Fundraising is a high priority in schools today largely due to budget cuts where even the BARE necessities are no longer available for teachers and students. Most all of us are suffering tremendously and spending our own money to purchase and provide items for our classrooms.

We should conduct an experiment. Take photos of your classroom throughout the remainder of this school year. When you report back to school in the fall, BEFORE decorating your classroom with items you have purchased, take a photo. Will there be any color in your classroom with only the items supplied to you through the school and district? Any volunteers sending me photos will receive a special little gift from Penniless Teacher.

Schools fund raise by selling items, conducting school fairs and a slew of other creative opportunities for “donations” to the school.

Raise your hand if you shop at Target.

TargetRedCard12.17.14

Target supports education by donating a portion of your purchases using your Target Debit Redcard or Target Credit card directly to the school of YOUR choice! YES, you choose! YOU tell Target to send your school REAL MONEY.

How? With the Target RedCard that saves you 5% every time you shop. No shipping charges, zilch, nada, none when using your Target RedCard online.

How much do you spend at Target? Do you grocery shop? Christmas? Back-to-school? A weekly trip to Target is on the table for MANY of us. Saving 5% for yourself while another percentage goes to your school is a GOOD thing!

Need a little more convincing? Search for your school at the Apply link below. Look at the results for our school.

A total of 65 people have accumulated $199.39 for the next donation to the school. I wish there were dates telling us the amount of time. Suffice to say that 65 people from a school population of around 700 is tiny! Imagine the total if even HALF of the parents were to be approved for the Target Redcard and designated the school as their recipient.

This is a program taking NO thought from anyone other than the initial registration. Target will GIVE your school money from the shopping trips you already make. Take advantage of it. Spread the word, share this post with your administration, staff and most of all the school parent organization.

Start a campaign earmarking all Target Education money to purchase playground equipment for each classroom teacher for recess! Pit classrooms against each others earmarking funds for books for the classroom library with the most parents enrolling. How can you get more parents to participate?