Is Daycare Fundraising Necessary?

Why is daycare fundraising necessary? Parents are already paying tuition for their child’s education…why should they be expected to pay for extras as well?

My mother has been the director or our church daycare for several years. During the course of the year there are a few different fundraisers that are offered to parents in order to raise some extra money for various expenses.

Many times daycare fundraising is done in hopes of cutting down on unnecessary costs for families. Tuition helps pay for general supplies, maintenance of facilities, snacks, etc. But what happens when something just pops up? Fundraising money can help cover unplanned expenses – transportation fees, broken water fountain repairs, new playground equipment. In an effort to keep tuition fees the same, daycares often run fundraisers so that the money coming from a parent's pockets can also reap benefits for each family.

Daycare fundraising is not usually just the buying and selling of a product. A daycare teacher or director puts a lot of thought into the types of products that are sold to families. They consider the nutritional value, the educational value, and the monetary value. Will it be a waste of money for mom and dad? Will it be good for the whole family, or just the kids? Will it make things better for their family life? Each of these questions and many more are part of the pre-fundraising thought process.

There are quite a few great daycare fundraising ideas available: Welch's Fruit Snacks, pizza cards, flower bulbs, Go Green fundraising, and custom discount cards are among some of the top choices for daycare fundraising. So the next time you are wondering whether or not to host, or participate in a fundraiser for your daycare, make sure you look at the reason behind the fundraiser.