Valuable Skills That Students Can Learn From a School Fundraising Event
Fundraising events at schools are very beneficial—going above and beyond the main purpose of organising a fundraiser. That’s right; whether you’re having a school fundraising event to arrange funds for new educational resources, or for any other reason, it can have a big impact on the students involved. Put simply, school fundraisers are fun, engaging, and can teach students several valuable skills and lessons. Take a look at the top skills students at your school can learn from a fundraising event:
Teamwork—Work as One Unit and in Synergy
When a school plans and organises a fundraiser, they expect students to work cohesively. As fundraising activities are executed in teams to accomplish goals, students learn how to work in synergy and as one unit. It teaches them to work side by side, developing a sense of camaraderie and moving together towards a common goal. Teamwork teaches cooperation, compromise, and taking responsibility for one’s role in the team.
Indeed, the skill of working in teams is a valuable asset for children. It can benefit them in the long run when they enter the corporate world and engage in work pursuits in the future.
Goal Setting —Stay Laser-Focused
As fundraising events have deadlines, it teaches students to complete assigned tasks within a specific timeframe. Children involved in organising the event with teachers get hands-on experience on how to reach goals and meet deadlines.
Similarly, teachers also set reachable goals for students participating in the event, like:
- Staying positive
- Cooperating with a team
- Competing with a sportsman spirit
All these goals teach students essential life skills at a very young age. They learn to stay positive in all kinds of situations while strategising for the end goal without stressing out or being aggressive. If students learn these skills now, they can easily navigate the complexities of life when they reach adulthood. More importantly, they can set their goals smartly and reach them strategically while striking a work-life balance.
Communication Skills—Art of Effective Interactions
Communication skills can give students an edge in life. And what better way to grasp the art and learn the power of communication than through a fun-filled school fundraising event? A fundraiser in school encourages children to work in teams or with teachers and interact with other parents and attendees to raise funds and donations.
They learn to speak to people in a friendly and understanding manner, develop reasoning skills and get their message across. This gives them confidence and teaches them to communicate effectively with others. And we all know that good communication skills come in handy in both personal and professional life.
Business Acumen and Entrepreneurial Skills
School fundraising events are fun-packed. Students of all ages enjoy the excitement, engagement, and interaction that these events provide—making school life fun. However, at the same time, these also help transfer valuable skills in students. They may not need these skills now but as they grow and step into the professional world, they will be proud of their skillset as they swiftly achieve new milestones in life.
Yes, we are talking about their business acumen and entrepreneurial skills. Fundraising events like lemonade selling programs or Girl Scout cookie-selling programs teach young children business skills and the value of hard work. They may spend a few hours or a couple of days at the fundraising booth to sell their items and raise money for their schools, they put hard work into earning each dollar. This teaches the value of money, hard work.Simultaneously, they learn to deal with people and convince them to buy their items.
Other crucial business skills that they learn while fundraising for school is:
Attention-to-detail
Students learn to keep records, especially if the fundraising activity is sales-oriented. They keep a record of information like buyer’s name, amount paid, items sold and remaining inventory.
Customer Service
Students have a good understanding of the items they have to sell. This enables them to answer the questions of the buyers and provide them with excellent customer service.
Handle Money
As students make money by selling items, they go the extra mile to ensure the money they collect is accounted for and tracked properly.
Importance of Giving Back and Charity Work —Make The World a Better Place for All
Life is not just about becoming financially successful. Teachers and parents must teach their students and children to empathise with people and give back to society. If they have the best things in life, they must learn to share and help people in need through charity and donations.
It will not only make the world a better place to live but also give personal satisfaction.
And this is indeed a valuable skill and lesson that children can learn through school fundraisers. Fundraising activities held by the school for those in need encourage and teach children to think outside the box.
Moreover, it makes them work for the benefit of others. When you teach students to give back to society, you are shaping their minds to think beyond themselves. It shows them how little things in life can make a big difference in the lives of others.
Besides this, they learn to love people, share, care, and play their part as responsible individuals in the community and society that they live in.
When it comes to fundraising, schools need to come up with unique ideas to stir excitement and increase engagement. There are many websites online that provide ideas, such as schoolfundraising.com.au/fundraising-ideas.
You can use creative ideas to raise funds at school. New ideas should be encouraged because they:
- Keep the excitement factor alive
- Encourage students to think outside the box and experiment
- Ensure that students and parents look forward to the event
- Foster an environment of innovation
- Give you a chance to try new things and see how people and students respond
So, try new ways to keep students and parents involved during a fundraising event while ensuring that students learn essential skills that can help them today and in the future.
