HOW TO FUND SCHOOL WELLNESS PROGRAMS:

Q1: Can our PTO recruit sponsors even if we’ve never done it before? A: Absolutely! If your PTO has recruited parent volunteers or run fundraisers, you can recruit sponsors. It’s actually easier than traditional fundraising because you’re offering businesses real value (visibility to school families) rather than just asking for donations. Plus, youth wellness is a cause businesses genuinely want to support. We provide complete toolkit with email templates, phone scripts, pitch presentations, and 3 coaching calls to guide you through the process. 85% of groups using our toolkit successfully fund Year 1.

Q2: How is this different from traditional PTO fundraising? A: Traditional fundraisers (car washes, bake sales, fun runs) require repeated effort every year. Sponsor recruitment is ONE-TIME intensive effort (4-8 weeks) that creates RECURRING revenue. Year 1 requires outreach and relationship building. Year 2+, most sponsors (80-90%) renew automatically with minimal effort. It’s like building an endowment—work hard once, benefit for years. Plus, surplus revenue can fund other PTO initiatives beyond just the platform.

Q3: What if our SADD chapter only has 15 members—do we have enough people? A: Yes! You don’t need a huge organization. Ideal sponsor recruitment team is just 3-5 active volunteers. Even with 15 members, you likely have 3-5 willing to help. Each person contacts 5-10 businesses over 6 weeks (~5-10 hours total per person). With 5 volunteers, you can contact 25-50 businesses, which typically yields 8-12 sponsors. Small, dedicated team is more effective than large, unfocused group.

Q4: Can we switch from direct PTO funding to sponsorship model in Year 2?

A: Absolutely! Many groups do exactly this. Common pattern: Year 1 – PTO funds directly from budget ($2,499) to get platform launched quickly. Year 2 – PTO recruits sponsors to cover renewal ($1,499) and generate surplus. This gives you time to see the platform in action and show sponsors real results. Or you can start with sponsorships Year 1—it’s completely flexible based on your group’s capacity and preferences.

Q5: Do sponsors in our community group model get access to student data?

A: No. Sponsors receive: recognition in app (“Anxiety resources locally sponsored by Smith Counseling”), logo in directory, aggregate usage stats (“500 students accessed wellness resources this month”). Sponsors do NOT receive: student names or personal information, individual usage data, contact info for families, access to school systems. All sponsorships are public-facing recognition only and fully FERPA-compliant. Think of it like sponsoring youth sports—sponsors get their name on banner but zero access to player data.

Q6: What happens if our community group can’t recruit enough sponsors?

A: Several safety nets: (1) Hybrid approach – PTO budget covers any shortfall, (2) Payment plans – spread platform cost over 12 months while recruitment continues, (3) Full-service option – we recruit sponsors for you with minimum guarantee, (4) Partial launch – start with fewer features/schools while you secure remaining sponsors, (5) Grant backup – apply for small local grants to cover gap. We’ve never had a committed group fail to get platform funded—we work with you to find a solution.