FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

A candle fundraiser is a great way for school clubs, cheer squads, or scout groups to raise funds because the unit price is high and most sales are for multiple units. Here’s how you can maximize your candle fundraising profits.

Provide samples
Believe it or not, using sample candles doubles the sales volume. Why? Because people can see, touch, and most importantly, smell the candles.

The fragrance is what sells the product and that doesn’t come through on the brochures. Not until they start providing scratch & sniff versions anyway!

Order at least two sample candles for each seller. Get a variety of all the popular fragrances in the main styles. Your fundraising company can easily tell you which ones those are and you can use the samples to fill orders, so you’re not wasting any money.

Use a sales script
I’m a big believer in kids actually getting out there and doing their own selling, so you need to teach them how to sell. Surprisingly, it’s not that hard to do.

As the kids say, here’s the thing. You must do these three things:

Smile and introduce yourself while making eye contact, then state why you are raising funds.
Ask for their help and use the word “because” to justify it.
Recommend a favorite and place the sample in their hands.
“Hi, I’m Jimmie Jones and we’re raising funds because we need new computers at school. Can you help us out by buying a candle? This French Vanilla one smells great!”

And that’s when you hand over a sample candle and an order brochure. After that, you keep quiet until they ask a question or agree to place an order.

Sell a second product
Another great way to maximize profits is by offering something completely different. If the customer doesn’t like the candles, you can quickly pitch your alternative.

Or, if they buy, you can upsell them with the same offer. Same number of sales calls, double the profits.

One product that works especially well is a fundraising card offering two-for-one discounts on pizza or similar products from fast food chains. These retail for $10 and cost $2, so there’s plenty of extra profit built in.

Plus, they appeal to families because they provide real value for the price. They get their money back the first time they use the card, so it’s a great deal for them.

Offer sales incentives
Motivation is a wonderful tool because people always act in their own best interest. By offering sellers prizes for every sales level they exceed, you motivate even the worst ones to reach the first bonus level.

Plus, your top sellers will keep cranking out the sales to achieve the really good prizes for selling hundreds of dollars worth of candles. Your supplier will provide certain prize packages, but I recommend supplementing those with extras like a free discount card or items donated by local businesses.

You can even spend some of the profits on really great prizes like a videogame console, the newest games, or an iTunes gift card. Just make sure you inform your sellers about all the great prizes available.

When you start, have them state their sales goals by prize level in front of their peer group. Why? Because fear of failure and peer pressure are truly powerful motivators!

Reach a bigger audience
Another way to increase sales is to expand your sales targets beyond family, friends, and neighbors. Set up sales tables at local events or even at high-traffic shopping center locations.

Use big signs to spell out why you’re raising funds. That helps pre-sell people as they approach. For many of these sales, you might need to fill them immediately from your sample inventory. Still, it’s an excellent way to make hundreds more sales!

Candle Fundraiser Summary

Boost your candle fundraiser profits by providing samples, teaching your sellers a simple sales script, selling an alternate product, and offering sales incentives. In addition, you can sell even more candles by expanding your marketing efforts beyond just family friends, and neighbors.

Take some time to develop the right candle fundraising program, select a good supplier, and watch your profits soar to new heights!

“Congratulations Ms. Cantsayno, you’ve been appointed fundraising chairperson. Your mission, should you decide to accept (and you will because we know that’s the kind of person you are) is to oversee our school’s fundraising activities. Good luck.” Do not panic. Fundraising is not for wimps. You’ll never hear Tom Cruise whine, “But…but…I’ve never done this before.” Now is the time for action. The following attack plan was developed with the fundraising rookie in mind in consultation with several experienced fundraisers. One word of caution: every fundraising program is different so the logistics can vary greatly. However, once you’ve selected a particular program and a professional company, your fundraising representative can help you map out the details.

