There's a pandemic raging around us. So many schools and communities in lockdown. Should we even be doing school fundraising? Yes. Yes we should. And here are four good reasons why.
In normal times we raise funds to provide needed resources for our students. This need doesn't go away in the middle of a pandemic. In fact it might even be more important now, because when kids are at school they get equal access to the learning resources at school. When they're learning from home, some of them don't. Particularly to books and computers which are absolutely necessary for remote learning. School fundraising can fund new resources - including loaned resources - to help every child have the same opportunities to learn.
School fundraisers are joyous events! Something out of the boring ordinary that children really look forward to. Kids are hard wired to seek novelty - that's how they learn - and being stuck at home is undoubtedly depressing even with the most engaging of remote learning efforts. Kids need sparks of fun and new. Kids need joy.
Running a school fundraiser during a pandemic demonstrates resilience to the whole school community. It's more than just getting through a bad time. Resilience is about forging a way forward. Showing optimism. Demonstrating strength and assurance that we can get up, that we can thrive. There's nothing like a good attitude to make everyone's day feel better.
Or perhaps you want to use your school fundraiser to help people outside your school community? When we're locked down in our houses, our focus is often inward. Fostering compassion towards others is something we might need to actively be reminded of.
Is it even possible to run a school fundraiser during lockdown? Yes, there are plenty of contactless fundraisers. Whichever you choose, is it providing the value and ethos your school wants? Will it generate covid kilos? Is it environmentally friendly? Can it be an activity that can occupy kids in a positive way, to give busy parents a bit of a break? And is it easy for fundraising volunteers to organise, since they're also really busy parents working and helping their kids remote learn from home.
If you'd like to run a Covid-safe school fundraiser that ticks all the boxes, check out My School Adventure's novel The Art Show That Came To Life At [Your School Name Here]. It's an adventure gamebook that's uniquely customised to your school including 4 of your school's real teachers as characters, lots of school details and 22 possible endings! Students feel like they're right in the middle of a crazy and exciting adventure at school - even while they're stuck at home. Easy and high profit, it also encourages kids to get off their screens and read. Kids, parents and schools love it! www.myschooladventure.com.