Kari Austin is the chief school finance officer at Mountain Brook Schools in Alabama, and this year her district tried something it had never done. Its two-day teacher conference always closes with a keynote, and this year's speaker was author Allen Levi, whose novel Theo of Golden had spread through the community by word of mouth. Instead of leaving the extra auditorium seats empty, the district opened them to the public at $25 a ticket. It sold out in under 24 hours and raised more than $8,000, on an event that had never made a dollar.

Kari walks through how a two-person team ran it with almost no extra work, why the seats moved so fast (book clubs bought eight at a time), and exactly what she'd change next time: release all your seats at once, state your refund policy up front, and keep a paper list at the door. A clear-eyed, low-risk playbook any school or district can copy.

Read the full playbook: https://www.successfund.com/resources/playbooks/author-event-fundraiser

Free school fundraising: successfund.com

In this episode of Fundraising Ideas for Schools, Mark Walker sits down with Ashlee Scott, the first-year head coach of the Springville High School D'Velles Drill Team, to discuss how she revived the Junior D'Velles Drill Clinic and turned it into a major success.

Despite being brand new to coaching, Ashlee set an ambitious goal: enroll 100 participants, reintroduce a beloved community tradition, and raise funds to help rebuild the program. The result? Exactly 100 participants and more than $6,000 raised.

Ashlee shares:

• How she brought back the Junior D'Velles clinic after years of inactivity • Why partnering the clinic with a community parade created excitement and visibility • How she determined pricing and structured the event • The marketing tactics that helped fill the clinic • Lessons learned from managing 100 participants and their families • What she'd do differently next year • Why drill teams, cheer teams, and other school organizations should consider running a clinic of their own

Whether you're a coach, teacher, booster club leader, or school fundraiser, this episode is packed with practical ideas for building community engagement while raising money for your program.

Listen in to hear how one first-year coach turned a simple idea into a memorable event that strengthened her team, connected with the community, and created a tradition that will continue for years to come.

In this episode of Fundraising Ideas for Schools, Kassie, a dedicated cheer coach, shares the story of her Jr. High Cheerleading team's successful Christmas fundraiser. She discusses the strategic steps she took to lead her cheerleaders in a Poinsettia sales campaign, incorporating essential life lessons.

Discover how a simple holiday fundraiser turned into a practical learning experience. Kassie's coaching, covering communication, sales, and time management, went beyond cheerleading. The girls not only reached their fundraising goal but also experienced personal growth.

If you're intrigued by holiday fundraisers, cheerleading, and real-life lessons, this episode offers practical insights from Kassie's successful experience in teamwork, leadership, and personal development.

In this episode of Fundraising Ideas for Schools, join host Mark Walker as he interviews Becca and Lauren, two remarkable women who organized a Hot Dog Palooza event hosted by their employer. Their event aimed to raise funds to support graduating seniors from two different high schools in covering their outstanding fee balances so they could fully participate in their high school graduations.

Their event was so successful that they ultimately supported over 400 students across 4 high schools allowing those seniors to fully participate and erase the burden for them and their families.

Becca and Lauren share their approach to fundraising, and how they orchestrated the event that not only satisfied appetites but also warmed the hearts of everyone involved.

For those considering engaging with local businesses to help support a need at their school this episode is a must listen. So many businesses are looking for ways to give back, and this example is definitely one to learn from.

Join host Mark Walker in this episode of Fundraising Ideas for Schools as he interviews Kamiko, the teacher of Copper Hills High School's production and TV broadcasting program. They discuss how eight talented film students raised $20,000 for an extraordinary trip to Long Beach through their standout approach—an impactful video featuring the students themselves.

Kamiko reveals their key strategy: creating a heartfelt video that showcased the students' passion and dedication, forging a personal connection with viewers and inspiring support. Their goal? Cover their costs to participate in the Student Television Network competition.

Throughout the episode, Kamiko shares insights into their planning process and effective tactics. By leveraging social media, they spread the heartfelt video, generating a buzz and garnering community support.

Kamiko also highlights the profound impact of the trip on the students' personal and creative growth. It elevated their filmmaking skills, broadened their horizons, and ignited their storytelling passion.

Join us for this inspiring episode of Fundraising Ideas for Schools. Discover how a heartfelt student-led video drove their fundraising success through the human connection.