The Savvy Companies Catering to a Boom Market: Kids

Amy Donnell came home from her first day teaching first grade, and she was $500 poorer. She had to spend that cash on school supplies for her classroom. Her husband, Scott, was flabbergasted, but he did some research and learned that it was totally normal: The average teacher dishes out $500 per year on school supplies, with no hope of being reimbursed. And although kids are constantly asked to participate in school fund-raisers, none of the resulting money goes back to the teachers. Spending had just become part of the job.

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This was six years ago, and Scott felt called to action. He wanted a fund-raising system that benefited kids, schools and teachers. And that’s how he developed the . For two weeks, students take lessons while competing to bring in the most pledges. It all leads up to a daylong “fun run,” where kids run or walk