contacting:

• Restaurants
• Banks and credit unions
• Real estate offices
• Dental and medical practices
• Insurance agencies
• Grocery stores
• Local contractors
• Family-owned businesses

Create Clear Sponsorship Levels

Offering defined sponsorship packages makes it easier for businesses to understand what they receive in exchange for supporting the event.

Plan Your PTA Event T-Shirts

Before choosing a shirt, decide what job the shirt needs to do during your fundraiser or event.

Participant Shirts

Participant shirts work especially well for school fun runs, walkathons, field days, school 5Ks, color runs, and other large group events.

Volunteer Shirts

Consider using a different shirt color for volunteers. This makes it easier for students and families to quickly identify someone who can help.

Grade or Team Shirts

Field days and school competitions are ideal opportunities to assign different shirt colors to grades, classrooms, houses, or teams.

Sponsor Logos

For sponsored events, the primary event design can appear on the front while sponsor logos are organized within the available print area on the back.

How Many Shirts Should You Order?

Ordering exactly one shirt for every registered participant can leave very little room for late registrations, incorrect sizes, or unexpected volunteers.

Extra shirts can help cover:

• Late registrations
• Incorrect size selections
• Last-minute volunteers
• Staff or sponsor requests
• Participants who need a different size

Whenever possible, collect shirt sizes directly during registration and clearly separate youth sizes from adult sizes.

Promote Your PTA Fundraiser

Families are more likely to participate when they understand what the event is, why the school is raising money, and exactly what they need to do.

Launch Message

Progress Updates

Share updates during the campaign so families can see the impact their participation is having.

Final Reminder

Promotion may include email, school newsletters, flyers, social media, classroom communication, school websites, and reminder messages leading up to the event.

Create an Event-Day Command Center

Larger school events should have one central location where volunteers can answer questions, store supplies, and solve unexpected problems.

Useful command center items include:

• Volunteer schedules
• Participant lists
• Emergency contacts
• Extra shirts
• Markers
• Tape
• Scissors
• First-aid supplies
• Water
• Event maps
• Vendor contacts
• Sponsor information

Make sure every volunteer knows where the command center is located and who is responsible for handling larger problems.

Wrap Up the Event and Prepare for Next Year

The fundraiser is not completely finished when everyone goes home. A good follow-up helps families understand what they accomplished and makes next year's event easier to organize.

Share the Results

After the event:

• Thank volunteers
• Thank sponsors
• Share event photos
• Publish the final fundraising total
• Pay remaining expenses
• Document what worked
• Document what should change next year

Create a "Next Year" Folder

Save important materials including:

• Artwork
• T-Shirt quantities
• Size breakdowns
• Vendor contacts
• Sponsor lists
• Final budget
• Volunteer assignments
• Event maps
• Marketing materials
• Notes for next year's organizers