The Big Four: Simplifying Fundraising
Are you looking to set up a fundraiser? Although setting up a fundraiser can seem like a daunting task, fundraising can be fun and simple with the right information and tool set. We are going to break fundraising down into four categories with the intention of simplifying fundraising for you, giving you a direction to go in as you get prepared for your fundraiser and providing simple fundraising ideas for small groups and larger groups.
Local Business Partnership Fundraising
Most companies, both big and small, have an interest in supporting the local schools and non-profit organizations in the community. There are, to name a few, school fundraisers, youth sport fundraisers, scout fundraisers, track and field fundraisers, football fundraisers and high school fundraisers. In most communities it is unrealistic for a local business to support them all. They have to choose what groups will get their support and at what level. If you have one or many local businesses in mind, this may be the approach for you!
Before approaching a local business, create a game plan. Businesses need exposure, and the exposure that comes from a fundraising partnership can result in the community choosing this business because of the heartwarming feeling they get when they hear about the fundraiser and the partnership.
Just a few examples of a promotional fundraiser are spirit nights at a local restaurant (usually the restaurant will donate 10% of proceeds to your group for everyone’s purchase who comes in on a certain night), Amazon Smile, etc. This kind of fundraiser is one of the best easy fundraisers out there. They can be low effort which is a plus. One of the cons is that the profits are going to be lower than some of the other fundraisers.
Donation-Based Fundraising
Our second category covers donation-based fundraisers where schools and groups are asking the community for donations in return for performing a service. This is one of the easiest, fun fundraising categories!
Donation-based fundraising can be extremely lucrative. Where supporters can afford to, many would prefer to donate where they know that more of their money goes to the school or cause, than to purchase a product.
With many cause types to choose from, you have the flexibility to choose the program that best fits your group’s needs. Believe Kids offers FundGive to help you with any donation-based fundraising. So, which one are you choosing? Color run, jog-a-thon, obstacle course, acts-of-kindness-thon, music-a-thon, math-a-thon, spell-a-thon, hit-a-thon, lift-a-thon, glow run…the options are endless!
Some events can become expensive quickly so be cautious. Work on finding a balance between the amount of money and effort you’re able to put toward an event, and making sure this is a profitable fundraiser where you will get the money back from what you spent on in and more. The goal in planning any fundraiser is to match effort to profit, and donation-based fundraising can help a lot of schools do just that especially with help from Believe Kids and FundGive.
Small Product Fundraising
Fundraising means someone is giving you money, and you’re giving them a reason for doing that, and product fundraising is where that reason is tangible and sometimes even scrumptious.
Examples of bestselling fundraiser items are apparel, spirit wear, food items, and more. You can check out great fundraiser item ideas.
With in-hand sales (chocolate bars, pretzel rods, etc.) , you have the potential to make the same sale twice or more! We’ve all been known to snack on delicious treats right after buying them, and tomorrow is a new day. Plus, there's no need to worry about follow-up or delivery which makes the process easier.
Some of the downsides to this category of fundraising is, since you’re ordering products up front, you’ll be limited in the variety that you can offer. Correctly estimating how much product you’ll sell can be difficult. You’ll often have to make 10 times as many individual sales for the same profit as pre-sale fundraising. Small product fundraising is often more of a DIY approach than its cousin pre-sale fundraising.
Pre-sale Fundraising
At last, we get to the king of school fundraising. Pre -sale fundraising has long been the primary source of extra dough for schools, and we’re not just talking about cookies. With pre-sale programs, you typically offer a catalog featuring the products you're selling. Customers place their orders, and the money is collected at the time of the sale. Order forms are then collected and submitted to us! Once we ship the products to you, you and your parents/sellers distribute and deliver them to the customer. Pre-sale fundraising has evolved exponentially since the fundraising you remember from your childhood.
The secret to its longevity and success is variety – you can offer 20 products, 50 products, or even hundreds of products, each one an opportunity for a supporter to find something that speaks to them, all without worrying about inventory or sales projections. You can sell some items in a higher price category, and supporters of various budgets can purchase some of the best fundraising items that fit within their budget.
Door-to-door sales are largely a thing of the past. Online fundraisers are booming and getting more popular each year. The reach of a pre-sale fundraiser can go beyond the local community. You can get support from friends and family nationwide, and with an experience just like any other online shopping that people are already doing. Combining that with a more traditional approach and paper order forms to hand out in person is the best way to leverage the strength of pre-sale fundraising: options.
Compared to in-hand fundraising, pre-sale fundraising is great because you can build community and have fun throughout the fundraising process by implementing exciting fundraising activities and incentives . While pre-sale fundraising can seem complicated compared to other approaches, with good support and the right partner, pre-sale fundraising can be a breeze to execute. Less work. More money.
So, there you have it folks, the four different types of school fundraisers. When it comes to school fundraising, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, so it's important to find the right approach for your group. If you're feeling overwhelmed, pre-sale fundraising is a great place to start since there's very little guesswork and little-to-no risk. And remember, Believe Kids can help you with all but promotional fundraising, so you're never in it alone. Go out there and make that fundraising magic happen !