3 Ways to Find the Perfect School Fundraising Brochure

How to pick the right brochure fundraiser for your school.

It seems that every school sponsor who contacts us wants to know which brochure fundraiser sells the best. Our most common response is, "It depends". Everyone wants to make the best choice possible to maximize their sales.

The easy answer is any brochure can sell well in a given area. There are several factors to consider when selecting the right fundraising brochure for your school group.

Perhaps most important is a solid belief in what you end up selling. You're much more likely to push a program you believe strongly in. However, there are more things that you may want to consider. Here are three other things you should think about before making your decision:

1. Know Your Economic Conditions

If you're familiar with the socioeconomic conditions of your immediate area, the price may be a good indicator. For instance, you may want to consider a lower-priced brochure if the average income of your area is lower than average. You would probably not want to sell $25 school mugs or a jewelry brochure with an average price of $20 in a lower-income area, no matter how much you think people will like your product idea. In this case, you may be better off selling items that cost less, like our fall fundraising brochures.

2. Research Prior Fundraising History

It's important to know what has already sold well in your area. For example, if your school successfully sold a specific brochure, you can look at your history to help guide you. Or, perhaps another school had good results with another program a while back. Determining what made these programs successful may also be a good idea.

Be cautious. Too much of a good thing can be detrimental. You may not want to offer a brochure if another one is just like it was recently sold in your immediate area. If you find out another school offers something similar, ensure your sales don't overlap. Getting a head start on your competition is never a bad idea.

3. Survey Buyer Interest

Check around to see what people might be interested in purchasing. For example, you may find people tired of buying gift items yearly. Perhaps cookie dough or frozen food might be the answer. Or, if you're a smaller school group, discount cards or a custom school mug might be a welcomed change.

What about product selection? Will your customer base want more or less product variety? Do people like to buy food or novelty items? If people want a large selection, perhaps a gift item brochure will work best. However, if you want to stand out and make a theme statement, perhaps candles or flowers might work.

Once you've selected your brochure, promoting your fundraiser to achieve maximum sales results will be essential.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.