Online Art Fundraising for Schools.
The simplest way to raise money for your School using Art.
Since 1991
Created especially for Preparatory and Primary Schools, Kids Art Works has the easiest way to run a School Art-based Fundraiser. What used to take some organisers 30-40 hours we’ve reduced to 3 -7 hours.  It's the ideal way to help your School, it's students and your School community. 
In total, I would have spent six or seven hours, maybe… and we raised about $5,500. 
Rachael McFetridge from a public school of 700 students
  •  It's so easy, it can be run by a couple of students
  •  There is no cash to handle and administration has almost completely been eliminated.
The Old Way
 The service our competitors will offer you  :-(
30 - 40 hours for the Organiser
OUR New Way
 Tried & tested. Way more effective  :-)
3-7 hours for the Organiser
Art is displayed at School for parents to view, if they have time.
Art is displayed on our website for parents to view and Order at a time that suits them.
Orders need to be paid for at the School.
Orders are made online so there is no need to handle payments manually at School.
Orders need to be manually recorded by staff or volunteers.
It's so easy it can be run by a couple of students.
Completed Orders are sent back to the school in 2-6 weeks.
Completed Orders are sent back to the School within 1-3 weeks.
Items are returned By Class, meaning separation and distribution to the students can take hours.
Items are packed By Student for quick and easy distribution.
OUR New Way
 Tried & tested. Way more effective  :-)
3-7 hours for the Organiser
We can use art already created, or can supply special paper.
Art is displayed on our website for parents to view and Order at a time that suits them.
Orders are made online so there is no need to handle payments manually at School.
It's so easy it can be run by a couple of students.
Completed Orders are sent back to the School within 1-3 weeks.
Items are packed By Student for quick and easy distribution.
How much could you raise with 5 hours of effort over 3 month period?
School Roll
Amount Raised
770
$7,372.50
826
$6,714.40
600
$5,576.10
*These are actual figures from schools.  Fundraising results will vary based on a number of factors.
Request our Sample Pack, or if you're ready to go - let us know....
  • It's a great fundraiser loved by kids and parents. Products made from students' art makes for uniquely personal treasured keepsakes.
  •  Cost effective, quality Christmas gifts for very busy parents - ideal for sending overseas.
  •  Every year over $1,000,000 is raised by our clients.
  •  One of Australian & NZ Schools' most popular fundraisers for nearly 30 years.
  •  A professional visual record of each child's development which can be displayed all year.
  •  An annual event for thousands of Schools - translating into a consistent way to raise funds.
Tara Bruin ran online calendar art for a school with 700 students. Here is what she had to say… 
In 2015, your School did Calendar Art. Then, in 2016, you switched to the new online way of running Calendar Art – how did it go?
“The new way of running Calendar Art has been a big improvement over Traditional Calendar Art. In 2016, it only took us 5 hours in total to organise this fundraiser. That’s because the new way has eliminated all the hassle and hard work involved with using manual forms and recording payments. The payment facility that you have provided has solved all of that for us. In addition, we also found it very easy to distribute the finished products to the families.  Everything was packed very well and ready to be handed straight to the right child.”
How did the parents at the School like it?
"They were very happy with the ability to view their children’s artwork on the website before they placed their orders.  In previous years, when we did Calendar Art, parents used to order blind – they wouldn’t see their children’s original artwork - so they always have this fear that the end result might be ugly.  But your new way of running Calendar Art has changed all that. It’s removed the fear and given parents much more confidence in our fundraiser. They are able to see and visualise what the final products will look like when they’re customised with their children’s artwork.” 
Would you recommend our new way of running Calendar Art to other Schools?
"Yes, I would. I found it to be a very good return on my time.  I would describe it as Bright, Fun, Creative. Just to compare, in 2016, we actually did another raffle fundraiser. It took us many hours to set up, and it required so much planning and a lot of volunteers. But, ultimately, we ended up raising the same amount of money as we did for Calendar Art! This is significant because your new way only requires one volunteer to handle the fundraiser, and it only takes 5 hours.  So, in comparison, the new way to run Calendar Art is less stressful and more profitable.  I consider it a good passive income because it doesn’t require much effort at all."
Why we are sent the art of over 250,000 children every year... and how we can help you raise funds to support the school and its students...
The perfect gifts for busy parents – customised with each child’s artwork and ready to go for Christmas - grandparents simply love them.
Art Lesson Plans -  to guide the teachers and students.  You can do everything from quilts to mosaics to waves, and it’s possible to turn all of it into unique products!
No upfront cost - there is no way you cannot make money. We only invoice you on delivery.

A professional visual record of each child's development which can be displayed all year.
Promote your school - your name and logo is displayed on the calendars, cards & sketch pads
Raise more in less time than trying to make calendars yourself -  we offer more products.
Calendar Art allows children to cultivate and refine their fine motor skills - vital for their early growth and learning.

Calendar Art allows children to express their creativity and unique personalities - It acts as a healthy supplement to everything else that you’re already doing.
Learning Resources - there are always other areas that need more funding. More books, more art supplies, outdoor improvements...
  •  It's so easy, it can be run by a couple of students
  •  Teachers can use art that has already been created - there is no need to get the students to create something new (restrictions apply).
  •  There is no upfront cost so there is no way you cannot make money.