6 Months Before

Step 1 – Set a Goal

No fundraising activity should be without purpose and that purpose should be one that everyone can support. Why do you need the money? How much money do you need? When setting the fundraising goal, be specific. Involve all interested parties in setting the goal and then make that the focus of your campaign from start to finish. If the goal is meaningful to school administrators, faculty, parents and children, your chances for success are greater.

Step 2 – Recruit a Committee
New fundraising chairs often try to do too much themselves rather than delegate. Recruit a team of three or four parent volunteers to help organize the activity and recruit any other needed volunteers. For example, assign one person to take care of publicity; two to handle money collection and record keeping; and another to manage delivery logistics.

Step 3 – Select a Company
Get this right and the rest should be a cakewalk (pardon the expression). Pare down your list to two or three companies and make appointments with each. Allow enough time (at least 45 minutes) for a proper presentation. Step 3 is not the place to skimp on time and effort. Competing companies will need to know your group’s financial goal; the number of potential participants and their ages; and any historical information you can provide (e.g. past fundraisers, participation levels, successes and failures).

You will need to learn from each of the companies you interview: § How long has the company been in business?

1. How many years of experience does the company representative have in fundraising?
2. Are the program’s product/s of high quality that the organization will be proud to stand behind?
3. What services are available to save you and your volunteers time and energy?
4. How will the program work? Are products paid for in advance or upon delivery?
5. Does the company understand and comply with your state sales tax laws? § How is safety addressed? Does the company discourage unsupervised door-to-door sales? Will adult supervision be stressed? How will these points be communicated to parents? Children?
6. What promotional assistance will the company provide? (kick-off assemblies; parent letters; posters; samples for display; etc.)
7. Is there an incentive or prize program? If so, who pays for it?
8. How are products shipped and when? Who pays the freight?
9. What is the policy regarding damaged or unsold product? What about back orders?
10. Will there be a written agreement?
11. Can the company provide references? (Be sure to call and check these references.)

Again, it’s important to remember that there are many types of fundraising programs. Not all of the above criteria may apply to your organization or the company with whom you choose to work.

Once you’ve selected the firm, set the dates and place them on a school or community activities calendar to avoid overlap within your own school or neighboring schools. Clear activities and crucial dates with appropriate officials (school principal, coaches, and custodians) to avoid conflicts with other events. Now relax for a few months

1 Month Before

Step 4 – Final Planning
Contact your fundraising representative and meet with your fundraising committee to review logistics. Make a list of materials that you’ll be responsible for and those that the company will supply. Determine how many adult volunteers you’ll need to execute the fundraiser at every step. Develop a master schedule of important dates for everyone to use as his or her blueprint. Include such details as: advance promotion (press releases, newsletter articles, billboards); arrival dates for company materials; kick-off activities with students/teachers/parents; deadlines for orders/money to be turned in; reminder notices/P.A. announcements; delivery of products and prizes; announcement of results to all participants; volunteer appreciation; and a wrap-up meeting to review the entire event. Let teachers know about the fundraiser so that they may incorporate it into their lesson plans.

1 to 2 Weeks Before

Step 5 – Advance Promotion
Send a flier home to parents announcing your fundraising goal and when they can expect to receive their fundraising packets/products. Put up posters around the school and post dates on the school billboard, web site and on the homework hotline. If an open house or parents meeting is scheduled, arrange a display with product samples from your fundraising project.

1 to 2 Days Before

Step 6 – Countdown
Touch base with fundraising company, school administrators and custodians to reconfirm logistics. Gather and sort the supplies you’ll need from the company. Check in with your committee and team leaders. Call volunteers to remind them of their responsibilities and when they’re needed. Post reminders to teachers, explaining procedures, reminding them of the goal.

D-Day
Step 7 – All Systems Go
This is when you start to congratulate yourself on all the careful planning. Kick-off activities, if scheduled, go off without a hitch. Appropriate materials finally go home to each family. If your particular event will last over a one- or two-week period, make your final preparations to motivate volunteers. Remind volunteers of important deadlines; the group’s ultimate goal and what progress has been made. Some families may jump right on the fundraising project, returning their order forms/money immediately. So it’s a good idea to review your process for order and money collection to ensure theseearly returns are accounted for. Likewise, now is the time to review your plans for product delivery first to your school and then to the end-user. Touch base with the fundraising company representative for an approximate date of delivery. Reconfirm availability of space with school officials. If parental pick-up is planned, begin scheduling times once a firm delivery date has been determined.

