FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

If the summer flew past you without the opportunity to plan the rest of your fundraising goals for 2010, take this opportunity to do it. Fall and winter are rich with chances to hold holiday themed fundraisers. So, get the gang fired up for a fantastic fundraising fall. Remember the old adage “those who plan to fail simply fail to plan.”

So, let’s plan. September and October usually mean local street fairs and county carnivals. Appoint a team within your group’s structure to set up table space and feature easy fundraising products, like Fasttrack’s Fundraising Bracelets. Contact the community’s chamber of commerce for more information on renting booth space. Here are a few points to remember:
• Many fairs have their own rules and requirements. Follow these carefully; you may be invited back next year based on the relationship you build now.
• For a nominal fee, you are usually provided with a space large enough for a folding table and a few volunteers. Make the most out of your space.
• Set up a tasteful, decorative space that will draw fair browsers to your table. Limit the amount of helpers to those who are essential. Too many bodies make a cramped space look unprofessional.
• Encourage members and volunteers to promote your events on their social networking sites.
Halloween is another great opportunity to bring in donations. Many communities hold safe trick-or-treating celebrations. Check with area churches that hold fall celebration carnivals. School and community groups hold a “trunk-or-treat” get together to provide area kids and parents with a safe alternative to door to door trick or-treating. These activities provide your group with a readymade audience. Most groups are anxious for sponsors and volunteers to help the event go smoothly. Take advantage of the chance to pass out your group’s literature along with a small treat. Attaching a small note to the treat almost guarantees that your message will end up in the hands of an adult.

Do not let the dog days of summer put a damper on your fundraising efforts! Take advantage of the sunny days left to raise a few more dollars with a mid-summer fund drive, starring our featured product. Before you know it, your core volunteers will be back to the busy lives a new school year brings. Sit down during the summer downtime to plan your strategy through fall and into the holidays.

Before you know it, your core volunteers will be back to the busy lives a new school year brings. Sit down during the summer downtime to plan your strategy through fall and into the holidays. So, call in the team, get out the calendar, and work a plan. The better your plan, the higher the return on your fundraising efforts will be.

Check the calendar for great ideas around every turn. Map out the big dates like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Christmas gift giving season. All of these dates provide excellent opportunities for raising funds with products your donors will appreciate. Be sure to plan enough time to get the word out, and leave time for the products to arrive and reach the donors a few days before each holiday date. Great customer service is an investment in future sales with satisfied consumers.

Take a look at your local school calendars and community pages for more chances to get out into the public with your fundraising efforts. Small communities all over the country hold annual craft and community fairs. Check now for table space and fees. Brainstorm on products that will work well within the theme of each fair.

by Joe Garecht (http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com)

Most non-public schools need to raise funds on a yearly basis, whether for general operating expenses, scholarships, special needs, or sports, clubs, and activities.  These yearly fundraising campaigns take any number of shapes, from product sales to fundraising events to straight fundraising appeals.  No matter what method your school chooses, chances are you will rely on volunteers to lead and run your effort.

Over the years, I’ve heard from many volunteer fundraising leaders who don’t know where to start in raising money for their child’s school.  After talking with the school’s administration, they feel like they are on their own, without a step by step guide for their efforts.  If you’re the school staff member serving as a liaison for these fundraising efforts, don’t leave your volunteers out in the cold.  Share with them these five steps for holding a successful school fundraiser:

1.  Choose Your Program

The school you are working with may or may not have chosen a fundraising program that they would like to use as part of your effort.  If they haven’t, it’ll be up to you to investigate your options and choose a program that will both work well for your particular school and provide a good return for your efforts. Your choices are endless, from selling chocolates or wrapping paper to doing fundraising mailings, holding an event, or simply gathering a team to make asks.  Don’t get bogged down deciding… investigate, choose, discuss your choice with the school to get their blessing, then get to work!

2.  Develop a Plan

Too many parent fundraising leaders make the mistake of starting a new campaign without making a plan – this is one of the biggest reasons why school fundraisers fail.  Before you begin, figure out how you’ll run your effort, what the costs and possible returns will be, what support systems will be needed for your volunteers, and how you will market the fundraising campaign.  Your best bet is to develop a short written fundraising plan before you begin.

3.  Choose Your Team

The people helping you on your effort can make or break your fundraising campaign.  Find other parents, teachers, and student leaders (if needed) who are willing to work hard and with a cheerful attitude to make your event or campaign succeed.

4.  Train Your Team

Next to the failure to write out a plan, a failure to properly train the fundraising team is the biggest reason why fundraisers fail.  Once you have your team in place, show them what needs to be done.  Tell them how to sell tickets, or magazines, or ask for donations… whatever your effort requires.  Answer their questions, and provide support to them throughout the fundraising campaign.

5.  Track Your Success

As you move from planning into the actual fundraising, constantly track what works and what doesn’t, who is raising money and who isn’t, which volunteers are working hard, and which aren’t.  Make adjustments midstream, if necessary, while adhering as closely as possible to the overall strategy you laid out in your plan.  Stay on top of your campaign so you can guide it to success.

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Joe Garecht is the editor of The Fundraising Authority, located on the web at http://thefundraisingauthority.com

by Joe Garecht

Fundraising is the lifeblood of every non-profit organization.  Without it, schools, churches, and other charities find it impossible to carry out their missions.  Without the funding to turn their vision into reality, these groups can’t provide the vital services they offer to society.

Yet, many worthwhile organizations find that they have trouble fundraising, and seem to plateau whenever they try to new methods.  They get stuck in the same routine of grant submissions that aren’t targeted well enough, networking lunches that don’t go anywhere, and events that take too much time for too little return.  It’s time for groups like this to supercharge their fundraising efforts.  Here’s how:

1.  Use Small Hosted Events

Most organizations have tons of mid-level supporters who would love to host a small fundraising event on behalf of the charity.  Yet, most charities don’t encourage these events, thinking that they are too much work. Instead, these groups focus on large, marquee fundraising events, run by the organization, that really are too much work.

Keep holding those big events, but make it easy for your organization to support all of the smaller-level supporters who are willing to hold events.  Create an “event in a box” that contains all of the information someone would need to hold an event on your behalf, and then encourage your board members and supporters to do so.  Make it clear that they are responsible for hosting the event and finding attendees and that you appreciate their efforts.  Having 25 events a year that each raise $2,500 really adds up!

2.  Communicate with Donors and Prospects!

Many organizations make the mistake of asking for money from a prospect, then never communicating again (at least not until the next ask).  Fundraising is all about relationships.  Instead of making ask after ask, build a real relationship between the donor/prospect and your organization.  Send newsletters that update, but don’t ask.  Hold networking events.  Send e-updates.  Call to say thank you. The more of a relationship you build with each donor, the more money you will raise.

3.  Focus on Your Board

Many small non-profits have board filled with friends of the founder, or with ex-officio members from similar agencies who add expertise, but not dollars, to the organization.  Remember this: the number one foundation for your fundraising efforts is your board of directors.  Their contact network should form the basis of much of your groups’ early fundraising efforts.

Because of this, it is important that every organization, once established, starts to add new board members who can raise money for the group.  Find people who have great networks and are committed to the cause.  Keep those early loyal supporters, but add folks who can go out and raise money from their own rolodexes for your organization.

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This article by Joe Garecht, the founder of The Fundraising Authority.  For more great articles and information from Joe, visit http://thefundraisingauthority.com

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.