How a PTA Can Raise Money Without a Single Bake Sale

Most PTA and PTO boards start the fall with the same agenda item: how to pay for field trips, classroom supplies, and family nights without asking the same volunteers for another weekend. Bake sales, catalog orders, and auctions all work, and they all ask something of families.

The Reverse Fundraiser asks families for nothing. Here is how a PTA would run it, step by step, along with the questions boards usually ask. For the bigger picture, see The Reverse Fundraiser.

Step 1: The Board Approves It

Bring it to the board like any other fundraiser. A short motion is enough: the PTA will share information about Solar Advantage with families one time, and Solar Advantage will send the PTA a donation for each family installation that is completed.

It helps to name one contact person, often the president, the fundraising chair, or the treasurer. That person tells us the PTA is taking part, receives the flyer and the wording, and is the person we reach out to when a donation is ready.

Step 2: Share the Note Once

Add a short note to something the PTA already sends: the newsletter, a weekly email, or a flyer in the front office. We provide the flyer and the wording, so no one has to write anything from scratch. If you want ready-to-paste versions, see the wording to send families.

One note is enough. There is no sign-up sheet to manage, no order forms to sort, and nothing to collect.

Step 3: Families Contact Solar Advantage Directly

Families who are interested reach out to Solar Advantage on their own, by phone or through our website. The PTA does not pass along names, follow up with anyone, or keep track of who called.

We analyze each family’s home and bills, determine the solution with the best savings, and match the family with one of several licensed installation partners, who designs, permits, and installs it. The PTA is never part of those conversations.

Step 4: Donations Arrive After Completed Installations

When a family’s installation is complete, Solar Advantage sends the donation to the PTA:

• $1,000 for each completed solar and battery installation
• $500 for each battery added to a home that already has solar

There is no cap on the number of installations, and the PTA is never invoiced or charged. Expect about 3 to 6 months from a family’s first conversation to the donation, since each system has to be designed, permitted, and installed first. Payments go to the organization, never to an individual on its behalf.

Before the first payment, we need a completed IRS Form W-9 from the PTA. We email a secure link so the treasurer can complete and sign it online. Never send a W-9 by email or text, since it contains the organization’s taxpayer identification number.

Questions Boards Usually Ask

Do we have to share rosters or family contact information? No. We never ask for rosters or student information, and the PTA never shares family details with us.

Is anything asked of students? Nothing. Students do not carry forms home, collect pledges, or take part in any way. Families decide for themselves whether to reach out.

Will families feel pressured? The note goes out once, and families who are not interested simply skip it. No one from the PTA follows up, and there is nothing to track.

Can we stop? Yes. The PTA can pause or end the fundraiser at any time by letting us know.

Who decides how the money is used? The PTA does. The donation goes to the organization, and the board decides how to use it, the same as funds from any other fundraiser.

How do we record it? The PTA’s own advisors, such as its accountant or tax preparer, decide how the donation is recorded. We may report payments to the IRS on Form 1099 as required by law.

Can a board member also refer a neighbor? Yes. Individuals 18 or older who live in the United States can earn $1,000 when another homeowner they refer completes an installation. Each home earns one payment per installation, either a referral payment or a fundraiser payment, never both.

How to Get Started

1. Put the Reverse Fundraiser on the next board agenda and approve it.
2. Name a contact person and tell us the PTA is taking part.
3. Share the flyer or the note once, in something you already send families.
4. When we email the secure W-9 link, have the treasurer complete and sign it online.

Ready to bring it to your board? Start a fundraiser on the Fundraisers & Referrals page or call 866-800-8971, and we will send the flyer and the wording. The full rules are in the Program Terms.

Sources

• Solar Advantage, Fundraiser and Referral Program Terms
• Internal Revenue Service, Form W-9 (PDF)

This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Each project is unique, and all information is subject to change based on project requirements.