The suggestions that follow may seem trivial but they they have the distinction of working almost every time they are tried. They address the central reason why some schools do much better than others even when all other factors are equal. It is all to easy when planning a new fundraiser to focus on the things that don't matter. Here are five of the right things to you should focus on.
Below you will find four things that a school can do that will greatly affect how profitable their new fundraiser will be.
Step #1 - Profit Percentage Does Not Equal Profits.
A company offering 80% profit on it's goods vs a company offering a 20% profit margin is not necessarily better for a school. One thing people often overlook is that banks do not accept deposits of percentage. Every bank I know of accepts only money. Profit percentage is the thing that many decision makers look at first when it comes time to pick what they are going to do for their 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! Because of this, you could come to the conclusion that it is not the product which made the difference. So what is it that makes the huge difference? Hint, see Step #4!
Step #3 - Start Your Fundraising as Early In the School Year as You Can
When you kickoff your fundraiser is a very important aspect of it's success. It is an undisputed 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 #4!
Step #4- How You Run The fundraiser is the Main Factor in it's Success. (Called "Program Management")
Program Management is the element that makes all the difference in having a successful fundraiser. You as a fundraising chairperson 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 sponsors in how to run their sale the right way. On top of that, it is very simple to do.
Follow these key elements of Program Management to Maximize Your Sale.
A) Set High but Realistic Goals for the School
B) A Memorable Kick Off
C) Maintain The Enthusiasm through the Entire Sale
D) Find Helpful Volunteers
E) Motivate the Students/Sellers Like There Is No Tomorrow
F) Motivate the Teachers and Staff members to Promote and Participate in the Sale.
To get the best results on a new fundraiser the students/sellers must be properly motivated. You can provide motivation not only to the students but also to the teachers and the staff.
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 school that typically has a 25% participation rate will more than double with only a 15% increase in participation. Increasing participation by 15% is not a hard thing to do.