Belle Plaine, Kansas, is home to about 1,500 people, three public schools and one very determined parent teacher organization.
At the start of this school year, the Belle Plaine PTO launched an 11-day PTO cookie dough fundraiser with David’s Cookies Fundraising. When the campaign closed, the PTO had earned $1,386 in profit for students and staff across every school.
In a town this size, a traditional fundraiser runs out of doors to knock on fast. This one didn’t, because it never had to stay inside the town line.
Here’s how a small-town PTO pulled it off, where every dollar came from, and the four moves your PTO can borrow for its next campaign.
The PTO Behind More “Yes” Moments
The Belle Plaine PTO supports students and staff at Belle Plaine Elementary, Belle Plaine Middle School and Belle Plaine High School [link: usd357.org]. Its wish list looks like most PTO wish lists: classroom supplies, equipment, student activities and a steady stream of staff appreciation.
“Our goal is to support opportunities and needs throughout the school year, from classroom supplies and equipment to student activities and staff appreciation. This fundraiser helps us say ‘yes’ to more of the things that make a difference for our schools.”
Kristen Hein, President, Belle Plaine PTO
Grants and sponsorships usually arrive tied to one purchase. PTO fundraiser profit is flexible. It can cover a teacher’s classroom request in October and a student celebration in May. For a PTO serving three buildings, flexible money is the most valuable money there is.
The Belle Plaine PTO crew, the volunteers behind the 11-day campaign.
The Fundraiser That Traveled Past the Town Line
Ask the PTO what they loved most, and the first answer isn’t about cookies. It’s about reach.
“We loved that families could share the fundraiser online with friends and relatives, including those outside Belle Plaine. We also appreciated that our PTO kept 50% of the proceeds.”
Kristen Hein, President, Belle Plaine PTO
This is the quiet advantage of a ship-to-home fundraiser for a small community. Every student gets a personal fundraising page. Families share that link by text, email and social media. A grandparent two states away orders in a minute, pays online, and the frozen cookie dough ships straight to their door.
Nobody collects cash. Nobody sorts boxes in the school gym. And your supporter list is no longer limited to the people who live on your street.
With David’s Cookies Fundraising, groups earn up to 50% profit on Ship-to-Home orders, the same model Belle Plaine used
Four Small Moves That Added Up to $1,386
None of these tactics needed a big committee or a big budget. Each one is easy to copy.
1. They showed up in backpacks and in newsfeeds
The PTO printed flyers for students to take home and posted reminders on social media. The pairing matters. The flyer lands on the kitchen counter. The social post reaches the parent scrolling at lunch. One reminds, the other gets shared.
2. They turned every family into a broadcaster
The PTO encouraged families to share their students’ fundraising pages, and that’s where the reach came from. Several families even ran a single page for siblings, which kept it simple: one link to send, one page for relatives to visit.
3. They gave students a finish line
Prizes went to the top three student sellers. A small, clear reward gives students something to aim for, and in an 11-day window, a target keeps momentum from stalling halfway through.
4. They made the first few days count
The PTO held a drawing for Kansas State Fair tickets early in the fundraiser. That timing is the clever part. Short campaigns are won or lost in the first few days. An early prize gives families a reason to act now instead of “sometime next week,” and the deadline does the rest.
The Numbers Behind the Win
Numbers tell the playbook better than adjectives. Here’s what 11 days looked like.
Two things stand out.
A small town earned like a bigger one. An average of $126 a day for 11 days is the payoff of a fundraiser that travels. Every link a family shared reached supporters the town alone could never supply.
One motivated seller moves the needle. The top seller page alone shipped 16 items. Top-three prizes give every student a reason to chase that spot. Curious how this compares with other options? See our breakdown of the [internal link: /most-profitable-school-fundraisers/ “most profitable school fundraisers”].
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What a Small Town Teaches Every PTO
“Seeing students and families from all three schools take part was the best part for us. We’re a small community, so reaching $1,386 in 11 days showed us what can happen when everyone shares the opportunity and pitches in.”