Step 8 – Product Delivery
Again, fundraising programs will vary widely. Sometimes products will go home with students. Sometimes parents will pick up the orders. There are some instances that the product may go directly to the end-user. Have enough volunteers on hand to handle products at the appropriate time, making sure there is someone to trouble-shoot missing orders. Forward appropriate paperwork (invoice, purchase orders) to your organization’s treasurer or bookkeeper to ensure prompt payment. Then, congratulate yourself again on yet another well-executed plan.

1 Month After

Step 9 – Evaluation
Did your group meet or exceed financial expectations? Are plans underway toward implementing the originally stated goal? (Is the new playground equipment on the way? Are the field trip plans complete?) Communicate the final fundraising results by P.A., billboards, newsletters, parent letters, etc., thanking participants for their support. Meet with your committee to review the entire activity and any notes taken along the way to identify improvements for next year. Provide an overall report to the school principal in a brief meeting. And provide your fundraising company representative with your feedback. Now you can proudly pass on your file and vast knowledge to the next, more fortunate fundraising chair, because … congratulations, Ms. Cantsayno, your successful fundraising efforts just landed you the position of incoming President.

Source: AFRDS

We all want to do what we can to protect and improve our living environment. As we have only one planet to share with all current and future generations, it is important that we create and help promote products that are highly sustainable.

Currently there are thousands of eco-friendly products in the market that you can use to raise funds. Most of them are made of recycled or recyclable materials, or aim at encouraging individuals and businesses alike to develop habits and practices that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. With a quick search on the Internet, you can find a wide range of companies and groups who are keen to provide assistance in selecting products that suit your organization’s fundraising needs.

Meanwhile, selling can hardly be as good as sharing. How can your organization conduct fundraising events that are environmentally friendly as well? Here are some useful tips:

• Use recycled stationery. While some recycled products can be slightly pricey, their long-term return on investment is considerable and will boost your organization’s environmental credibility.
• Reduce usage of paper and copy machine. Electronically distribute all internal documents and as many external ones as possible. For permanent storage, use CDs and DVDs.
• Reuse public relations materials. Carefully design your organization’s promotional items to present its long-term visions and targets. Yearly updates can be featured on supplementary pages when necessary.
• Act as role model. Establish partnerships with businesses that are eco-friendly and socially responsible. In all fundraising events, use recyclable and reusable advertising materials.

Caring for our planet is a task that is easier done than said. Every small step counts in a long journey as it brings the achiever closer to his or her goal. By working together, we can have a direct positive impact on our environment.

Most non-profit organizations have fundraising committee positions that last for at least one year. Each year, new members receive training and learn from their predecessors. All results of previous fundraising events and relevant details are available, so that the new committee does not have to start everything from scratch.

However, when a fundraising committee is being established for the first time, it is important to get things organized to enhance future management. There should certainly be a team leader who is in charge of chairing meetings, distributing minutes and resources, and settling disputes when necessary. A financial officer should also be appointed to keep track of the money collected through fundraising events.

Among the other thousands of tasks to get organized, some fundamental documents need to be prepared:

• Names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of all fundraising committee members and volunteers.
• Details of fundraising product suppliers you plan to use and are considering using, including notes on the types of goods and services provided.
• Financial books, to keep notes on fundraising account details, receipts, income and expenditure records, check and credit card statements, etc.
• Copies of your organization’s fundraising and money handling policies and procedures, as well as your planning documents such as schedules of fundraising events, committee meetings and training of volunteers.
• Documentation on all fundraising committee meetings, discussions, decisions, actions and reviews. Each fundraising event should have its own folder, which is to be filed separately from that of general committee affairs.

