ALT-1 Valentines Day Fundraiser Ideas for Schools
Valentine's Day stirs up lots of excitement! ! Each February 14th, young hearts have expectations of flowers, cards and candies! And because of this, schools have great opportunities for Valentine’s Day fundraisers. There are several fun activities that schools can use to raise a bit of green by thinking a bit about the red! Here are a few suggestions:
Chocolate Sales
Every holiday has some confectionary favorites! For Valentine’s Day chocolate is tops! For Valentine’s Day fundraiser, organize a candy sale. Offer heart shaped boxes of chocolates, chocolate roses, chocolate “I love you” blocks and even large chocolate kisses! You can come up with inexpensive packaging or buy the items from the local discount store. You can take advance orders or have a table set up on February 14th. This is a sweet way to earn money for your school or civic group.
Flower Sales
Since ancient times, flowers, especially the rose, have been symbols of love! Selling flowers can be a major moneymaker for your Valentine’s Day fundraiser! The trick is to find a florist or store that can provide you with options. You can give out roses, red and yellow, or carnations. You can sell single flowers or bouquets. The key to this successful fundraiser is to advertise the fundraiser at least a few weeks before Valentine’s Day. Make colorful flyers that get the word out well! Take accurate orders and have the flowers ready for pick-up and distribution on February 14th! For a bit extra, you can offer special deliveries of the flowers for those shy Casanovas and Casanovettes!
Secret Valentine Ads
Advertise your love! And, get it in print! A great fundraiser for schools could be publishing "Be Mine or Valentine’s Day" ads. Your school paper may like this idea or your group can set up a special edition or webpage for this. Students can provide their own special messages or you can add names to pre-written messages. Charge a few dollars per ad and go. On Valentine’s Day, the special edition can be given out and watch as people search for their own personal messages!
Valentine Day Gift Sales
Sometimes, people procrastinate! Ignoring all the hearts and hints, some boyfriends and girlfriends wait until the last minute to get special Valentine’s Gifts for their special someone! So, why not take advantage of this! Your organization can set up a table offering a variety of gifts from flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and cards on Valentine's Day. Post flyers announcing the sale. For extra flair and cash, offer special calligraphy or artwork for more personal messages or touches.
Bake/Cookie Sale
Valentine’s Day is about sweet and treats! A bake or cookie sale is a great way of pleasing all those sweettooths. Have members make favorites- like brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and mini tarts. If you can, decorate your items with hearts. Sell your sweets on or just before Valentine's Day. If possible, bake on Valentine's Day in culinary arts classrooms, the aroma of freshly baked treats will bring the crowd! If you don’t have time to bake, collect a nice selection of pre-made cookies and put them in festive Valentine’s Day bags and sell these. Whether homemade or not, a good cookie is a treat on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine Raffle
Some folks are lucky in love! So, why not have a raffle with a Valentine’s Day theme. Raffles are fun and not very expensive to organize. In advance, let students and teachers know that you will be selling raffle tickets. Devise special promotions, such as 50 cents to a dollar for one ticket, but five dollars for six. Offer prizes. You can offer one large prize or several smaller prizes. Don’t break the bank on the prizes, but offer creative and fun items someone would like to gve on Valentine’s Day like roses, gift baskets, or gift cards. On February 14th, announce last minutes sells and then pull! Announce the winner and deliver the prizes!
Other Ideas
For those organizations that want to plan larger fundraisers, there are also great options. Planning a school dance and/or Valentine’s Day lunch are great possibilities and lucrative fundraisers. You can plan offering elaborate personalized cards or the school chorus can offer singing Valentines!
Valentine's Day is a great holiday for all. And, Valentine’s Day fundraisers can be just as fun! Happy Valentine’s Day (and happy fundraising!)
