Create a school fundraising calendar families will want to buy

There is no honest single figure because it depends on the format, quantity, selling price, sponsorship and how many copies you actually sell. Use the fundraising estimate beside the quote: enter the price families will pay, the proportion of the run you expect to sell and any sponsorship going towards the print run. It subtracts the configured calendar quote and shows the amount left. It does not include card fees, postage to individual buyers or other costs the school chooses to incur, so allow for those separately before announcing a target.

Start with paid pre-orders, not a general show of interest. Give families a clear closing date, count staff and sponsor copies, then add a modest number for Christmas fairs, late orders and replacements. The school configurator starts at 150 because that is a sensible planning quantity for many schools, but it is not a recommendation for every roll size. The priced range starts at 10 copies and is subject to the minimum calendar charge shown in the quote. Ordering a larger run can reduce the unit cost, but unsold copies usually cost more than the saving.

Yes. The normal default is the January to December 2027 calendar year. For school fundraising calendars you can instead choose the September 2026 to August 2027 academic year at no extra charge. Pick one before artwork is assembled because every dated page changes. An academic-year calendar is useful when it will be sold before the autumn term; a January start often suits Christmas fundraising and gifts.

The school must decide and document the lawful basis for using identifiable pupil images and check that families were told about this particular use, including that calendars will be sold and may leave the school community. Do not assume a general classroom-photo permission automatically covers a fundraising product. Check objections, safeguarding restrictions and the school privacy notice with the data protection lead before files are sent. Pupil artwork also has a creator and should not be reproduced without appropriate permission. Current Department for Education and ICO guidance should take priority over any generic checklist.

Yes, and we usually recommend it. Show families the chosen format or a clearly marked draft, state the selling price and collection date, and distinguish paid orders from expressions of interest. Keep one controlled order list so class reps do not double-count families. Once the total is known, add only the spare quantity the school is comfortable holding. The school or PTA remains responsible for collecting payments and distributing the finished calendars.

Use the suggested selling price shown for the chosen format as a starting point, then check what families in your community will regard as fair. A larger or more substantial calendar can usually support a higher price than a concise six-leaf or slimline format. Test the actual price in the fundraising estimate and be clear whether postage or delivery to individual supporters is extra. A round price is easier at a school fair, while online sales may need an allowance for payment fees.

Yes. If our studio is assembling the calendar, send one checked list covering term dates, holidays, INSET days and any agreed trips, performances or PTA events. If you supply print-ready pages, build the dates into those pages. Please nominate one person to approve the final list: we can place and proof the information supplied, but the school is the authority on its dates and must check them before print approval. Avoid adding dates that are still provisional without marking them clearly.

Yes. Choose the school artwork-preparation option and send the selected images, school or PTA logo, panel wording, approved dates and a simple page plan. The existing studio setup charge is shown once in the quote, not once per calendar. We will place the supplied material into the chosen template and send a digital proof. If the school supplies complete print-ready pages instead, choose that option and follow the size and bleed specification we provide.

We send a digital proof before anything is printed. Check spelling, dates, pupil naming, image order, sponsor details, page sequence and any restrictions recorded by the school. It helps to have one authorised person collect comments and return a single correction list. We will make the agreed corrections and issue a further proof where needed. Printing starts only after approval, so late content changes or delayed sign-off move the production timetable and may incur extra artwork work if the brief changes substantially.

Yes. Many schools use collaborative artwork, hands-only activities, school buildings, local scenes, nature projects or class work without printed names. A class can create one shared picture or vote for a piece of work under rules set in advance. If a photograph includes recognisable pupils, removing names does not make the image anonymous, so the school must still apply its image-permission and safeguarding process. Tell us the naming rule in writing and check it again on the proof.

The school or PTA should confirm that its consent covers use in a printed calendar that will be sold outside the classroom. Do not send unnecessary personal information with the files. If photographic consent is not available for every child, pupil artwork, class projects, buildings, grounds, local scenes or anonymous detail photographs can still make a calendar that feels unmistakably yours.

The school or PTA approaches suitable businesses, agrees the sponsorship and collects it directly. The ready-designed formats have a details panel for one main sponsor; if several businesses need separate adverts, ask for a bespoke layout before promising space. Give sponsors a firm artwork deadline and ask for a logo or advert they are authorised to supply. The school should approve every advert for its audience. Add the sponsorship going towards the print run to the estimator so it reduces the cost still to be recovered from sales.

Work backwards from the date families need the calendars, not just the sale date. Before proofing, allow time to agree the format, collect permissions, choose images, check school dates and obtain sponsor artwork. The live quote shows the current production time after proof approval, but that clock cannot start while content is missing. For Christmas sales, begin collecting material early in the autumn term. For a September academic-year launch, plan the content and permissions during the spring and summer terms.

It uses the configured calendar quote currently shown on the page. If you switch the VAT view, the estimate uses the same VAT treatment, and changing the delivery choice updates the quote it deducts. Check the quote breakdown before relying on the figure. The estimate does not know about the school’s payment fees, postage to individual families, prizes, event costs or other selling expenses, so add those to the school’s own budget separately.

Usually, provided the 2027 format is still in production and the approved files remain suitable. A repeat order is priced at its own quantity, so it may not have the same unit price as the first run, and it still needs production and delivery time. Contact us as soon as sales suggest you may run short rather than waiting for the last copy to go. Paid pre-orders and a sensible spare quantity are still the best way to avoid relying on a late reprint.