FAQs on Sponsors and Advertising

• Why does Classlist have advertising?
• Will fundraising increase the number of adverts on site?
• Where do adverts appear?
• Why should we encourage sponsors to advertise on our site?
• Who are the advertisers?
• How much does it cost to advertise?
• How and when do we receive funds?
• Will advertisers get access to our personal data?
• Can we remove advertising that we do not like?

Why does Classlist have advertising?

Classlist is free for parents to use, but there are running costs associated with providing a service like ours. Rather than charge users for Classlist we prefer to encourage sponsors to advertise on the site to cover those costs.

Will fundraising increase the number of adverts on site?

Classlist is committed to creating an online environment that parents want to go to. We limit the total number of advertisers and never allow more than one ad from any business sector - ie you will not see multiple yoga instructors or estate agents.  

Where do adverts appear?

The advertising appears on the right hand side of a large screen, and in amongst your message feed - with one appearing about every 4 messages. For mobile screens advertising is placed amongst the message feed and a banner space at the top of the screen.  Once a week you receive a summary of activity on your site, and advertisers are also represented there.

Why should we encourage sponsors to advertise on our site?

Sponsorship has a dual benefit for our users - i) Schools can introduce advertisers of their choosing and gain a proportion of the advertising revenue This can run into thousands of pounds in one year! ii) Choosing your sponsors helps you to forge strong links with the local business community which can have far reaching benefits. For their part sponsors are attracted to the opportunity of advertising, in part, to support the school with their fund - raising objectives.  

Who are the advertisers?

We are choosy about our advertisers - they must be relevant, and age - appropriate for a school community. After school clubs and home improvement businesses are a good example. We also have many parent businesses advertising to grow their customer base of the school  parents, anyone from jewellery makers to bookkeepers and personal trainers. The majority of our advertisers are local to the school.

How much does it cost to advertise?

Costs begin at around £300 per year but vary according to the number of parents active on your site and the length of the campaign. Our advertising team will work out the right package to suit the budget of each advertiser. You can do your bit to improve the revenue earned by keeping your site well populated and active - that is what attracts sponsors to your site. The busier your site, the more shared revenue you will earn!

How and when do we receive funds?  

If you introduce a sponsor who takes advertising on the site we will share with you a proportion of the revenue raised. This will be paid out as a cheque when the contract is finished.  Please note this arrangement applies to our first contract with an advertiser.

Will advertisers get access to our personal data?  

Absolutely not! Classlist is GDPR secured, which means that your personal data is locked away, advertisers can not access it. Your details are only shared with members of your school community in as far as you wish them to be. You will not receive any private communications from our advertisers.

Can we remove advertising that we do not like?

This is generally not possible.  We have our own in-house standards and allowable sectors.  We don't place ads that inappropriate for our target market of school parents, and we do need to cover our costs by showing ads.

If you have an objection to a particular business sector advertising on your site then please make this known to us.  We will do our best to resolve the issue.

If you don't wish the parents at your school to see ads the other option is for you to opt for the premium ad-free version of Classlist.