Fundraising Tips

Tips for Preparation

Have a purpose...
Fundraisers work best when they have a concrete purpose. Examples include: Buying new playground equipment, purchasing new computers, equipping sports teams, helping with medical conditions, paying for field trips, etc. Determine what you are raising money for, and how much you need. When a patron sees that you have a purpose, they will be more sympathetic to your needs and be far more likely to support your cause.

Decide when to have your fundraiser...
A key strategy to planning is deciding when to have your fundraiser. There are several things to take into consideration:
  • People who get government subsidized checks (welfare, social security, retirement, etc.) receive payment(s) at the first of the month. You should plan your sales to start on or run through this period to gain these additional donors.
  • Try to avoid having fundraisers near major holidays, the start of summer or spring vacations, and similar events. Preparations for these events can overshadow the fundraiser and make the fundraiser feel “rushed”. Also, participants are far more likely to have their attention focused on the event, rather than the fundraiser, and thus it is likely participation would falter.
  • Plan on at least two weeks before the fundraiser to get the cards and have ample time to distribute them out among those who will be participating.
  • If your organization has a planning calendar, be sure your fundraiser is included. Stagger your fundraising efforts to avoid competing with other groups, and—if possible—other organizations.
Decide how long to run your fundraiser...
It is just as important to decide how long a fundraiser will run. Statistically, the best fundraisers run from 10 to 14 days. Sale periods longer than this tend to fall victim to a loss of motivation. After two weeks, momentum may decline. The best technique is to keep it simple, and keep it short!

Set your dates...
Once you have a basic idea of when you want to run your fundraiser, and for how long, you need to set very specific start and end dates. Stick to them. Without clear target dates, the campaign will drag on, often without direction.

Assign responsibility...
Figure out who will be in charge of the various aspects of your fundraiser. If you are running multiple groups, figure out who will be in charge of each group. You may wish to have a person in charge of distribution, and another person in charge of collection, etc. However you choose to delegate authority, make sure everyone in charge understands the program fully, before the fundraiser starts.

Tips for Motivation

Have a kickoff...
This is a very important step. Get all the participants together. Have a pep-rally or meet over dinner; whatever works for your group. Make it fun. Address at this time why you are having the fundraiser, discuss your goals, and answer any questions that arise. Be honest. Let the participants know what is expected of them. If you are going to implement a prize program or cash awards, explain it at this time and stress the benefits of it. Capture the interest of everyone involved and make sure they understand what is going on. Without understanding and motivation the fundraiser will not work.

Be sure to inform everyone involved...
All the participants need to be informed. If, in example, you are sending cards home to students then you need to inform the parents as well. Provide them with concise, informational pamphlets on the fundraiser. Let them know why you are having the fundraiser, what you hope to accomplish, and what participation is required on their behalf. Everyone that is a part of the fundraiser, either directly or indirectly, needs to be well informed.

Stay on it...
It is not enough to inform people and get the cards in circulation. You need to stay on it. Keep in contact with your participants. Keep up with their sales. Communicate. Remind parents, teachers, coaches, et cetera of your goals and deadlines. Provide frequent status reports and updates. Ask that those who are unwilling or unable to participate to return their cards, then redistribute them to those who are doing well. Keeping energy levels high and cards properly distributed is the key to meeting your goals.

Reward your sellers...
The most profitable choice you can make is to reward your sellers. Offer them a prize program or commission on each card sold. Have group competitions where the winning group gets a free meal or goes on a trip. Do whatever it takes. The important thing is that a motivated participant will hustle, and ultimately—regardless of your planning, your passion, and your commitment—success and failure is determined by how motivated your participants become. Anything you can do to bolster their excitement will increase sales, and help turn your goal into reality.

Wrap it up...
This creates a sense of closure. Get all the participants together again. Explain what goals where met, which ones (if any) were not, and what could be done to improve the next fundraiser. Let everyone know their support was appreciated, and if you are using an incentive program, reward people at this time.

Tips for Improving Sales

Any group can raise funds, but not every group truly makes an effort. There are a lot of methods you can use to sell cards, especially when using one of the bulk-rate pricing plans. Below are some suggestions on how to really move the product:

Ask for Donations...
Do not try to 'sell' the cards. Ask for donations. Explain to people why you are raising funds, and who will benefit from them. People will donate to a worthy cause. Take any size donation, and offer anyone who gives $10 or more a card.

Sell in “high-volume” areas...
Many stores, such as Wal-Mart™, will allow fundraisers to ask for donations outside their store entrance(s) if approached properly. This allows you to draw upon existing consumer traffic. The more people who see the cards, the more you are going to sell. It’s as simple as that.

Offer the individual sellers a commission...
Factory workers, clerks, and bank tellers can really help your effort if properly motivated. Unfortunately, it can be hard to incite these individuals unless they are rewarded for their efforts. To that end you should try splitting part of the profit with them. Offer a dollar or two per card. Let them make some money as well. For the majority of your sellers it probably won’t make a difference, but there will always be one or two out there who will really hustle for the extra cash!

True Story: A gentleman working at a nuclear power plant in Tennessee managed to sell over 180 cards by himself, when offered some of the profit.

The key point to this strategy is to understand that high volume sales will make more money than low volume sales: Better to have an individual sell numerous cards on commission, than one or two cards at the normal price without rewards. Give your sellers a reason to hustle. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results!

Let the participants take cards home with them...
The largest sales advantage any group has is in its numbers. The average participant can sell at least four cards, with little or no effort, if they will just show the cards to family and friends. Let your groups numbers work for you.



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