Fundraising Activities

Fundraising with the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop involves promotional activities in support of our shop. Each of the fundraising opportunities available for Ann Arbor Public School groups, helps the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop by bringing in donations, encouraging shopping, and providing other valuable support. We provide these opportunities to all grade levels of Ann Arbor Public Schools as a way to distribute our operating profits. Our profits are based on sales and fundraising income as well as operating costs over the course of each school year. Please note that all of our fundraising opportunities are subject to our operating budget and support the needs of the shop. When you fundraise with us, your group promotes our shop and helps grow our community profile within your school community. In this way, our fundraising activities help to grow our profits which we then distribute to the schools. The more we make – the more you make!

We need your support! Although we can’t guarantee there will be profits to distribute, we encourage you to continue to promote our shop by placing our promo in all of your written and online communications. Some of you may remember that when we make profits that exceed our budget projection (like we did in 2019, and again in 2022, 2023, and 2024), we distribute those profits to each school based on promo submission. The more you promote us during the school year, the bigger the percentage of profits you’ll receive. So please continue to support us.

Here is a list of our activities and what’s happening with each of them for this year. Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee any payouts, as they are based on profits. We encourage and appreciate your continued support:

• Show Your Support In-Shop Rotations (SYS): We are so excited to be able to continue our Show Your Support fundraising opportunity. We know it is one of our shoppers’ favorite ways to support Ann Arbor Public Schools. Look at the SYS Schedule and see which Saturday is dedicated to your school. Then, a week before your weekend, promote the shop to all your families. Let them know that on that day, 10% of our sales will go to your school. The more they shop, the more you earn! One week before your school’s designated day, a flyer will be emailed to you to use to promote your Show Your Support Saturday. Email it out to all your families, embed it in daily email blasts, encourage teachers to put it in their weekly newsletters. The more you promote, the more they will shop. The more they shop, the more you will earn! If, due to unforeseen circumstances, our shop needs to close on your specific Saturday, your school will receive a payout of $500. That’s all there is to it! We’ll have a sign displayed in our lobby so all shoppers will know which school is being supported. No one needs to collect tokens or tell our cashier that they are supporting your school. You will automatically receive 10% of every sale made on your Show Your Support Saturday!
• Promos in Publications:  Promote the shop in your school, PTO, team, group, or club’s publications using our promotional artwork. This promotional activity helps spread the word about the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop and its work on behalf of AAPS students to your school community. Eligible publications are wide-ranging and include school directories, PTO and PTSO newsletters, e-newsletters, plus team sports programs, performance programs and playbills (including theatre, orchestra, band, choir and jazz band).  Publications and emails must be distributed/available to your entire school in order to receive credit. Please have promos that are placed in emailed publications embedded, not as a link or attachment, to receive credit. A PDF of our current Promotional artwork must be used as provided for a full page ad in your printed item. A pdf of our Promotional Artwork will be emailed to all school reps at the beginning of each school year, along with a Welcome Letter detailing specifics for that year. A copy of the current letter and promo can also be downloaded from our Fundraise tab, FAQ Sub Tab. Submission of old artwork will not receive credit. Please make sure you are using artwork from the current year. Publications using incorrect/old promos will not receive credit. Verification copies of each publication — proof of successful completion of the fundraising activity — must be provided by email to receive credit for this activity. This can include an email of a picture taken of our ad in your publication, or an email forwarded with our ad displayed. Please email a copy of your promo (or forward an email) to: A2PTOPromos@gmail.com. Deadlines are the final day of each payout period (September 30th, January 31st, and May 31st).

Please note:  all activities and funding rates are subject to change based on the needs and budget parameters of the shop. Here’s how to participate:

1. A representative of a school PTO, booster club, or organized club sends an email to a2ptothriftshop@gmail.com and we will start a records worksheet for your school. Please include the name of your school, and a contact person’s name and email.
2. Your school PTO must have an Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop liaison or representative  — a “School Rep” — to participate in our fundraising programs. Find out about School Reps on our Fundraising Homepage.
3. For group fundraising activities, if applicable, your group organizes the event by enlisting volunteers, publicizing the event in your school, and following any guidelines as provided by email.
4. The Thrift Shop keeps track of the support activities performed by your PTO, clubs, or organizations.  This tracking is completed with emails sent to our no-reply promo email (A2PTOPromos@gmail.com). Funds for all participation in our fundraising activities will be included for your school PTO on each payout date, subject to available profits.
5. Club, group, team, etc. activities at each school are itemized in the payout report received by your school PTO Treasurer to make distribution or crediting to various clubs or organizations simple and easy for you.