With limited school funding and limited budgets at home, many people are searching for ways to donate to local schools without spending money. Painless and free donations may help schools without hurting the pocketbook.
Volunteer Hours Greatly Benefit Schools
Offering to listen to a child read, chaperone a field trip, help with tutoring, serve as a pen pal, or to talk with a class about a skill can be as valuable as a cash donation. Many schools have a great need for active participation by parents, caregivers, and community helpers.
People with various skills may offer free services to the school. For example, those with experience in grant writing may be able to help in the application process. Volunteers might to help fill school needs with general repairs, landscaping, and cleaning. Many of the teachers and assistants find it difficult to maintain bulletin boards with more pressing educational demands. Having a volunteer to cut out or put up a bulletin board can allow for more instructional time.
Schools Can Benefit from Purchases Made at Home
Gently used clothes that children have outgrown may work well for a school’s emergency clothing closet. Unused new school supplies, such as crayons, markers, paper, and pencils, are also helpful. Some businesses offer a significant discount for donated supplies, such as a backpack, at certain times of the year.
Many products have a cut-out for the Box Tops for Education Program. Over $300 million have been received by schools using this program. These “box tops” are located on more than boxes – see the official Box Tops for Education web site for a list of participating brands and products and additional ways to earn money for schools.
Save labels from select Campbell’s products for points for free educational merchandise. See the official Campbell’s Labels for Education web site for more details regarding points for products and special bonus offers.
Various grocers, such as Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Publix, and Kroger, offer a membership card that may donate to a chosen charity with each purchase. People with these membership cards should carefully review these programs to see if a chosen school is on the list and if the donation choice must be renewed at regular intervals.
Some credit cards offer donation programs, particularly during holiday seasons. Local restaurants may offer a percentage of proceeds to local schools on selected dates and/or times.
Online Searching and Purchasing May Increase School Revenue
A mouse click may generate money for schools. Some search engines, such as Good Search, offer donations to a chosen charity for web searches and online purchases through their site. Users may request for a school to be added to the ever-growing list of charities.
Some online rewards programs also offer an option to donate to a chosen charity under redemption choices. Examples of points programs include those related to purchases, such as My Coke Rewards; those associated with services, such as Blue Points with Blue Cross Blue Shield; or sites offering rewards for sampling or surveys, such as My Points.
Some product vendors offer scholarships along with a school funding opportunity. For example, high school students who create winning prom attire fashioned from duct tape can win as much as $3,000 for their school.
Recycling Programs, Talent Shows, and Coin Drives Can Benefit Local Schools
Some schools offer recycling programs in which people donate recyclable products, such as cans, paper products, plastic shopping bags, and ink cartridges, that the school then exchanges for cash while providing a more “green” environment.
Yard sales might also offer added income without major overhead costs. Many people will readily donate items they no longer need or use. In some areas of the country, yard sales are big business, and schools might consider renting spaces for vendors. Combined with effective advertising, offerings of snacks and/or a car wash, a yard sale might generate significant income for the school.
Although coins are still money, many people can part with a few cents much more readily than with larger money denominations. Some schools have had success with fund raisers in which they ask for spare coins, such as pennies on Monday, nickels on Tuesday, etc.
A wealth of talent often lies within the community. Some schools may find a great way to raise money is to offer a talent show or contest in which participants pay a fee to participate. This could be an opportunity to showcase skills that the students have also learned, such as a tinikling demonstration.
Donating to Schools Doesn’t Have to Cost Money
With so many options, most people discover that they can contribute quite a bit to their local school without spending any money. Donating time, clipping coupons to exchange for school supplies, recycling unwanted items, having yard sales, and searching for online opportunities to generate funds are just a few of the many opportunities to provide added funds for a school without having to take a lot of money out of one's own pocket.
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Katrena Wells - Katrena Wells is a RN in NC with 17 1/2 years of experience in oncology, an educator since 1995, and has taught exercise classes since ...
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