Gilchrist Elementary, a Tallahassee, Florida, school with almost 1,000 students, switched to PledgeStar this year to manage their Great Grizzly Run. “Boosterthon kept almost 50%, so we wanted to try and do it ourselves so we could keep more of what we raised,” says Belinda Wise, Gilchrist PTO event chair. “Another school in our district, DeSoto Trail Elementary, recommended PledgeStar and even helped us with the event. Our goal was to raise $85,000, and we ended up with about $95,000.”
In addition to its minimal learning curve, Ms. Wise says she appreciated the straightforward nature of PledgeStar’s website. “We really liked that staff and parents could see the leaderboard, how much we were raising and keeping, why we were fundraising, and what prizes the kids could win,” she says. “It was easy for our school’s families to set up their own accounts, and we loved having everyone on the same page.”
Making changes can be challenging, but any concerns from Gilchrist administration about switching platforms were alleviated once the PTO thoroughly explained the benefits of partnering with PledgeStar. “After our initial presentation, the PTO and teachers were on board with switching to PledgeStar, but the principal was worried because this is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we really count on the money raised,” Ms. Wise shares. “Once we concluded the fundraiser with 20 percent more than we’d raised in previous years, those fears were cast aside and the board voted unanimously to continue using PledgeStar next year.”
In addition to its financial windfall, the Great Grizzly Run was an emotional success for Gilchrist students. After two weeks of fundraising via emails and texts sent through the PledgeStar website, the school concluded the program with the run itself–along with some very special guests. “Florida State University cheerleaders and softball players came to cheer on the kids while they ran, which they loved,” says Ms. Wise.
Students are typically motivated by rewards, but Gilchrist decided to prioritize putting money back into the school over purchasing expensive prizes. “The kids got to wear Crocs and socks to school when they hit a certain goal, and a PE coach shaved a paw print into his hair when they reached another,” says Ms. Wise. “But by far the highlight for the students was when our principal got slimed at the end of the fundraiser.”
The additional money raised by partnering with PledgeStar allowed Gilchrist Elementary to fund the majority of the school’s needs, rather than having to pick and choose. “We took 20 percent of what we raised and gave every teacher money for their classrooms,” says Ms. Wise. “We also used some of it for campus improvements on outdoor spaces that the staff requested such as fans for the carpool pickup area and picnic tables and benches throughout campus.”
In addition to the financial rewards of the partnership, what really set PledgeStar apart from other platforms for Gilchrist was the customer service. “Several times, my questions were answered immediately,” says Ms. Wise. “PledgeStar even reached out to one of our teachers directly to answer a question that I couldn’t.”
Gilchrist Elementary School is already sharing its positive experience with PledgeStar throughout the community. “We’ve recommended PledgeStar to another school in the area that was seeking a new fundraising platform,” Ms. Wise says. “It truly met all of our needs.”