Beyond the Bake Sale: The Ultimate School Fund-Raising Book

by Jean C. Joachim

All the ideas and step-by-step help you need to raise thousands and thousands of dollars for your school

With education budgets across the country slashed, parents of children in both public and private schools are taking up the slack. Parent-driven fund-raising keeps classrooms stocked with computers, libraries filled with books, and teams supplied with uniforms and equipment. Beyond the Bake Sale is a comprehensive guide to foolproof methods that will raise the maximum amount of money for any elementary or secondary school. Learn how the

- set up a fund-raising team
- find national organizations that will give your school a cut of sales
- put on events that leave bake sales and car washes in the dust
- run a pledge drive
- involve parents and get them to volunteer
- account for and distribute the money you raise

Complete with school-year timelines and innovations from fund-raisers across the country, Beyond the Bake Sale is the only blueprint you’ll need to start making money for your school this year.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2003

About the author

I've been making up stories for as long as I can remember. When other kids wanted to be doctors, teachers or firemen, I wanted to be a writer.
As soon as I could read, I began devouring books. I'd read anything I could get my hands on, but Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and Nancy Drew mysteries were early favorites.
In school, term papers were my favorite homework. While others bemoaned the amount of work involved, I jumped in, burying myself in research and writing the document with care.
Still fiction was my first love. After college and a degree in English, I fell into the world of advertising. After many years in corporate America, I went my own way. Working and raising two kids took all my energy and creativity. But when the youngest went off to school, all the stories ideas in my head came to life. Mac Caldwell and Callie Richards landed in my head and refused to leave. So I told their story. What started as one book has become six. Now I greet my characters every morning at six and jump back into their story, enjoying every minute. I'm blessed to be able to work at something I love. More than 70 books later, I'm still up at the crack of dawn, crafting the tales of the people who live in my head while nursing a cup of tea and a few pieces of black licorice.

Reviews

[Adam Rabiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Treasurer of my kids' elementary school I found this book filled with practical tips and ideas on effective fundraising. The writer was a parent and active PTA member of a NYC public school that has perfected the art of raising money. The book is filled with useful details that go "beyond the bake sale" although this timeless strategy is included as well. The techniques range from relatively simple candy or wrapping paper sales to very complex and multifaceted campaigns such as planning an outdoor festival or creating a flea market. The book lays it all out very simply, step by step, in great detail. If you are on a PTA, this book should be passed along to the school's leadership team and kept as a handy resource guide. The book, I believe, is out of print but the author went on to help create the website www.ptalink.org which is also a great resource for PTAs.

[Cilla Savary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't deliver on the promises made on the back cover. However, if you are going to take on school fundraisers, this book can be extremely helpful. It might save you more than a gray hair or two and can smooth the way getting to money raised for your kid's school.

[Pam Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is chockful of ideas to motivate anyone who is trying to do fundraising at their school! I can't wait to use some of the ideas at my son's school.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent resource!