<!--StartFragment-->Hot on the heels of the (partial) reinstatement of PTA bake sales, a new brochure was circulated today by the Office of Family Engagement at the Department of Education called “Yes, You Can: A Fresh Look at Healthy Fundraisers for Schools."

This attractive guide, produced by the East Harlem District Public Health Office and the Strategic Alliance for Health, a program of the Centers for Disease Control, aims to counter fundraisers that “involve selling foods high in fat, sugar, salt, and calories."

One section I like is called “Combining Fitness and Fun.” This describes how parents or schools can design “Do-It-Yourself Fitness-A-Thon” fundraisers. Some organizations that can help set up fitness fundraisers are the New York Road Runner Foundationor Fitness Fundraising.<!--more-->

Unfortunately, the burgeoning area of green fundraising is missing from the guide. Green fundraising involves products that are not only healthier for children, but also for the planet. For example, money raised by selling reuseable steel water bottles can also save tons of waste by avoiding plastic bottles in landfills. Sales of compact fluorescent lightbulbs can raise money for your school and at the same time save electricity that contributes to climate change.

Most green fundraising organizations have no up-front risk, and schools usually make 50% on each sale. Here are some examples of organizations offering green products for school fundraisers (you can find lots more online): Flower Power, Chico Bags, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Growkids, and GreenRaising. (GreenRaising only gives 25% of proceeds to schools, unlike the others that give 50%.)

So although I have nothing against bake sales—in fact I always thought the home-baked goods at my schools’ bake sales were a lot healthier than the slop offered in the cafeteria—these fundraising ideas raise the bar on health, not just for children, but also for a healthier planet.

View the Healthy Fundraiser Guide here.