If your kids are active in school then you're probably being asked to participate in fundraising activities to help pay for those extracurricular events. Fundraising has been around for years and is most successful when products or services are sold at a price much higher than the cost of the products or services provided, thus maximizing profits. Here are three thrifty fundraising activities perfect for any parent and school fundraising event.

1)     Scratch Cards - This is one of the latest crazes in fundraising. Scratch cards are just like the lottery scratch cards you buy at local convenience stores.  There are various websites online where you can purchase different themed scratch card kits or you can purchase customized cards with your school logo. The concept of the scratch cards is to sell the sheets of cards to buyers who then scratch off the cards to see how much they will donate to your cause. In return the buyer receives coupons to local stores and services.  And the best part about the cards for the organization is that on some websites there are no upfront costs to purchase the scratch cards and the profit margin can be up to 90%.

2)    Game Day Fundraiser - The game day fundraiser is being at the right place at the right time. Whether your child is in volleyball, football or band there will be times when they are performing, and that time is usually after a long day of work. So, it's only natural for you to stop by the snack shop to grab a beverage and some snacks as you watch your child shine. You might even stop by the spirit store and pick up a t-shirt for support. Creating a snack shop and school spirit store is a natural fit and a great way to raise money from parents that are there for the same reason you are - to support the students and their interests. When setting up the snack shop be sure to choose items that will make the most profit and if possible change up the inventory to keep the choices fresh. Always create easy to read signage that tells buyers where the proceeds are going as this may encourage parents to purchase more.

3)    Online Fundraising - Online fundraising is a new and efficient way to fundraise. One online idea is to partner with national magazines that offer discount subscription prices where proceeds benefit your cause. There are a myriad of magazines that offer this incentive as it also benefits the magazine with more readers and some profit. The benefit for the buyer is that they receive a subscription to one of their favorite magazines at a discount price and are giving to a cause at the same time. And since it's an online fundraiser you can market it through email. There's no inventory that you have to store or count and you don't have to recruit staff to sell anything. You just send out emails with a link to the participating magazines, buyers go online and purchase the subscriptions and the magazine company cuts you a check with the proceeds. It's that simple.

As a parent it's exciting to watch your kids participate in extracurricular activities. But in order to keep extracurricular programs in schools, fundraising activities are a must.  These were three thrifty school fundraising ideas designed to maximize profit and help raise money to continue the support of today's students.