The future of fundraising for schools

“Not having a Bitcoin policy today is as negligent as not having an internet policy in 1994.” 1

Introduction

Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) at schools are often registered charities and as such are be able to receive donations from multiple streams. This proposal highlights the benefits of adopting a Bitcoin strategy to attract donations from a broader demographic and to benefit from the price appreciation of the asset over time.

Rationale

Accepting Bitcoin donations will allow schools to:

1. Attract new donors: By accepting Bitcoin donations, schools can tap into a new

global pool of potential donors who are already familiar with Bitcoin and are enthusiastic

about its growing adoption.

2. Advertise their school: There is first-mover advantage to be had which would attract interest from local media as well the global Bitcoin community.

3. Educate children about money: The history of money is a fascinating story which would supplement a school's PSHE curriculum. Bitcoin is the world’s first decentralised currency and through this lens school's can teach their children about the concept of decentralisation, the structure of the financial system, and the potential impact of Bitcoin on the future of money.

4. Benefit from price appreciation: As a savings vehicle, Bitcoin has been the best-performing asset in 4 of the last 5 years. In 2024, its value (measured in $US) grew 122%. If the PTA of a school were to accept donations in Bitcoin and hold it over a minimum of 4-5 years there is a potential for impressive growth (when measured in £GBP).

5. Enrich other areas of the curriculum: Securing the Bitcoin network is energy intensive and this is driving huge innovation in the renewable energy sector. Teaching children about this emerging sector could inspire the engineers of the future.

Implementation Plan

Setting this strategy in motion is free. To ensure a seamless integration of Bitcoin donations into existing fundraising efforts, implementation can include the following steps:

1. Registering with a reputable Bitcoin payment processor to facilitate secure and efficient transactions. Coincorner are based in the Isle of Man, are highly regarded, and have excellent customer support.

   
   

2. Creating a dedicated webpage for Bitcoin donations. Geyser is a crowd-funding facilitator akin to ‘Go Fund Me’ and ‘JustGiving’. It is easy to set up and all donations would be sent directly to the PTA’s Coincorner account.

   
   

3. Developing educational materials for students, teachers, and parents to learn about Bitcoin and its significance in the context of money's history. Many resources are freely available to view and download for no cost, including, but no limited to:

   
   

   'What’s the problem?', a 40-minute video describing the structure of fiat money by Joe Bryan.

'How money & banking work (& why they're broken),' by Lyn Alden.

'My first Bitcoin', free, open-source, and independent Bitcoin education

4. Establishing a clear policy for managing and converting Bitcoin donations into £GBP (if necessary), with clear guidelines for a long-term strategy to hold Bitcoin in order to benefit from price appreciation (in £GBP terms).

   
   

Conclusion

Accepting Bitcoin donations is an exciting opportunity for schools to not only support the PTA but also educate children about the evolution of money. This strategy could have a positive impact on the fundraising efforts of a school whilst teaching children valuable life skills regarding personal finance management and understanding what money is.