Setting up a new fundraising committee is not difficult, as long as you are prepared to pay attention to details and patiently plan and implement every single step. With all essential documentation retained and properly categorized, you will find your tasks and those of future fundraising committee members very easy.

We all learn from our predecessors, people who used to do what we do now, who have learned great lessons and received much emotional and psychological rewards from their work. As we ourselves now arrive at these positions, we are keen to experience, to perform and, most importantly, to succeed. We soon find that there is no better way to gain knowledge than learning from our forerunners.

Particularly in fundraising, we need much guidance from those who know. What kinds of fundraising events have been organized before? How were the products, services or activities promoted, and were the results lucrative or less than satisfactory? How were the products collected and what happened when there were not enough to distribute? What happened to the excessive stock? Where did all those volunteers come from and how were they organized and trained?

Most importantly, where can we find more fundraising ideas and put them in practice? How do we keep our volunteers and ourselves enthusiastic? Who can we talk to when we feel tired and frustrated? With whom can we share our success?

This is why heritage is important in fundraising, as hard-earned experiences should be passed on. Policies and procedures may be established to enhance the handling of a wide range of matters, while criteria are required for us to measure our achievements. While fine examples are to be followed, all efforts should be made to avoid previously made mistakes.

It is therefore highly recommended that all fundraising committees possess a full copy of at least the previous year’s committee meeting minutes, contact details of volunteers, reports on all fundraising results, product distribution and storage records, and relevant financial proceedings. The better written and catalogued these documents are, the faster and easier they can help the newcomers prepare themselves for their work.

Having planned ahead your fundraising initiatives and aims, found the volunteers you need and prepared all your team members for the forthcoming events, it is now time to take concrete action to achieve your collective goal. Some people think that saying is one thing while doing is another. However, this writer would argue that when doing, one should never forget what has been said.

As Joel Barker, the famous “paradigm man”, suggests: “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Here are some tips on how you can match actions with original plans:

• Trust your team members. As you have allocated various tasks to those who can handle them and arranged to have one’s weakness compensated by another’s strength, it is now time for them to do their work. Give them some personal and professional space. Help them when necessary, but do not hassle them.
• Focus on the present. When facing one task, do it well, without worrying too much about what has been and will be done. Do not hesitate to ask for help. If mistakes occur, correct them as soon as possible and move on. As Dale Carnegie stresses: “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage.”
• Count your milestones. Depending on how long your fundraising campaign goes, meet with your team members weekly or monthly to discuss your progress. Setting up key dates is a great way to review what has been completed. Reward all efforts and inspire your team members for what still needs to be done.

Because fundraising as a public event requires input from everyone in your team, keep in mind that both vision and action need to be shared. Take one step at a time.

Like all public affairs, fundraising events require careful and thorough planning. From deciding on specific fundraisers to finding volunteers, from collecting and distributing the products to managing excessive stock, a wide range of issues should be considered. Each and every one of them needs to be discussed and approved by the majority, if not all, of committee members, before relevant actions can be successfully taken.

Simply put, planning ahead enables us to complete our tasks quickly and effectively. Here are some suggestions on how to conduct good planning:

• Start early. Plan ahead by gathering resources and categorizing them according to your needs, identifying channels through which you can find volunteers, and helping your team members know each other.
• No idea is bad idea. It is always useful for everyone to sit down and brainstorm. Because each of your team members has his or her unique views, experiences and contacts, together you can do great wonders.
• Always have the end in mind. Establish achievable goals and concrete plans to achieve them. Keep everyone informed of all steps completed and yet to be taken. The more specific you are about your goals, the more focused you tend to be.
• Know your limits. Stay calm and positive even when problems occur. Understand that no matter how capable each of your team members is, he or she is not Superman or Wonder Woman. People do and often make mistakes.
• Put fun back into fundraising. Include a kick-off gathering at the beginning of your plan and a celebration party in the end. Make sure that everybody is invited and all efforts are rewarded.

