Well, it's our
DIRECT DONATION DRIVE.
We focus our primary fundraising activity on encouraging parents, grandparents, employers, and community groups to make a donation directly to the school. Money donated to the RCO's DDD is tax-deductible and 100% goes to support Ridgeline students this year. Not a penny goes elsewhere.
The RCO doesn't ask our students to sell anything, while many local elementary schools expect their students to sell, sell, sell. For some schools the year may involve selling cookie dough and then wrapping paper and then magazines and then pepperoni. And how much does the school earn, you ask? These types of fundraisers usually earn between 20-40% of the sales amount. THAT'S IT! Your child sells $350 worth of cookie dough and the school might earn $75 or $100 of that money.
At our first meeting (Sept. 24th) we will share some data on a few local school parent groups, and how their fundraising compares to Ridgeline's. Most of these schools do product sales, a jog-a-thon, restaurant nights AND a donation drive each year. Last year many Ridgeline families said we were doing too many fundraisers so this year we made a HUGE change. And, it's a big risk.
RCO fundraising will focus on the DDD for the 2013-14 school year. No Jog-a-thon. No read-a-thon. Yes, it's a gamble, but we understand that families needed a break. We've committed to raise $40,000 for this year to pay for PE, music, counseling and scholarships.
I'm confident we can do it too. It works out to $370 per family (or $37 a month during the school year). My daughter takes a weekly dance class outside of school. We pay $40 a month for her dance classes. So, I tell myself that for $37 a month both my kids get PE twice a week, access to an amazing counselor if they need it, plus Jennifer's wonderful music and choir classes. It may not be easy, but it's worth it.
So here we go! The DDD starts now.
