Fundraising Success #41

Fundraising Success - Issue #41 - Article: "Youth Sports Fundraising"; Supplier Spotlight: "Suzy's Cream Cheesecakes"; Free ebook: "151 Beauty Tips"

Here in the Carolinas, schools will be doing their spring carnivals, jump
rope-athons, catalog fundraisers, and more. High schools will be doing
prom fundraisers and raising funds for senior class trips.

I'd write more, but I'm anxious to get outside!

The Supplier Spotlight is on Suzy's Cream Cheesecakes. They provide
handmade cheesecakes in a variety of mouth-watering flavors! These
aren't the yucky frozen ones you can buy in the supermarket. The
cheesecakes are made fresh daily from the highest-quality ingedients.

This month's Bonus is a Free Sample of Celine Dion's new fragrance
"Almost Belong".  You need to act fast as these free perfume samples
always go quick. Details in the SiteSeeing section of the newsletter.

This month's ebook is "151 Beauty Tips" which should have us all
looking great come summertime!


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Readers Q & A: "Selling on eBay"
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Question: Kimberly, we'd like to sell some items on eBay to raise
funds, but don't have much online auction experience. Can you
offer some tips or recommend a company?
- Annette Davis

Answer: If you're unsure how to go about selling on eBay, you can
always use a trading assistant. They take a percentage of the sale,
but handle the auction listing and collecting payment.

A good site for information is

- Kimberly


You will find my book, Fundraising Success, very helpful in any
fundraising endeavor.

Buy a copy today because you'll save both time and money!
Yours for only $17:



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FEATURE ARTICLE: Youth Sports Fundraising
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Looking for some tips on improving your youth sports fundraising? Every youth sports league must fundraise to cover expenses and keep fees low. So, how do you raise more funds? Focus on these seven factors and you can easily double your results.

Product Selection
In youth sports fundraising, it's so important to select the right products to sell. The right selection is one that has mass appeal, an above average price point, and good profit margins.

Don't sell what's always been sold every year. Consider choosing items that meet the criteria below.

Product Price Point
Your product offering should be at an attractive price point. This means it should be neither high nor low, but rather right in the comfort zone that encourages people to open their wallets.

If you're selling a low-priced product, you are at a disadvantage because you aren't maximizing your revenue from each prospect. In this situation, try bundling a small quantity together and ask for more dollars.

For example, if candy bars are being sold for $1 each, put together variety three-packs or a family ten-pack. Get your prospect thinking bigger numbers. Many of them will step up to the bundle.

Product Profitability
It's important that your fundraising product has a high profit margin. Ideally, you'd like to make 80% or more if you can. This would be products like discount cards for two-for-one deals at fast food places.

Many standard items have a profit margin of 50% and that's OK. It just means that you'll have to pump up the volume to make the same net that you would with higher profit items.

If the product chosen is one with a lower profit range of say 40%, then it needs to either be a higher-priced item or it needs to be likely to inspire quantity orders from each prospect. For example, cookie dough is often in this range, but price points are $10 & up. Many families will buy two or three units.

Sales Script
Don't send your sellers out unprepared. Part of youth sports is teaching and helping kids with their sales skills goes a long way toward building self confidence.

Here's what to tell them:
1 - Make eye contact, smile and introduce yourself.
2 - Say one sentence about why you are raising funds.
3 - Say second sentence that asks for their help.
4 - Make sure that sentence includes the word "because".
5 - Extend sample item, catalog, or order sheet.
6 - Suggest a personal favorite item or bundle.
7 - Always ask for the order.

Prospect, Prospect, Prospect
Now that your kids know what to say, they have to have prospects for their sales pitch. You can't set sales records without having a large supply of prospective customers.

Have everyone make a list of their potential customers. Have them do it as a team exercise and make sure they write them down. It's very important to do this and to have each seller commit publicly to doing their part.

Have each seller stand up in front of their teammates and state how many prospects they have. Then have them make a commitment to raising a certain financial amount. Set minimum amounts and encourage competition by offering prizes for various achievement levels.

Location, Location, Location
Another way to boost your youth sports fundraising is by going where the prospects are. Your group can reach incredible numbers of people just by setting up fundraiser sales tables at entrances to high-traffic retail locations.

Grocery stores, home improvement stores, and mass merchandisers are all places where hundreds of prospects are available. Get permission well in advance from the store manager.

Set up a small table to display your fundraising product items. Staff your spot with two adults and two kids for each 90-minute shift.

