With previous limitations on fundraising, treasurers for clubs, student government and other groups could have many questions on what is allowed to be fundraised.
Many clubs and organizations within the school use fundraisers as their only way to gain money to support the group. Knowing what is allowed and what is the most profitable can be very helpful when deciding on a way to raise money.
Fundraising limitations aren’t decided by the school, as some might think. They actually follow the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids act, which was signed at the end of 2010. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, this act’s main goal is to ensure children grow up in a nutritional environment.
However, this act comes with regulations on what is allowed to be sold as fundraisers on school grounds.
The issues lie with food’s nutritional value and whether or not the item will be consumed on school grounds.
“If you buy a candy bar, you are probably going to go ahead and eat that candy bar, whereas if you buy cookie dough, you will most likely take it home to cook it,” High School Principal William Deal said.
Previous issues with selling candy bars were applied because of two reasons: nutritional value and eating on school grounds. However, an item such as cookie dough, even though it does not meet the nutrition requirements, is acceptable because it will not be eaten during school hours.
Another limitation is selling food type of fundraisers at lunch. Students are not permitted to do so because it can take away from the school’s nutritional lunch program. This is the same case for the vending machines at the High School, which are also required to abide by the nutritional value requirements.
There are still more options, though. By law, schools are allowed up to 10 exempt fundraisers, according to the USDA, which is how many of the school’s groups and clubs have successfully funded the organization.
“The candy bar fundraiser is probably the most helpful because it’s one that I see happening with greater consistency,” Deal said.
By far, the most successful and recurring fundraiser is selling candy bars to the student body. For example, candy bars are something you buy at the time that you want it, unlike other items like hoagies and cookie dough where you may have to wait up to a month to receive your purchase.
“In the year that I have been here, we have not hit our exempt fundraiser limit,” Deal said.
Though there are many regulations on what we are allowed to sell during school hours, the amount of exempt fundraisers we are allowed to have every year is plenty for the clubs to meet their goals.
Overall, the regulations will most likely not be an issue when conducting a fundraiser and our school’s organizations can make a large amount of money through them.