When local governments are falling far short of their desired budgets and school districts across the country are cutting once essential programs just to stay open, parents, students and affected communities are starting to get creative. Instead of waiting for new revenue to come in through tax hikes or ballot proposals, many groups are taking a proactive approach to fill the budget gaps.

While some communities are standing by traditional fundraising techniques, such as car washes and bake sales, other communities are going for the gold, participating in high stakes fundraising in hopes of high stakes returns.

One such group based in Orange County, California Irvine Public Schools Foundation, currently raffling a house worth $700,000!

While a traditional raffle might offer small value tickets to a large number of individuals for a mid-level prize, a high value raffle involves selling a limited number of high value tickets for a very coveted grand prize such as a house or large cash payoff. The tickets for the Irvine Public Schools Foundation raffle are $150 each.

While the tickets may be out of some buyer's budgets, the foundation has provided other opportunities so everyone in the community can contribute. In addition to the raffle, a fundraisng concert is also being held. Tickets to the event are between $12 – $15, and raffle ticket holders get in for free. The whole community gets to participate.

Other communities are also getting creative. In Cupertino, California  parents got together and raised $2 million dollars for their local school district in less than two months. Some of this was done through traditional fundraisers like garage sales and silent auctions. The parents also asked each member of the school community to donate a specific amount of money. Again, in this fundraiser, no one was left out. If one family couldn't donate, a family with more means stepped in and contributed on their behalf.

The money will go to save over 100 teachers jobs.

While times are especially tough on education, glimmers of hope can be found when teachers, parents and communities get creative with their fundraising efforts.

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The news can't be avoided. Our public schools are in the midst of an unprecedented budget crisis. All across the nation, school districts are being forced to cut back on programs. In many places, sports, music, arts, foreign languages and other curriculum which are often considered "non-essential" have already seen the chopping block. Forced to tighten their belts, school districts now have to make tough decisions about where to cut next. Proposals such as reducing staff, laying off teachers and cutting the school day and year have all been put forward as budgets continue to shrink.

In a time of such fiscal crisis, school fundraising has become more vital than ever. Many communities are stepping up the effort to bring in new streams of revenue so they can support their students and supplement shrinking government funding.

Unfortunately, with so many groups adding their voice to the fundraising chorus, the effort to raise funds has become a cacophony. Savvy community members and parents can find themselves frustrated, wanting to provide the best education for their children and finding hands out grasping for funding at every turn. Some individuals, tired of the constant barrage of requests, have been turned off completely from the idea of donating to yet another school related cause.

Many fundraisers feel all too familiar. Car washes, bake sales, and candy bar drives all fade into one another, occurring so frequently that community members become exhausted. Confronted by so many causes it's impossible to keep track of what they have contributed to. Overwhelmed by the crowded fundraising market, some individuals simply stop giving, feeling they have given enough already.

In light of this, it's important to meet fundraising burnout, with creative and savvy solutions. If your organization finds that its donations are decreasing, it may be time to reassess your efforts and give your fundraising plan a makeover.
 
Consider what  West Lafayette, School District in Indiana did when it found its schools falling far short of its desired budget. Realizing that many small fundraisers were raising just a little money here or there in a scattershot approach, members of the community created a foundation through which all of the money could be funneled through. Though a number of fundraisers, from barbecues to garage sales, take place, participants know the money goes to one organization. With a united community, the foundation has more power to not only raise funds, but has a strong recognizable brand that can put itself behind political efforts to get new school funding referendums on the ballot.

In this way, traditional fundraising like school carnivals and raffles don't have to be thrown out completely. Instead the school fundraising groups organize around a central organization that the community can recognize and rally around.
 

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On Saturday, February 27, a devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake tore across the South American nation of Chile, followed by an equally terrible tsunami. These related disasters left widespread death and destruction in their wake. To date, at least 700 people are known to have been killed in the tragedy, with more victims sure to surface. Many thousands more remain homeless in the aftermath. Full recovery for the country will be years in the making, according to all estimates.

The American Red Cross responded to the disaster with an immediate $50,000 pledge from its International Response Fund, intended to bring immediate relief where help is needed most. TicketPrinting.com salutes the valiant efforts of this organization.

In support of the Red Cross, we will be donating $1 from every order you place in the month of March to the Red Cross. Make your events count a little more! If you’re planning to place an order with us in the near future, why not go ahead and order today? If you were undecided about your plans, why not let this added bit of charity be the incentive to create your own Event Kits?

TicketPrinting.com supports the recovery efforts in Chile and the work of the Red Cross around the world. We’re proud to donate some of our profits to a worthy organization and hope you'll join us in supporting the recovery efforts.

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