3 “Green” School Fundraising Ideas

February 21, 2017

Long gone are the days when schools only had art, sports, or music clubs to choose from. As students’ interests continue to expand and change, the number of after-school programs are growing at an alarming rate. But while more clubs are being formed, each is receiving less funding.

No matter what club you’re in at school, odds are you could use a bit more money. Whether you are in an environmentally-friendly club or not, every group can benefit from these pro-green school fundraising ideas.

Electronics Recycling:

The first thing you think of when you hear the word “recycling” is probably paper, but most electronics are recyclable too. Old cell phones, iPods, and even printer cartridges can all be reused in other devices. Place a small drop-box near the entrance of your school where people can leave unwanted gadgets. You can even get in touch with your administration and offer prizes or incentives in exchange for a donation. After a few months, go through the box and sell everything to an e-waste recycling company.

Park Cleanup:

Choose a local park, beach, or trail that needs a good cleaning. Ask friends and family to pledge a donation of $0.25 a pound, based on the total amount of trash you collect. But because these areas can sometimes be a dumping ground for refrigerators and washing machines, you may want to have a cap put on the donation amount.

Organic Fair:

Raise money by hosting your very own farmer’s market right on campus. Here are a few ideas of what you can sell:

• Organic seeds: Herb and vegetable seeds are a great product to offer in late winter or early spring. Best of all, seeds have great margins so you can buy them for very cheap (or free if you already have the fruit) and then sell them for a higher price.
• Organic food: There are all sorts of organic products that you can sell to raise funds, including gourmet chocolate, snack foods, nuts, and spices. Ask local organic vendors for donations or make your own food at home.

Here at Nickerson Corporation, we are also heavily committed to engaging in environmentally friendly business practices and make it a priority to work with manufacturers who share similar values. To keep up with our green efforts, we offer products that are durable (to minimize waste), made from easily replicable parts (to eliminate the need to completely replace such products), and manufactured in a way that does not emit damaging products into our environment. For more information on how we can help you go green in your classroom, please give us a call at (631) 666-0200!