Kristen Hein, President, Belle Plaine PTO
Here’s the lesson bigger districts often miss. Belle Plaine didn’t run three separate fundraisers for three buildings. It ran one. Families with children at the elementary, middle and high school got one ask, one deadline and one message. That means less fundraiser fatigue for parents and more energy aimed at the same goal.
In school fundraising, participation beats population. A small town where everyone shares will outperform a big one where nobody does.
What Is a PTO Cookie Dough Fundraiser?
A PTO cookie dough fundraiser is a school fundraiser in which a parent teacher organization sells gourmet frozen cookie dough and keeps a share of every sale to fund school needs. With the David’s Cookies Fundraising Ship-to-Home model, the entire campaign runs online:
- Each student or family gets a personal fundraising page to share.
- Supporters order and pay online, from anywhere.
- Frozen cookie dough ships directly to the supporter’s home.
- The PTO earns up to 50% profit on Ship-to-Home orders, with no inventory, cash handling or delivery day.
- Supporters choose from six gourmet flavors: Chocolatey Chip, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Apple Caramel. [internal link: /products/]
Busy parents can also share and track their page from the free Brandname Fundraising app for iOS and Android. For more ways to fund your school year, explore our [internal link: /school-fundraisers/ “school fundraisers”] page.
Borrow Belle Plaine’s 11-Day Playbook
- Name the “yes.” Tell families exactly what the money unlocks: supplies, activities, staff appreciation.
- Go district-wide if you can. One campaign across all your schools means one ask per family.
- Launch with a double reminder. Send a printed flyer home and post on social media the same day.
- Put a prize in the first 72 hours. An early drawing gets families moving before life gets busy.
- Ask every family to share beyond town. Relatives and old friends are where your reach multiplies.
- Keep it to one link per family. Siblings can share a single page, so relatives only need one click.
- Reward top sellers and count down the final days. A clear deadline is your best closer.
Looking for more real results? See how [internal link: 2026/06/26 roundup “schools, clubs and community groups raised thousands”] with cookie dough.
Ready to Give Your PTO More Ways to Say Yes?
Belle Plaine proved a small community can post a big result when every family shares the link. Your PTO can launch the same way: free to set up, 100% online, and up to 50% profit on Ship-to-Home orders.
PTO Cookie Dough Fundraiser FAQs
How much money can a PTO make with a cookie dough fundraiser?
Results depend on participation and how long the campaign runs. The Belle Plaine PTO in Kansas earned $1,386 in profit in 11 days across three schools. With David’s Cookies Fundraising, PTOs earn up to 50% profit on Ship-to-Home orders.
How long should a PTO fundraiser run?
A short, defined window keeps families focused. Belle Plaine PTO ran its cookie dough fundraiser for 11 days and used an early prize drawing and a clear deadline to build urgency.
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Can people outside our town support our PTO fundraiser?
Yes. Supporters order online through a student’s personal fundraising page, and the cookie dough ships directly to their home, so relatives and friends can support your school from anywhere.
Do PTO volunteers have to deliver the cookie dough?
No. With the Ship-to-Home model, every order ships straight to the supporter. There is no inventory to store, sort or hand out.
What’s the best way to promote a PTO fundraiser?
Combine printed and digital reminders, then make sharing easy. Belle Plaine PTO sent flyers home with students, posted reminders on social media, asked families to share their students’ fundraising pages, offered prizes to the top three sellers and held an early drawing for Kansas State Fair tickets.
Can one PTO run a single fundraiser for several schools?
Yes. Belle Plaine PTO ran one campaign for all three schools in USD 357, which gave families one ask and one deadline instead of three.
What cookie dough flavors can supporters choose?
Supporters choose from six gourmet flavors: Chocolatey Chip, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Apple Caramel.
How do we start a PTO cookie dough fundraiser?
Sign up at davidscookiesfundraising.com/start-sth-fundraiser/. Setup is free, the campaign runs 100% online, and your PTO earns up to 50% profit on Ship-to-Home orders.