To maximize results for your next fundraiser, you need to have a plan and work that plan. Spend some time with your leadership group strategizing about how various offerings will be received by your potential supporters. Design a sales effort that leverages your group’s strengths and expands your reach deeper into the community.
Here are some important fund raising points to consider:
- Tap bigger revenue streams
- Sell higher-priced items
- Make it timely
- Avoid doing too many fundraisers
Tap bigger fundraising revenue streams
Your potential supporters spend money on both necessities and non-luxury goods. Consider selling gift certificates for restaurants, groceries, gas, entertainment, clothing, hardware, etc.
The profit percentage is less, but if you structure it right, everyone can be a supporter through their regular expenditures. You can also offer these through your web site year round.
Sell higher-priced fundraising items
They?ll net you more funds than lower priced items. Example: You?d have to sell ten $1 candy bars to net the same amount as one $10 item such as a CD. Ask yourself how many people will buy ten candy bars versus how many will buy one or more CD?s. Don?t forget that almost all of your participants will be selling to ten prospects or less.
Don?t waste your sales effort; focus on maximizing your results!
Points to remember:
- Sell what?s easy to sell
- Make it easy to buy
- Make product offerings easy to choose
- Plan in detail to maximize revenues from each fundraising drive and each sales opportunity within it.
- Place a strong focus on looking at everything with an eye toward maximizing your net profit.
- Something new and different catches the attention better than SOSDY (same old stuff, different year).
- Consider offering items with broad appeal (multi-unit sales) such as those that can be given as gifts.
- Catalog sales offer the biggest variety and the best chance for larger overall dollar volume.
Make it timely
Selling gift-wrap in November is more effective than selling it in the spring. Likewise, don?t sell cookie dough against Girl Scout Cookies. Chocolate in the summertime is problematic. Don?t settle for less than the right mix of high quality goods at the right prices (cost and retail), along with something new.
Always remember: Quality + variety + something new = better bottom line
Avoid doing too many fundraisers
Doing three major fundraisers along with some combination of service or special event programs works well. Consider supplementing your major campaigns with a ?new product? catalog, even if you?re already planning a catalog sale anyway.
A second catalog or offering offers additional purchase options and supplemental revenue from each sales opportunity.
