How to Choose the

Start With Your School’s Reality

One of the most common reasons fundraisers fall flat is that they are chosen in isolation from the school’s actual circumstances.

A fundraiser that works brilliantly for one school can struggle at another, even if they are only a few suburbs apart. Before looking at ideas, smart schools start by looking inward.

Things worth considering include:

• The size of your school and the age mix of students
• How time poor your volunteers realistically are
• Whether families are already feeling stretched
• The facilities and space you have available
• Weather and seasonal factors
• Leadership expectations around safety, simplicity, and disruption

Principals and Business Managers often care less about novelty and more about predictability. They want something that is safe, easy to implement, and unlikely to create headaches for staff or families. When a fundraiser aligns with those priorities, approval becomes much easier.

The Four Questions Smart Schools Ask First

Once you are clear on your school’s reality, four simple questions can remove most of the guesswork.

1. How much time do we realistically have to run this well?

Not how much time you wish you had, but how much time you actually have.

2. How much pressure do we want to place on families?

Fundraisers that rely on obligation tend to burn goodwill quickly.

3. What genuinely motivates our students?

Excitement, progress, and participation usually outperform selling.

4. How much support do we want behind us?

This includes systems, tools, and people.

If a fundraising option struggles to answer these questions, it is usually a sign to keep looking.

Experience-Based Fundraisers vs Product Fundraisers

Both experience-based and product-based fundraisers have a place in schools. The key difference lies in how participation is driven.

Product fundraisers rely on transactions. Families are asked to buy something, often repeatedly, within a short window of time. They can work, particularly for simple or seasonal campaigns, but results are often limited by how many times families are willing or able to purchase.

Experience-based fundraisers work differently. They focus on participation rather than pressure. Students are involved in an activity or event, and fundraising becomes part of the experience rather than the focus.

This shift matters because:

• More students feel included
• Engagement lasts longer
• Families feel less pressure
• The fundraising pool expands beyond immediate households

It is one of the reasons fun runs and -athons continue to perform so strongly across a wide range of schools.

Why Flexibility Matters More Than Novelty

One of the biggest misconceptions in school fundraising is that success depends on finding something new.

In reality, flexibility is far more valuable than novelty.

This is where Monty the Monstar Fun Run stands out. Rather than being a single, fixed event, it is a flexible framework that schools can customise to suit their community.

Schools can run it:

• With colour powder
• With slime
• With both
• Or with neither

It can be adapted into:

• A standard fun run
• A read-a-thon
• A skip-a-thon
• A spell-a-thon
• Or almost any activity that suits indoor or outdoor settings

This flexibility makes it ideal for schools dealing with weather constraints, indoor-only requirements, or mixed age groups. It also makes it highly suitable for different regions and climates, which is why it translates so well across Australian schools.

The fundraiser adjusts to the school, not the other way around.

Another layer of flexibility is the choice families have once fundraising is underway. With Monty the Monstar Fun Runs, families can choose not only to raise money for their school, but also to donate their incentive prize value to one of the selected charities instead.

This option resonates strongly with families who value purpose over prizes, and it allows students to feel proud of contributing to something bigger than themselves. Importantly, it does this without reducing participation or placing additional pressure on families. Choice empowers engagement, and engagement drives results.

Don’t Choose a Fundraiser, Choose a System

A fundraiser is only as good as the system supporting it.

Schools do not just need an idea. They need structure, tools, and clarity. This is where many DIY fundraisers struggle, not because the idea is bad, but because the workload quickly becomes overwhelming.

Australian Fundraising provides a dedicated online fundraising platform designed specifically for schools. It includes:

• Student profiles and easy sharing tools
• Gamification features that motivate students through milestones and progress tracking
• Simple communication tools for families
• Clear reporting for coordinators, Principals, and Business Managers
• Built-in task lists that guide coordinators step by step

Just as importantly, the system is risk-free.

Schools do not need to outlay money upfront. There is no requirement to purchase stock, prizes, or materials in advance. Profit is visible as the fundraiser progresses, with funds paid out every two weeks, giving schools transparency and predictable cash flow. For decision-makers, this removes financial risk. For coordinators, it removes a significant source of stress.

