5 Ways to Have a Successful and Unique Fundraiser

Copyright (c) 2008 AIM Fundraising

When planning a fundraiser it is easy to get caught up in the things that do not make all that much difference in the outcome of the sale. Here are five things that if you will keep in mind while planning your fundraiser, will make a difference in the profit for your school.

Below you will find five things that a school or group can do that will greatly affect how much money is raised with their new fundraiser:

Step #1 - Profit Percentage Does Not Equal Profits.

A company offering 90% profit vs a company offering 20% profit is not necessarily a better deal for a school. Remember schools can not deposit percentage in their bank account, but they are allowed to deposit money. Most schools look at profit percentage as the number one priority when choosing what they will pick for their next new fundraiser. What I am saying here does not mean profit percentage is not important, but it should not be the school's first and only priority when choosing their next new and unique fundraiser. It should be the school's number one goal to raise the maximum profit possible with the least amount of hassles!

Step #2 - The Product You Sell Does Make a Difference (But Not As Much As You Might Think) Coming up with the right product for your new fundraiser does make a difference, however, it is not the most important factor in having a successful fundraiser. You have probably seen this in your own neighborhood, how two schools decide to sell cookie dough and they both sell them at the same time and the same price. But the difference in their results (Profits) were HUGE! So you would have to conclude that it was not the product that made the difference. So what is it that makes the huge difference? Hint, see Step #5!

Step #3 - Time Your Fundraiser as Early In the School year as Possible

When you kickoff your fundraiser is a very important aspect of it's success. It is an undiputed fact that the first school who's sales brochure goes into an office or neighborhood has higher sales than the one that comes last. However, timing is not the #1 reason why schools have successful fundraisers. Hint, see Step #5!

Step #4- Pick a dynamic person to head up your new fundraiser!

The excitement for a fundraiser starts with the person at the top. The person organizing the new fundraiser sets the tone and the level of the excitement and affects participation in the sale. Yes, the fundraising sponsor's attitude and enthusiasm have a very important role in the outcome of any new fundraiser.

Step #5- Program Management (How the fundraiser is run) is the Number One factor in it's success.

Program Management is the most important element on having a Successful fundraiser. You may know that "How" the school fundraiser is run is critical to it's success, but the main problem is not many fundraising companies train the fundraising sponsors on proper "Program Management."

Following are several key elements on Program Management:

A) Setting Goals for the School

B) A Memorable Kick Off

C) Maintaining Excitement for the Duration of the Sale

D) Finding Helpful Volunteers

E) Motivating the Students/Sellers

F) Motivating the Teachers and Staff members to Promote the Sale.

To get the HIGHEST sales on a new fundraiser the students/sellers must be properly motivated. You can even go so far as to provide motivation for teacher/staff members too.

The main reason why one elementary will make $8,000 while another similar school will make $15,500, is the way they did their prizes/incentives for students and for their teachers!

We at AIM have a saying "Students could sell $5 bills for $10.00 and do real well if you motivate them good enough." The most important part of your fundraiser will be to provide incentives that truly motivate your students and teachers to participate in your sale like they have never done before! A measly 15% increase in participation can very easily double the typical school fundraiser. Participation is not hard to increase by 15%.