Forget the Bake Sale: School Fundraising Re-imagined

In Petaluma where antique hunting is practically a contact sport, it was only a matter of time before a school opened an antique shop – or rather hosted a barn sale.

Three years ago, Harvest Christian School parent Elizabeth Molder saw the wrapping paper sale coming a mile away and suggested a modern twist on old-fashioned school fund-raising.

“I just thought wrapping paper?  Really? Can’t we do something a little more fun?”

She suggested that the school start an antique sale. Over time that sale grew and this April moved into a country chic special events building at Goltermann Gardens on Skillman Lane, where she has managed the marketing of weddings and craft weekends. The building is large and lovely and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Yes  has its Alphabet Soup store that raises money for programs, but Harvest Christian is setting a new bar for school fundraising by collecting and curating estate sale treasures.

The Harvest Barn Estate Collective now hosts monthly three-day weekend sales that include everything from “farm fresh” antique furniture to vintage jewelry. It’s a lot of work and Molder says that she couldn’t do it without help from Lesley Papola of Farmers Wife Barntique. The next sales is set for Dec. 2, 3 and 4.

“We have such a lovely space now and we will be including vendors, kind of like an antique collective. We’re building the smartest school fundraiser in town,” said Papola.

Indeed, word of the Harvest Barn inspired a little friendly competition between professional antique sellers. When organizers realized they could sell raffle tickets at a dollar a piece, auctioning off a single one-hour of pre-shopping before the sale opened to the public, the line went out the door.

Public and private schools alike can face huge funding shortfalls and look to parents to help fill in the gap. Step out for a phone call during a PTA meeting and you could find yourself in charge of hawking a mountain of candy bars or swinging signs at a car wash.

At , Education Foundation board member Scott Pritchard said the challenge is keeping the lines of communications open between the school and the parents. Last year the westside school tried a new approach and had a State of the School Address that coincided with the Spring fund-raising campaign.

“We do a very pointed ‘ask.’ We articulate our need with total transparency via letters and phone banking, and detail exactly where the monies donated go within the school,” he said. “Our principal was great and had a district financial staff member there to answer questions for the families. This was very well received and our drive was a success due to the generosity of the families through one time and monthly donations.”

Partnering with the PTA, Pritchard said Education Foundation events are separate and timed in an effort to avoid the volunteer/donor burnout. Fund-raising at Cherry Valley focuses primarily on supporting visual and performing arts, band and chorus, guidance counselor hours, math intervention and the garden program.

“Our PTA has done an amazing job with the Cherry Jubilee, which is silent and live auctions with a sit-down dinner. They also have pancake breakfasts, bingo night, Earth Day, etc.”

Harvest Christian, which was founded in 2005 and serves families with children in grades K – 8 is a small school with big dreams of building its own high school. 

“We feel so blessed to have a beautiful place to host our sales. My son is in fifth grade and I’m really hoping he will be attending Harvest Christian High School,” said Molder.

Think all the good fundraising ideas are taken? Think again. Cookie dough might be on the way out, but pies are getting hot.

A little bird told me that Grant School may be trying out a new fund-raising idea – selling Christine's Upper Crust Pies. Voted “Best of the West” by Sunset Magazine the pies are made from scratch in San Rafael, include gluten free choices, cost $20 and raise $8 to $10 for the school, depending on the total number of pies sold. 

"St. Vincent High School Debate Team sold over 300 pies and made over $2500," said Jennifer O'Connor, fundraiser coordinator for Upper Crust Pies.

Have a news tip about what's going on in the community? Send Rayne Wolfe a message at newsyrayne@gmail.com