School Fundraising: Commitment to Practice

I substitute taught a group of 7th graders yesterday and asked them to mention one unique thing about themselves. A good majority of the class said they were good at one sport or another. One little girl said she has either basketball or softball practice every day of the week, including the weekends. Our children already know how to be committed to venues that society values. They practice day after day to become better at their trade.

The same aspects of commitment can be applied while practicing the school fundraising presentation. Just as your child may have an instructor for dance or a coach for basketball, you are your child’s coach for fundraising. You can encourage your child to begin a practice regimen that can be carried out while balancing other activities. This can be a special time, morning or night, that your child rehearses the presentation in front of a live audience to enhance delivery skills.

As a parent, you can encourage your child to be committed to the practice schedule, and you can also coach the elements of the presentation. Your child may encounter a variety of people during the fundraising event. Adapting to the different personalities can be much easier with several days of previous practice.

Your child should be practicing daily. Being committed to the fundraising activity is imperative for it to succeed. Your child’s commitment to the project should not waiver if the determination and persistence are strong. Below are three elements to help your child stay committed to the activity.

Work on one element at a time:

Trying to focus on every aspect of the presentation each time will likely burn your child out and not be as effective than honing in on specific skills.

Write down the practice schedule:

Committing yourself in the written form has shown great success. You can help your child make a checklist so it is fun to mark each practice and what skills were practiced on that day.

Stay on track with your schedule:

Make sure you give your child a little slack. If one day of practice is missed, excuse it and get right back on track. The important thing to remember is that your child doesn’t get frustrated and quit.