Advice Who handles the funds is an important consideration. Dishonesty among helpers is not the primary concern, but eliminating confusion as transactions occur is the primary concern. Limit the number of individuals handling money, and create a fool-proof accounting system to document the exchange of money at every stage of the process. Sell messages at lunch, homeroom, before school, or make the order forms available for students to fill out on their own and then turn them into the appropriate authorities, along with payment. Everything is sold in advance, with students needing to know only a recipient's name and homeroom.
Delivery is minimally disruptive, when compared with other special student activities.
To handle a fund-raiser with a bit more earning power, parents have to be willing to take more active roles. As supervisors, parents can oversee the process, but students can still do the majority of the work. Older students can volunteer to man the booth during lunch and free-time hours, with parents volunteering to work the booth in busier class hours. The sponsor sends each child home with an announcement detailing the gift shop booth days and times. Parents are instructed to send money for the child to use for gift buying in a sealed envelope labeled with the student's name, teacher's name, classroom number, and money amount enclosed.