How Logan Village State School Boosted Fundraising
Logan Village State School, located in the heart of Brisbane, has long been a community hub known for its spirited fundraising events. As the President of the Parent & Community (P&C) Committee, Michelle Wilkie has spearheaded various initiatives to support school programs. However, the challenge of fundraising in a lower socio-economic area was always daunting.
The Conflict
The school needed to raise significant funds for a new electronic sign costing $40,000. Previous efforts like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day raffles were manageable but insufficient in reaching their financial goals. “We wanted to build out our options by doing another good fundraiser. Doing a fun run alone puts a lot of pressure on that,” Michelle explains. The 2019 cookie dough fundraiser had mixed results, selling only 456 tubs, which created hesitations about revisiting this method.
The turning point came when the committee decided to reintroduce Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough as a fundraiser. “We were a little baffled that it worked so well. We’re wondering what the result would have been if we’d promoted it the whole way through,” Michelle recalls. This reflection ignited a more robust strategy for the 2024 campaign, knowing they would be doing their major Colour Fun Run fundraiser with Australian Fundraising at the end of Term 3.
The Plan
Opting for something different to the fun run planned for the end of Term 3, the committee chose Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough in Term 2 for its novelty factor and ease of organisation, crucial for their time-poor team. They implemented a simple yet effective promotional strategy focusing on the last couple of weeks leading up to the sales, utilising social media, newsletters, and especially hard copy brochures that were provided to ensure maximum community reach. “Hard copy notes are always important to send home when promoting things,” Michelle notes, emphasising the diverse communication needed to engage their community fully. “It was a nice simple way to fundraise extra money without a lot of hassle.”
The Results
The 2024 fundraiser was a resounding success, with the school selling an astonishing 1,099 tubs of cookie dough and making $4,396 profit – a staggering 10% of their goal achieved with a simple, yet effective order form driven online fundraiser. This was a significant increase from their past efforts and a testament to the power of revisiting and improving upon previous strategies. The fundraiser not only brought the community together but also allowed the school to move closer to its goal of purchasing the electronic sign, with another major fundraiser planned for later on the year.
The ease of setting up the fundraiser, coupled with the comprehensive support from Australian Fundraising, ensured that the event was not only profitable but also enjoyable for all involved. Michelle highlights, “It has been great because it wasn’t any hassle and was easy to set up and promote.”
Michelle’s story is a testament to the potential of coordinating a well-planned fundraiser to significantly impact school resources and community spirit. For other schools facing similar challenges, she advises, “Give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose. It’s a great way to run a second easy fundraiser—just give yourselves enough time between the two fundraisers so that it’s not too much for the parents.”
This case study exemplifies how a well-executed and simple fundraising strategy, particularly with a product like Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough, can add important dollars to the bottom line of a school’s fundraising efforts and foster a greater sense of community engagement and achievement.
If you’d like to know more about running a successful Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough fundraiser, click here to request a Free Information Kit.