Decorate the area with league banners and large-lettered signs explaining your offer. Your signs must inform them well in advance of reaching your display and sales table. That way, those interested in helping your sports team will be primed to stop and will be more receptive to hearing each youth's sales pitch.

Example:
"New Uniform Fundraiser"
"Tasty 3 lb. Cookie Dough - $10"

Imagine how many potential prospects there are at those locations who are completely outside your normal range of contacts. Now, go out there and sell them something!

Have Fun
Always make raising funds fun for the kids. Their emotions are subconsciously communicated to each potential prospect.

If they are smiling while cheerfully communicating your team's need and asking for help, then chances are good they'll get a favorable response.

If they're looking down and mumbling some garbled sales spiel, then chances are more people will pass on the offer. The way to get them involved is to have some competition going, have some fun activities built around the process, and have some rewards waiting for success.

For example, post a list at each team practice of the top sellers. Everybody loves to be recognized!

Do a fun activity just for those who help out by working the retail location sales table. Take the participants bowling or to a batting cage or a golf driving range. It'll bond fathers and sons and encourage increased participation.

Have a rewards party after the fundraiser wraps up. A simple pizza party or group picnic is sufficient. Just make sure that everyone gets recognized for pitching in.

Allow the kids time to run around and enjoy themselves. After all, isn't youth sports all about having fun?

Follow these seven tips and your team's fundraising effort will be a big success.

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Supplier Spotlight: Suzy's Cream Cheesecakes
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(Excerpt from my book, Fundraising Success!)

Supplier: Suzy's Cream Cheesecakes, Inc.
Phone: (800) 828-1055
Fax: (414) 453-2235
Website:
Email:

Address: 5901 West Vliet Street
City: Milwaukee
State: WI
Zip: 53208

Description: Earn an average of $2 on every cheesecake sold. Custom printed sales materials and assistance sorting orders at delivery.

Generally you will pay about $5.10 for one of our 22 ounce, seven inch cheesecakes. Most groups sell them for $6.95 to $7.95.

In a grocery store one of our two pound cheesecakes will sell for around $12.95 (40c an ounce).

Now, even if you sell your fund raising cheesecakes for $7.95 your customer is paying only about 36c an ounce.

Your choice of 18 flavors. Recommend limiting fundraising to top 6 or 7 flavors.


Product Lines: Cheesecake

Terms: Net 10 day terms to qualified organizations or prepay

Notes: These are fresh cheesecakes, not frozen. Concentrates on the Milwaukee and Chicago area.

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Places To Go, Things To See, Bonus Item & More
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Places to go:

NPR Radio - All Songs Considered

Since February 2006, National Public Radio has been presenting live concerts that highlight a wide variety of bands, including those that play in the idiom of alt-country and hard-edged classic soul. If one didn’t hear these concerts when they were originally broadcast, they can take advantage of this fine archive offered on this site.

The most recent concert offered here (in its entirety) is that of the rather popular group, Belle and Sebastian. All told, there are twenty concerts currently available for users’ listening pleasure.

They include performances by James Brown, Sinead O’Connor, Death Cab for Cutie, and Lucinda Williams. As a nice addition, each concert offering also includes links to related coverage from National Public Radio, along with the occasional photo gallery and such.
 

Things to see:

How Products Are Made

In a world that has the capability to create infinitesimally tiny machines, it may be hard for some to understand how the most basic products are created. This website attempts to answer some of those questions, beginning with information on how accordions are made, and ending with a discussion on the creation of zirconium.

For each item, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the processes involved with their manufacture and assembly. Perhaps users have wondered how the tiny candy corn is manufactured? They need wonder no more after taking a look at this site. The site also takes on more complex items, such as the camera lens and the nicotine patch.

Bonus Item:

Free Sample Of Celine Dion's "Almost Belong" Perfume
Limited time offer on a free perfume sample from Celine Dion's new fragrance "Almost Belong". According to the site, it blends uplifting notes of mimosa, fresh violets & crisp amber that mingle & dance to create a fabulous new fragrance. Act quick on this one because they don't last long.
 

Your Free Ebook:

21 page booklet packed with great beauty tips. Discover ultimate facials we bet you've never heard of before. Exfoliating tips, laser skin resurfacing, foot care, and much more.

Download here:

That's all for this issue. See you next month.


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Copyright 2006 by Kimberly Reynolds. All rights reserved.

Maximize your fundraising success!

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