Case study: how to make your school community your best fundraising asset

Struggling to balance the budget? Lucky enough to have parents who can help out? Read on to see how Horniman Primary School has harnessed the power of the local community to double the PTA's annual fundraising income, to maintain what parents value most about the school.

Last reviewed on 2 September 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 34067
Contents
  1. Get stakeholders on board
  2. Focus on specific projects
  3. Avoid overburdening parents – use other resources too
  4. Publicise your fundraising efforts
  5. Impact 

The governing board at Horniman Primary School knew the school was in a difficult funding situation, and national news assured them they weren't alone.

Working together, governors and the parent-teacher association (PTA) decided that if cuts were to be made, the school community needed to help decide what should be protected at all costs – beyond what the school was able to fund – and help the school fund-raise to achieve this.

Although senior leaders weren’t closely involved in this particular project, the approach taken by the school could still inform your fundraising plans.

Get stakeholders on board

Canvas opinion

Start by assessing your community's appetite to help with fundraising, and work out what you can do to get them engaged.

Held small-scale meetings with parents and PTA members (which revealed that parents were keen to help the school raise money to avoid making cuts) Surveyed parents, asking what they valued most about the