Blog
Changing the Fundraising Game for Elementary Schools
Double Good
April 10, 2025 • Read 4 Min
Every elementary school wants to provide the most enhanced learning experiences possible for its students, through programs and resources that expand the educational scope beyond the basic curriculum.
“If my dreams don’t exceed my budget,” says Eric Dockery, principal of Chicago’s Edgar Allan Poe Classical Elementary School, “I’m not dreaming big enough.”
Annual budgets only go so far. So how can elementary schools ensure the art programs, band and orchestra programs, foreign-language and STEM clubs, field trips and other extracurricular activities that enrich learning are prioritized?
How can they deliver enhanced educational experiences that foster the innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that allow us to raise the next generation of leaders?
How can they afford learning resources like the virtual-reality glasses Principal Dockery had on his wish list for years?
Through fundraising.
“We get only so much money from the district, and it’s never enough."
Eric Dockery
Principal, Edgar Allen Poe Elementary
“We get only so much money from the district, and it’s never enough,” states Principal Dockery. “So we constantly have to fundraise and find sources of revenue to deliver the learning opportunities we want to provide for our students.”
Committed educators often make up the shortfall out of their own pockets. A recent NEA Today article found that educators spend an average of $500 to $750 of their own money each year on the supplies their students need. The article cited a U.S. Department of Education survey that showed 94 percent of teachers use personal funds to purchase classroom necessities.
Fundraising is essential for elementary schools that want to provide the best learning experiences for students, lessen the burden on teachers to cover classroom necessities, and pursue items and experiences beyond the basics.
But the task and time it takes to fundraise far too often become the responsibility of parents and educators who have many other responsibilities.
Is the expected return worth the effort?
Many elementary schools conduct a mix of fundraising activities throughout the school year. A recent study by the National Association of Elementary School Principals found that 76 percent of schools hold between one and five fundraisers yearly, with 20 percent engaging in up to ten fundraising events annually.
The fundraisers that are most popular with elementary school PTO/PTAs include bake sales, car washes and movie nights.
These traditional fundraising activities engage parents and students and demonstrate the value of team building, cooperation and hard work.
But they require a great deal of planning and organization from the busy educators and parents who run them, and the funds raised don’t always reflect the considerable effort put in by organizers and participants.
Double Good has virtually reimagined fundraising
And that’s why more and more elementary schools are achieving their fundraising goals quickly and with less effort through Double Good Virtual Fundraising.
With Double Good online fundraising, you sell made-to-order small-batch popcorn in a variety of irresistible flavors—and you keep 50% of everything your team sells.
Double Good’s innovative app makes the entire online fundraising experience effortless and fun for organizers, sellers and supporters.
Organizers:
can schedule a fundraising event in just days, instead of weeks as with traditional fundraising activities
schedule and share the event’s unique event code with their sellers
run the entire fundraiser from their mobile phone
achieve fundraising success in just 4 days
Sellers:
create their own online Pop-Up Store® (in just minutes) and share the unique link to their store with their family and friends via text, email, and social media
track all participants’ progress through a live leaderboard
send each other virtual high-fives and earn achievement badges
send supporters thank-you notes through the app
stay fully engaged through the entire event
Supporters:
shop, order and pay online
receive their popcorn orders direct-shipped from Double Good, so you never have to distribute product or handle cash
What can your school achieve with virtual fundraising?
In 2024, elementary schools on average raised more than $4,000 with Double Good online popcorn fundraising. But many schools achieved even greater results.
“I had no expectations on what we might raise,” recalls Principal Dockery about Poe Elementary’s first Double Good fundraiser. “And this little school, with only 200 students, sold $72,000 of popcorn!”
Poe’s next two Double Good online popcorn fundraisers reached $86,000 and $108,000 in sales, which allowed Principal Dockery to purchase the virtual-reality glasses he’d wanted for so long, in addition to building a game room and adding other educational enhancements.
“It takes a village for us to achieve our dreams,” notes Principal Dockery, “and we’re happy to have Double Good as part of our village.”
Deliver a lot more impact with a lot less effort
Want to spend less time organizing fundraisers and more time focusing on the items on your school’s wish list?
Ready to reimagine the possibilities for your students with more resources at their fingertips and educational experiences that make the school year fun?
Find out for yourself how a Double Good online popcorn fundraising event can take you there.
Recent Blog Posts
- Glazier Clinics and Double Good A Winning Partnership for Youth Football Coaches
- Poe School Online Fundraiser Powers Extraordinary Learning
- Camp ANCHOR Raises $114,000 to Upgrade Accessible Facilities
- Double Good Delivers the Future of Online Fundraising
- Danka Basketball Sold $50,000 with Double Good
- New Achievement Badges
- Delicious Ways to Accelerate Fundraising
- What Fundraising Organizations Need to Know about Tax Reporting
Now inspired. Let’s get fundraising.
Get ready to boost your fundraising game and create a Pop-Up Store that pops and helps you meet your goals.
Recent Blog Posts
Explore how Double Good Days lifts us all up