Remember, planning ahead does not mean that you should have everything done beforehand. It simply means that you need to prepare your team for whatever is coming.

In the previous article are some tips on how to be a good leader for your fundraising committee. Indeed, the ultimate reason for any leader to exist is to encourage teamwork and mutual respect among his or her team members, so that the whole team can function as one. A leader should inspire and unite, not to do all the work.

For each and every member of your fundraising committee, here are some suggestions on how to enhance teamwork:

• Know your staff and stuff. Set an achievable goal for your upcoming fundraising event and explain to everybody the steps required to achieve it. Specify the tasks involved and allocate responsibilities to those who can handle them. Compensate one’s weakness with another’s strength.
• Set and make known your priorities. Thoroughly discuss with your team members the resources your organization already possesses and what extras need to be gained through the fundraising event. The majority, if not all, of your team members should agree on how to manage the event.
• Uphold honesty and transparency. Establish the consensus that no information should be withheld from any and all of your team members, and that all procedures and results need to be assessed by the whole fundraising committee. Any conflict is to be handled quickly and without favoritism.
• Share duties and credits. Within a team, no one should clearly stand out to take all the glory or be the scapegoat. While the leader has, and should have, a representative voice in public, he or she needs to always recognize and support the collective efforts of all fundraising committee members.

Remember, for any fundraising committee to succeed, teamwork is as important as, if not more critical than, leadership. Only a united, balanced and hardworking team is capable of achieving its goal.

This is the first of a series of six articles that explore the significance of fundraising committee management. In any organization, setting up a fundraising committee is the key to raising funds effectively. There is nothing more inspiring and rewarding than working with a group of like-minded people to achieve your goal.

For your committee to succeed in organizing a wide range of fundraising activities, leadership is of ultimate importance. Here are some tips on how to be an excellent committee leader:

• Be communicative. Print out the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of your committee members, and distribute a copy to everybody. Keep your team informed with all progress. Ensure that you are always available for people’s inquiries and requests for help.
• Be open-minded. Avoid favoring some people over the others. Know the capacities of your committee members and strive to put their strengths and talents to good use. When conflicts arise, listen carefully to all sides before making a decision. Solve any problem as soon as possible.
• Be transparent. Make available all fundraising plans, results and previously learned lessons and encourage brainstorming among your committee members. Discuss with your team before setting priorities. Review your planning documents often and ensure that all inputs are well considered.
• Be part of your team. Put first the interests of your team. Work as hard as – if not harder than – your committee members. Be a role model by maintaining a good balance between work and life. Share with your team all successful and not-so-successful fundraising outcomes.

The secret of being a good leader is to listen and share, and to give the others what you would like them to give you. By operating your fundraising committee well, you are already halfway there to achieving successful fundraising results.

The foundation of successful fundraising events is frequent and direct communications among all members of your organization’s fundraising team. The better connected and informed you are, the better it is for your fundraising initiatives in the long term.

Traditionally we have used meetings in person and telephone calls to communicate with each other. While these remain effective ways to exchange news, launch discussions and debates and provide feedback, people in their busy lives now prefer receiving and digesting information in their own time. This is why certain networking technologies have become extremely popular.

SMS text messaging via mobile phones is perhaps the most popular and convenient way of staying in touch with your fundraising team members. Questions and comments are quickly typed out and sent, and replies are instantly given. As most people carry their mobile phones but only answer incoming calls at their earliest convenient time, it is a non-intrusive way to keep constant contact with your team members.

Email is another handy way in which not only messages but also relevant documents may be sent to your fundraising team members. All you need to do is to set up an email list so that one message can be instantly dispatched to many accounts via a click of the mouse.

Finally, many social networking websites are free for all to use. They allow you to create individual groups and invite other members to join. Within each group, participants can upload photos and post messages to share ideas and opinions.

In short, the key to operating a happy and motivated fundraising team is to keep all team members well informed. By utilizing networking technologies such as mobile phone, email and social networking website, everyone can remain updated with relevant fundraising information on their own terms and at their own paces.