Fundraising Myth: You can start a fundraiser at any point in the school year.

You’ve heard it before: “The early bird gets the worm.” Today, the trend is to start fundraising later in the semester. Take a cue from our feathered friends and start your fundraisers at the beginning of the school year. This is one of the best steps you can take to ensure success. Starting your main school fundraiser the second or third week of school will maximize your profits, and kick your school year off with bang!

Avoiding “Fundraising Fatigue” by Getting a Head Start

By mid-semester, students will have completed several papers and reports and will already be knee deep in final projects. Why contribute to their stress by adding a last minute fundraiser? And students aren’t the only ones who need a break. Starting earlier almost always guarantees that parents and the community around your school will be energized after a long summer break, so they will be ready to get started on your fundraising efforts.

Beating the Competition

By starting your fundraiser early, you won’t compete with sports team fundraisers, who usually begin their efforts mid-season. And it will be far enough from the holiday season so you won’t have to compete with major retailers and their sales as well.  There will also be a much less chance of delivery issues such as backordered or out of stock items and delays due to chaotic holiday schedules.

3 Easy Tips for an Early Start:

1) Plan your fundraiser before the school year starts, taking advantage of the summer vacation.
2) Launch the kickoff the 2nd or 3rd week of school with a big student assembly that energizes and captures the attention of the students.
3) Meet with parents early on so that other sports and club fundraisers aren’t scheduled at the same time as the main event.