  •  There is no cash to handle and administration has almost completely been eliminated.
  •  Simple distribution with products delivered with each Parent’s order packed neatly into one bag. 
"What interested me about your product was the opportunity for the child to have their art work mediated, displayed and appreciated. The child's self-esteem is impacted hugely, on a daily basis - my philosophy being that every child is an artist, with their own style. Your product completely supports this process."   
Patsy Chingwile - Art Teacher
Rachael McFetridge ran the Art-based fundraiser in 2016 for a public school of 700 students. Here is what she had to say…..
In 2015 the School did Calendar Art but in 2016 switched to the new way of running Calendar Art – how did it go? 
“For us in 2016, the new way worked absolutely fantastically. In 2015 we spent a lot of time, about 30 hours, so this new way cut down a ton of time, which is really good. And I like systems anyway, so I found it really good. I’d already agreed to take on it really good. I’d already agreed to take on the project, regardless of whether it was online or not. So for me it was an added bonus. I didn’t have any concerns.  My opinion was it was going to be better, easier, and clearly it was.  It was fantastic!  For example, to organise and hand the orders back out to the students, it would have taken me about an hour, and only because I did it by myself - it was very easy.”
How long did you spend on it and how much did you raise?
“In total, I would have spent six or seven hours, maybe… and we raised about $5,500. Which is about $2,000 more than the year before. It was one of our largest fundraisers. We had three very large ones, this was the fourth largest, but for the amount of work involved, for the return, then I’d definitely rate it higher up. I would definitely promote it, as in that it is easy for the fundraising.”
How did the parents find it? 
"I felt it was easy for the parents to operate and order. I didn’t get any negative feedback from parents about the online ordering. Which is a credit to you all. That’s really good because there’s always somebody that will complain, isn’t there? But there wasn’t.”
Are there any other things you could think of?
“With Kids Art Works, compared with other fundraisers that we do, the parents are getting something for it. It’s nice because it’s personalised. They’re getting to see the art, and so it’s quite a different fundraiser for us. Obviously, we got more orders from doing it online and I think as well one of the factors for us was that they could look at their child’s art. So they knew what they were getting. Originally, our plan before this Online Calendar Art was, that we were going to get the art and display it for the parents to come and look at it if they wanted to, and that was agreed to by our team. But how many parents are going to come and look at it? Not everybody gets to come to school anymore, so I felt like it was a bit of a time-waster. So, for us, the fact that you could view the art online, that made that whole process so much easier. It was helpful. I found it user-friendly. It was awesome!”
A Case Study: Patsy Chingwile from Leichardt Public School, Sydney, 770 students.
Beautiful
Delightful
Gorgeous 
Awesome
What were your reasons for starting Calendar Art at Leichardt Public School?
"What interested me about your product was the opportunity for the child to have their artwork mediated, displayed and appreciated. The child's self-esteem is impacted hugely on a daily basis - my philosophy being that every child is an artist with their own style. The more a child appreciates their own style, the more commitment they can access to the art-making process, and the more satisfying the experience becomes, as well as the artwork itself. Your product completely supports this process."
And after all these years working together – how is it going?
"We’re getting a really good response. What I like is that the children get a fine piece of art that they can actually take home. I think a big part of this is that the students’ art is gorgeous. I am passionate about the  children as artists." 
So you’re a fan of the way we turn each student’s art into items they can take home?
"I love the product – it’s delightful. To have the children’s work turned into all these beautiful products, I think it’s just incredible. "
It's all about the kids... so here’s some very relevant information on The Importance of Art in Child Development
Taken from an article by Grace Hwang Lynch
In recent years, school curricula in the United States have shifted heavily toward common core subjects of reading and math, but what about the arts? Although some may regard art education as a luxury, simple creative activities are some of the building blocks of child development. Learning to create and appreciate visual aesthetics may be more important than ever to the development of the next generation of children as they grow up.
"Parents need to be aware that children learn a lot more from graphic sources now than in the past. Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it.”
Dr. Kerry Freedman  Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University.
Developmental Benefits of Art
  •  Motor Skills: Many of the motions involved in making art, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a crayon, are essential to the growth of fine motor skills in young children. 
  •  Language Development: For very young children, making art—or just talking about it—provides opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and actions. By primary school, students can use descriptive words to discuss their own creations or to talk about what feelings are elicited when they see different styles of artwork.
  • Decision Making: According to a report by Americans for the Arts, art education strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The experience of making decisions and choices in the course of creating art carries over into other parts of life.
  •  Visual Learning: Drawing, sculpting with clay and threading beads on a string all develop visual-spatial skills, which are more important than ever. Even toddlers know how to operate a smart phone or tablet, which means that even before they can read, kids are taking in visual information. 
  •  Inventiveness: When kids are encouraged to express themselves and take risks in creating art, they develop a sense of innovation that will be important in their adult lives. 
  •  Improved Academic Performance: A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly in the arts (three hours a day on three days each week through one full year) are four times more likely to be recognised for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.
The full article by Grace Hwang Lynch can be read here.
"Calendar art was a brilliant, stress free and easy fundraiser. Each parent was delighted with their package. The art work was a great time for children to explore their creative sides, while other families submitted photos on line. The whole process was incredibly easy and I would recommend this to other schools to do as well.”  
Cheryl
Kids Art Works