A preschool's main fundraising dilemma is trying to draw community members who don't employ their services. To those people who don't have children attending the preschool, a petition for donations is not going to be a priority. For preschools that rely on private funds, this can mean a great uncertainty about how to pay for children activities and the building's rent. In addition, parents who already pay fees to the preschool, may feel the school is asking too much, so the best thing to do is to find fundraisers that appeal to the community.
You can try to motivate the kids (at least the older ones) about your fundraising project. Have them bring letters home to parents asking for ideas and their participation. Making the fundraiser an educational and fun opportunity, would be a great way to involve the kids. An example might be having an art show where the items are made by the kids. This can be a really big hit with parents and grandparents who want to support their kids school by buying their hand made items.
You can even get members of the community involved by having activities that their kids can do, especially during the summer. You can have a martial arts class, dance class or an art class. You can make use of your school facilities for these, so you can save the cost of renting space. You can also go with a healthy fundraiser. Most fundraisers involve sugary treats that aren't always good for kids and parents. You can try a fruit and trail mix fundraiser that customers can donate to and stay healthy. Lastly, you could have an eco-friendly fundraiser. These sometimes involve tree planting, and even a sponsored cleanup somewhere in your area. Besides keeping away from the sugary treats that can make kids and adults unhealthy, you're also helping the environment. In the case of planting trees or picking up trash, you're also getting some exercise as well.
Even if preschools have problems trying to raise funds and getting attention from the community, they can still generate interest. The young and old alike have once used a preschool, either as a student or for their own children. Some might also be using preschools in the future. You can try to familiarize the community about the importance of maintaining a good preschool and how it could benefit them if they would support it.