Australian schools can also feel safe that the online fundraising platform My Profile Page is also ST4S compliant, providing reassurance around cyber safety, data protection, and student privacy. This is particularly important for Principals and Business Managers who need confidence that fundraising platforms meet modern safety and compliance standards.

DIY vs Professional Fundraising Companies

It is completely understandable why some schools lean towards DIY fundraising.

On paper, keeping a higher percentage of funds raised sounds appealing. For example, retaining 80 percent of $10,000 feels like a solid outcome at $8,000.

The problem is that DIY fundraising often caps results.

Schools working with professional fundraising companies consistently raise around three times more than they do on their own. This is not because families are asked to give more. It is because systems, platforms, and support dramatically increase participation and scale.

Using the same example:

• 80 percent of $10,000 equals $8,000
• 60 percent of $30,000 equals $18,000

The percentage is lower, but the outcome is far stronger.

A clear example of this is Quinns Rocks Primary School in Western Australia. With under 400 students, the school had previously run their own fundraisers, including fun runs, sausage sizzles, quiz nights, and chocolate drives, with mixed results.

Initially sceptical, they partnered with Australian Fundraising and raised over $25,000 through a fun run. What surprised them most was not just the total raised, but how much easier the process became with the right systems, online platform, and dedicated support in place.

More money, less stress, and a smoother experience overall.

Why a Dedicated Fundraising Coach Changes Everything

One of the most overlooked factors in fundraising success is support.

Schools working with Australian Fundraising are paired with their own dedicated Fundraising Coach. This is not a generic help desk or a one-size-fits-all approach. It is personalised guidance designed to fit the school’s goals, capacity, and community.

A Fundraising Coach helps schools:

• Choose the right fundraiser
• Decide when to run it
• Avoid back-to-back fundraising
• Split fundraisers across year levels where appropriate
• Use the online platform effectively
• Make the most of incentives and Cash Back

For coordinators, this support removes isolation and second-guessing. For Principals and Business Managers, it provides confidence that fundraising is being managed professionally and thoughtfully.

Good fundraising is rarely about doing more. It is about doing the right things, in the right order, with the right support.

Using Cash Back as Part of a Smarter Plan

Australian Fundraising’s Cash Back is not just a bonus. It is a strategic tool.

When schools run more than one fundraiser, Cash Back rewards strong performance based on how much is raised. This encourages schools to think long-term rather than reactively.

Importantly, it does not mean running fundraisers back to back.

High-performing schools typically limit themselves to one or two major fundraisers per year, spacing them well apart. Some also split responsibility across year levels, so families with children in multiple grades are not hit all at once.

This approach:

• Protects goodwill
• Reduces fatigue
• Improves participation
• Increases total funds raised

Cash Back rewards schools that plan well and perform strongly, rather than those that simply fundraise more often.

What Smart Schools Do Over the Year

When you step back, a clear pattern emerges among schools that consistently raise strong results.

They:

• Limit major fundraisers to one or two per year
• Avoid running them back to back
• Choose flexible, inclusive fundraisers
• Use professional systems and support
• Take advantage of Cash Back
• Lean on their Fundraising Coach to plan strategically

Fundraising becomes part of the school’s rhythm, not a constant interruption.

What This Means for Your School

Choosing the right fundraiser should not feel overwhelming.

When the right systems, support, and planning are in place:

• Families feel less pressure
• Volunteers feel more confident
• Results improve
• Fundraising becomes manageable again

The right fundraiser is not the loudest or most complicated option. It is the one that fits your school, your community, and your capacity.

The Right Choice Feels Achievable

If a fundraiser feels unrealistic before it even begins, it is probably not the right one.

The right fundraiser should not feel overwhelming before it even begins. Whether a school chooses a fun run like Monty the Monstar Fun Run, or a product-based option such as Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough, the right choice is one that feels achievable, supported, and appropriate for the school community.

With flexible fundraising options, a dedicated online platform, Cash Back, and the guidance of a Fundraising Coach, schools do not have to guess their way through fundraising anymore. Whether it’s a fun run, an -athon, or a high-performing product fundraiser, they can choose with confidence.

They can choose with confidence.