Posts Tagged ‘high school fundraising’

Tough Economy, Successful Fundraiser: Is it Possible?

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

With the US economy in turmoil right now, it is the turn of the stimulus packages and the new Obama administration to make the headlines. But what a tougher new economy translates to are tighter purse strings. Earlier, when you set off to raise funds for any cause, even a fundraiser was an easy way to get the required amount of funds. However, with people being more concerned about the money they spend, it is harder now to carry out a successful fundraiser than it ever was before. However, tough as it may be, it is not impossible. By employing the correct methods, you can still host a successful fundraiser.
The key to organizing a successful fundraiser under the present circumstances is to manage your budget carefully while taking care not to overburden the parents as well. This means managing your finances well as well as making the snacks available at the fundraiser appealing and affordable. Of course, health must be kept in mind as well since a fundraiser that sacrifices health concerns will never be a successful one.
First and foremost, go the healthy way when organizing a fundraiser, be it for your school team or for some other purpose. Obesity and Type-2 diabetes has found victims in an alarming number of young children today. This does not bode well for the future. The general lack of exercise, coupled to high calorie fast food has meant that most of these children have a great risk of developing serious health complications in the coming year. As a result, the once common chocolate fundraiser has been banned in most states of the country. New rules and regulations have been laid down to make way for fundraisers that are healthier. The California SB-12 is amongst such laws which pave the way for fundraisers which have far less health concerns.
When you set out to organize a healthy fundraiser in a tough economic scenario, you still have the chance of raising a handsome amount. What you have to do is order California fundraising snacks that are both tasty and healthy at the same time. Conveniently enough, you can order online or just call up and place your order. Once you do, all the fundraising snacks, generally arranged in packets of different prices, are delivered to your doorstep in time for your fundraiser. They contain an assortment of healthy, low fat and low sugar snacks, such as fundraising rice krispie treats and more. You do not need to pay up immediately! You can instruct the children to sell these snacks to other children at the fundraiser. Once the event is over, you get to keep half of the proceeds to yourself and send back the other half as payment for the snacks.
In the present scenario, a healthy fundraiser, therefore, makes great sense. Not only do you not have to invest anything up front, you get to keep 50% of all the sales proceeds. Basically your fundraiser pays for itself and then brings you profit! As a coach, you can now concentrate on getting the best out of your team!

Time to Give Up Chocolate Fundraising?

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

As a coach of the school team or the local team, you may need funds to secure your team’s dream entry into a national series. Such funds are generally arranged for through fundraisers where the children sell snacks to their friends and other children of the locality. A part of the sales proceeds pays for the snacks themselves while the rest can fund your endeavor and make it a reality. In the past, chocolates used to be a safe choice for fundraisers as children love chocolates and hence making a generous profit out of chocolate fundraisers was quite simple. However, the situation has changed now.
Recent studies have shown a very concerning rise in the number of juvenile cases of diseases such as Type-2 diabetes. Along with such problems, the number of obese children is also on the rise. Conditions like obesity and diabetes in juveniles can lead to serious health problems. Most of these children will probably suffer from weakened joints and bones, heart conditions and kidney problems as a result of health problems at such a young age. The root cause behind such problems is the lifestyle of these kids. They do not exercise at all but consume food items rich in calories, saturated fats and sugar. Hence, there has been a recent shift towards healthier alternatives when it comes to food, especially for young children.
With health concerns in everybody’s mind, the chocolate fundraiser makes very little sense today. In fact, it will probably end up being more of a detriment than a benefit. Most states in the USA have already banned it through legislation. In fact, the California SB-12 specifies with great detail the type of snacks that are permissible for kids events such as fundraiser. With less than 35% of the calories of permissible food items coming from fats and the specified low sugar content, chocolates definitely do not make the cut.
While chocolate fundraisers were easy to organize and raise money, there are options today which make much more sense while keeping health concerns at bay. California fundraising snacks can be healthy as well as tasty as an alternative to conventional chocolates. Snacks such as fundraising rice krispies treats can be a great choice for any fundraiser today. What’s more, they make great sense from the financial point of view as well. You do not have to pay anything up front. The snacks, arranged in different packets according to prices, will be delivered right to you. On the day of the fundraiser you can ask the children to sell the snacks to their friends. The money they collect can be split in half, one half paying for the snacks themselves and the rest being the funds necessary for your team.
In the present scenario, a healthy fundraiser makes great sense from a legal, financial as well as medical point of view. Thus there is no reason why you should keep a chocolate fundraiser in your mind. Time to bid it goodbye forever and focus on better alternatives!

Plan a Successful California High School Fundraiser

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

The state of California has been a trendsetter as far as its implementation of the health laws concerning children are concerned. With more and more children and young adults being affected by obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, the government has enforced a law like California SB-12 that clearly sets out the portion of sugar, fats and saturated fats content in an individual snack. Therefore if you are associated with a school in California, you need to keep in mind the clauses of California SB-12 as you plan a successful California High School Fundraiser. Obesity occurs as a result of an imbalance in the amount of calories consumed and the amount spent. Therefore it is necessary to look what you eat. All these point towards one thing: it is time to give up chocolate fundraising.

When it comes to planning a successful California Fundraiser, these are a bit different from the fundraisers organized in other parts of the country. The teacher, club leader or the coach, whoever is assigned the task of organizing the fundraiser has to do so by complying with the guidelines set by the wellness policy of the school which in turn has to adhere by the California SB-12.

