Dive Brief:
- Virginia-based FarmRaiser helps connect schools with farms and artisan producers to sell healthy, local foods instead of wrapping paper and candy bars, and schools get 45% of proceeds.
- The Washington Post reports FarmRaiser has expanded into 25 states in the last year, generating $150,000 for schools while sending 45% of proceeds to the local producers as well.
- Students are selling apples, artisanal chocolates, coffee, salad kits, vegetables and more through online “farmers markets” that list the school fundraising campaign information and the locally sourced products available.
Dive Insight:
Students and districts have to fundraise to expand opportunities beyond what would be available with money strictly sourced from state and local taxes, as well as federal dollars. Some schools benefit from parent organizations that bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars, while others make do with much less or rely exclusively on students to fundraise for their extra activities.
Many private and charter schools as well as public school foundations have turned to customer relationship management tools to organize fundraising efforts and extend the reach of their activities. Salesforce.org, for example, offers a Nonprofit Success Pack for free, giving these institutions professional, cloud-based software. The Newport Heights Elementary School Foundation in California has found this reduces the number of potential donors who fall through the cracks.