Prizes & Awards Recognize Students Who Reach Fundraising Goals

School kids love winning prizes and getting recognition for a job well done. A competition or prize program can be a good incentive for students and families to participate in a school fundraiser. Just keep in mind that prize programs should be fairly distributed. Each child who participates should get some kind of recognition. Students who reach certain goals may get additional awards.

Some companies who provide fundraising programs simply offer a gift of their product for a certain number of products sold. This can be an excellent gift, as your school has chosen this fundraising program because you feel they have terrific products. This gives families a chance to enjoy additional products at no charge. A program that offers your students fundraising incentives is a terrific benefit, and something to consider when selecting programs.

You can also give everyone gift cards as a thank you prize. Gift cards give the convenience of permitting people to select their own prize. Many families appreciate receiving a gift card as a fundraising gift. This prize can be donated by area businesses.

Some schools find that electronics are a popular thank you prizes. Students now have cell phones, MP3 players and so many other gadgets. Video games can be popular prizes as long as they are parent approved video games. Again, these can be donated or underwritten by sponsors such as area businesses.

Another popular option for a fundraising reward is to offer a group activity, such as taking the winning children to an amusement park as a special field trip. Or you could take everyone to a pizza place or family style restaurant for a celebration. Many schools award these group activities to an entire class, or the entire school, if students collectively reach the schools goal. This style of prize is great because it awards group effort and helps students work together instead of in competition with one another.

It is also important to simply thank parents for supporting the fundraising efforts as they play a critical role in your programs success. Send them a thank you letter sharing with them how much money was raised this year and what the money will be used for.

On the other hand, awards can be a slippery slope if not handled with care. Some students may focus too much on getting the prize, as opposed to helping their school. If your prize is not good enough other students may complain that its not worth the effort. (They may be right; dont use cheap toys as prizes that are likely to break.)

Prize competitions should not encourage children to engage in unsafe behaviors. Now days most schools do not want students going door to door to sell products. Rather, group activities, such as a booth at a local store with parent supervision, are a safer way to reach out to the community. This way the fundraising program is join effort with parents and students.

When managed well, prizes and awards are a terrific thing to offer your students as a way to say thank you and great job! Use this opportunity to show parents and students how much you appreciate their time and the care they have given to your school.

About the Author: Jennifer Lawton searches for fun and creative fundraisers for schools, sports teams, and other groups. She is a frequent writer for superfundraiser.com a site that provides a free service that matches groups with the best school fundraisers and youth fundraisers available.

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