» posted on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 3:16 pm by ABM

Creative Fundraising Ideas for Schools: Personalized Buttons and Novelty Items

One of the greatest and most rewarding uses of a button machine is the creation of novelty items that can be an excellent addition to your list of creative fundraising ideas. Many schools, from the elementary level all the way up to high schools and colleges, have made the relatively small investment in a button machine to create personalized promotional buttons for clubs, causes, and classes.

American Button Machines has published an extensive feature article about using a button machine to create pinback buttons for promotional and fundraising purposes. So why is purchasing a button machine and making your own novelty buttons an excellent creative fundraising idea?

Let’s count the ways.

1 — Button Machines are a cost-effective investment for schools and small businesses.

We have sold numerous button machines and supplies to schools and small businesses that were in search of a low-cost yet highly effective means of creating personalized promotional items. One of our professional button machines can be purchased less than $200. Button making supplies can be purchased to create pinback buttons, keychains, refrigerator magnets or whatever specific novelty item is desired; and the great thing is that these additional button supplies can be purchased in bulk to reduce costs. If you are on a budget, you can purchase one of our Beginner Button Making Systems or Professional Button Maker System which includes everything you need to get started at a discounted rate, including free shipping.

2 — Organizations who own a button machine have tremendous flexibility and avenues for creativity.

When you own a button machine, the limits to what you can create are limited only by your own imagination. High school sports teams, for instance, will oftentimes create personalized buttons for moms and dads that feature a picture of their son or daughter in uniform. Clubs can create personalized nametag buttons for current and prospective members during callout meetings and mixers. Small business and restaurants can utilize the versatility of a button machine to create specialized pinback buttons that feature a weekly or monthly special, or a phrase as simple as “Ask Me About…” to suggestive sell and encourage customer interaction.

And we would be remiss if we did not mention the ability of a personalized pinback button at restaurants to effectively communicate “flair”:

(If the movie is not visible, click here.)

What do you want to communicate? With a button machine the sky is the limit and you can answer that question however you want, and then promote it successfully.

3 — Did we mention that the actual process of making a button with your own button machine is as easy as…well…pie? (Or, if you do not like pie, as easy as 1-2-3!)

One of our goals at American Button Machines, and in creating The Button Blog, is to assist you in using your button machine to create the novelty items that you desire. If you would like to see just how easy creating a pinback button is with your very own button machine, view our button machine tutorial here at The Button Blog. Additionally, we are actually the headmasters of Button University — a comprehensive online education course to teach you the basics of button making.

So now that we have explained to you why a button machine can be a great addition to the creative fundraising ideas you have already come up with for your school or organization, let us know how we can assist you at American Button Machines. Use the form below to ask any question you wish, or jump right on over to the American Button Machines store to shop for your button machine. There is a great fundraising solution waiting for you…and it is just a few clicks away.