With the increasing need to enhance outdoor playgrounds and improving physical and mental health, schools are constantly seeking new strategies to raise money to develop and enhance outdoor play spaces.
In this blog we will explore the required steps to successful fundraising and discover strategies to raise the necessary funds to bring your dream playground to life. We will cover proven techniques and innovative ideas to make your fundraising efforts a resounding success.
You can use this blog as your fundraising guide to help with ideas on how to raise money, from a sponsored silence to a football tournament to an annual sports day, there are many ways to fundraise, just consider your target audience!
First Steps to Fundraising 
Having a well thought out fundraising plan is important for the success of your fundraising goals.
Below, we have outlined three key steps to consider as you begin on your journey.
1. Gather a Fundraising Team 
Assembling a team for your fundraising events who understand the fundraising goals can have a significant impact on the success. Whether you partner with your PTA or School Council, having a dedicated group of individuals working towards a shared goal can bring in fresh ideas, varied skills, and increased motivation. By combining resources, you can maximize your fundraising potential.
2. Establish a Budget
Calculating a concrete budget is crucial to bringing your playground ideas to life. By carefully planning and evaluating the costs, you can determine the specific amount you need to raise. This step is crucial in ensuring that every aspect of your playground is taken care of, from equipment to required groundworks. It can be time consuming and a challenge, but worth the time and effort to ensure you raise funds required by the school.
You want to see all your hard work pay off by ensuring you raise enough funds to bring your playground to life. Securing proper funding is crucial for making sure your vision becomes a reality. It’s important to obtain the necessary funds to guarantee the success of your playground project.
3. Set a Clear Timeline
Confirming a definitive timeline not only ensures that you secure the necessary funding on time but also guarantees the successful completion of your project.
Grants often come with deadlines for fund application, so it is crucial to stay structured to avoid missing out on any opportunities due to timing constraints. Remember, time is money, and you don’t want your efforts to go to waste by failing to meet a cut-off date.
When considering the completion date of the playground, it is fundamental to keep in mind the intended users. You wouldn’t want any year groups to be left out from enjoying the new playground that they worked hard to fundraise for and it’s essential to ensure that every child will benefit from the exciting addition.
Now you have got your team together, calculated a budget and confirmed your time line it is time to consider how you are going to raise those all-important funds; read on to learn more about fundraising ideas.
Fundraising Ideas
There are numerous strategies you can carry out to raise funds for your school playground project. From hosting a cake sale to organizing a fun run, the possibilities are endless. Engaging your school community in fundraising efforts can not only help reach your financial goals but also develop a sense of teamwork.
Below are some fundraising ideas you could implement at your school to raise funds:
Grants/Funding
Explore the various non – repayable grants and funds accessible for communities, including schools. It is important to do your research and ensure you have chosen the correct grant for your specific requirements.
These grants are varied throughout the school year, they are also sent at a specific amount that can be granted. Even though these aren’t a fundraising idea they are really worthwhile exploring.
Funding Size: £300 – £20,000
“Social connections and community activities are at the heart of creating healthier, happier lives and a flourishing society. That’s why we support amazing community-led projects.”
Funding Size: £300 – £15,000
“We’re here to support communities with the things that are most important to them when it comes to being physically active.”
Funding Size: Up to £1,500
“The funding aims to make a positive difference – because where our communities thrive, our business and our colleagues thrive too.”
Funding Size: £400 – £2,000
“Our mission is to transform communities and improve lives throughout the UK, complementing Asda Stores’ ambition to be at the heart of local communities, through building long-term community resilience and being there in times of crisis. The Foundation supports grassroots organisations in making a real impact, and supports local communities in emergencies, reacting quickly to help people in the immediate hours following a disaster.”
Funding Size: Up to £1,000
“We are extremely proud to be part of the local communities we serve, and that’s why we are even more excited to welcome applications for the One Stop Community Partnership programme.”
Ticketed Events
Ticketed events are an excellent fundraising idea and really engage the local community in supporting school fundraising efforts. If you can create fun activities and plan the events well, you will have no problem promoting the event and sell tickets!
It is really important to consider your target audience and ensure you use your social media pages and the school newsletter to advertise your ticketed event, if you want to sell tickets it needs to be known!
- Talent Show
- School Concert
- Quiz Night
- Auction
- Movie Night
- Football tournament
While these events may not directly meet your ultimate funding goal, they can certainly contribute towards reaching that final fundraising goal, and all donations towards your final fundraising goal are always welcome!
While these events may not directly meet your ultimate funding goal, they can certainly contribute towards reaching that final fundraising goal, and all donations towards your final fundraising goal are always welcome!
Community Fundraising Events
Fundraising events are an enjoyable way to raise funds, you can get the whole school community involved, and to really boost community spirit get the parents, grandparents, carers, cousins, siblings involved, the possibilities are endless!
Some examples of fundraising events include: 
- Cake Sale
- Coffee Morning
- Christmas Fair
- Summer Fete
- Fun Run
- Raffle Draw
This is not an exhaustive list of ideas; your trusty team can work together to consider these wide range of opportunities.
This is not an exhaustive list of ideas; your trusty team can work together to consider these wide range of opportunities.
School Fundraising Days
Fundraising doesn’t have to be a huge event for all to be invited to, they can simply be specific days in schools. By getting all the whole school involved with the event you can raise some great amounts of cash that will all go towards your final fundraising goal.
Depending on what time of year you want to hold these events, there are several different days that would be suitable for schools, read below for some top tips of fundraising days that the whole school can get involved with:
- Dress Up / Fancy Dress Day
- Pancake Day
- Read-a-thon
- Christmas Jumpers
- Sponsored Walk
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Break The Rules Day (take careful consideration with this one!)
- Sponsored silence
- World book day competition
….and the list goes on, you can be as creative as you like with the specific school fundraising days, and as with the whole school involved it creates a sense of community.
Local Businesses
It is always worth reaching out to local businesses and build up any partnerships that can positively impact schools and the community. 
By starting a conversation, you may discover donation opportunities from a sponsorship to a small donation, this will all be greatly beneficial to your fundraising goal and can make a real difference. You may even discover that some parents work in a local business that would support the fundraising ideas and even make a small donation towards the cause.
Taking the initiative to communicate could play a crucial role in acquiring financial support for your school and reaching the final goal of your new outdoor playground.
Online Fundraising
Digital platforms are a fantastic way to successfully share your fundraising efforts with the local community, adding great value to your fundraising toolkit. Whether it’s setting up a fundraising page, promoting a school event, selling tickets, or raising awareness among a specific audience, online resources provide endless opportunities to raise funds.
Social media also offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase the success of an event and serves as a powerful tool to inform individuals about the funds raised, or to visually demonstrate the playground’s installation, giving donors a clear view of where their contributions have been applied. 
No matter how you use these digital tools for fundraising, they will enhance your fundraising efforts.
How Can Fawns Help?
With our knowledge and experience of over 30 years we can guide you through your grant applications and provide you with any further information for your fundraising.
If you have a playground project in mind but require assistance in securing the necessary finances, reach out to us today at 01252 515199 or email sales@fawns.co.uk to discuss your plans and concepts.
Alternatively click here to complete our Contact Us form, and we’ll be in touch to discuss your project further.
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