The person in charge therefore has to look for healthy fundraising solutions to make the event a success with the children and at the same time keep a tab on the fact their health is not compromised with. Therefore the coach or teacher has to work to find healthy fundraising solutions to this challenge.

A search for providers of healthy snacks can be made on the web, browsing through the lists of what they have on offer and then placing the order. One can place an order online or over the phone. The healthy snacks that are ordered are then delivered through FedEx ground. Once these are delivered, then the person at the helm of the fundraiser passes on these snack boxes to the students who volunteer for the fundraising event. The students are then asked to sell these to their peers and the money from the sales is handed in to the Coach or Teacher in charge. At the end of the event, the part of the money is given to providers of the healthy snacks and the remaining part of the proceeds is kept for the cause for which it had been raised.

The best thing about these fundraisers is the fact that each snack in these events has less than 35% sugar content, less than 10% saturated fats and less than 35% fat. There is a whole range of healthy snacks on offer and the kids can choose their favorites. California fundraising snacks include
Rice Krispies Treats and several delectable items.

Initially, right after the implementation of the California SB 12 in July 2007, fundraiser organizers might have thought that planning for the same would not be as easy as it was before. But the truth is that with the easy availability of healthy fundraising solutions, it is much the same.

Fundraising With Wellness in Mind

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Of all the wisdom that we pass on to our kids, a leaf from the book definitely says “health is wealth”. So as we teach them to take care of their most precious asset, the onus lies with the parents and the teachers to initiate the process. This holds true even when you, as a member of the PTA or as a teacher is working on organizing a fundraiser. The purpose of a fundraiser is clear but it should not be the focus of it all. There are other things that need equal attention and healthy fundraising is something that has caught the attention of one and all in the current times.

The reasons for this are many. Obesity has emerged as a threat to children and young adults of the country. It has attained endemic proportions and you can come across worried parents at every educational institution. The state legislature also recognizes the seriousness of the situation and hence its wellness policies to counter the increasing cases of obesity.

The schools should have a wellness policy in place so that the fundraisers are organized in accordance to the rules and regulations laid out in the same. The laws should be in tandem with Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. In fact the concern of the authorities is apparent from the fact that some of the states have a much stricter wellness policy in place that outscores even federal policy. Though the policy may vary slightly from one school to another, from one region to another, the basic guidelines remain the same. The task of formulating a wellness policy is left to the local authorities as they are the ones who are fully aware of the nutritional requirements of their respective communities. California has led the way for other states to follow its implementation of the California SB-12.

California fundraising snacks thereby have to abide by the norms set by the health department of the state. According to the law, each snack should have less than 10% of the calories from the saturated fats, less than 35% sugar by weight and less than 35% sugar by weight. Now the wellness policies of all California schools include this clause. The rules for elementary school fundraisers are different. After the introduction of the law in 2007, it has become compulsory for all California schools to follow these norms while organizing a fundraiser. A chocolate fundraiser is a strict no-no in all schools of the state.

Though it may appear that these wellness policies have hardly left any room for organizing a successful fundraiser, on the contrary, it has opened the gates for healthy fundraising solutions. There are healthy alternatives to all the junk food and the candies that the children gorged on as their parents almost freaked out. Fundraising Rice Krispies Treats and various other low calorie healthy snacks have taken the place of all the fatty and sugary stuff. Without compromising on the taste, these snacks are sure to be a runaway success with kids.

California High School Fundraising

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Thinking about organizing a California High School Fundraising event? It’s always a good idea to plan ahead. How do you plan to organize it? What snacks would be offered? All these areas need to be taken care of in organizing a successful fundraiser. Food is an important component when it comes to planning an event for the young adults.

With the rise in the number of obesity cases among children and young adults, parents and teachers have now become conscious about what and what not to include in their snacks. So when you are organizing a fundraiser, pay attention to what you are offering to the children. Healthy snacks can be a better alternative to all those burgers and fries, chips and candies, and so on.

Wondering how healthy snacks could be popular among kids? It’s true that young adults are more concerned about the taste of the snacks than its nutritional value. Interestingly there is a number of California fundraising snacks that combine health and taste and are perfect as an alternative to the calorie-packed unhealthy snacks that kids of today are accustomed to.

The concept of healthy fundraising is fast gaining popularity among all. Be it a cultural event or a sports competition, you can always opt for the healthier alternative when it comes to choosing the right snacks. And do you have any idea how many lesser calories are consumed? When healthy snacks are opted for, the young children consume less than 250 calories.

The increase in the number of Diabetes Type 2 patients, in the age group of 10-15 years, in recent years have prompted many US states to ban fundraisers that serve chips and burgers, chocolates and candies. Healthy fundraising alternatives on the other hand opt for snacks that have less than 35% sugar content, less than 35% fat content as well as less than 10% saturated fat content.

Be it crispy cereal bars in different flavors or reduced fat crackers, crunch crisps or corn nuts, fundraising snacks are available in a number of varieties. California High School Fundraising can be a sure success if you know what snacks to opt for. It is not necessary that whatever is healthy has to be tasteless. All your misconceptions would be cleared if you take a bite of the fundraising rice krispie treats!

With regard to the financial aspect of the fundraiser, healthy snacks often give the idea that a lot of money would be wasted. However this is not a correct perception. Healthy fundraising alternatives do not always involve huge expenditure. The prices are reasonable and the different packages in which the snacks are available are also designed keeping in mind the affordability factor.