The Drawbacks to Back to School Fundraisers

Why some schools should wait to fundraise.

A strong argument can be made to be among the first groups outselling. Many sponsors feel that students have a much better chance of making fundraising sales if they approach potential buyers before anyone else does. This makes sense because people will tire of students ringing their doorbells as the selling season progresses.

Back-to-school fundraisers have their advantages, but they also have some potential drawbacks.

Here are some potential disadvantages you may want to consider if you decide to start your sale early in the school year.

People have Other School Expenses

Once school starts, parents have additional expenses. They have to buy things like new clothes and classroom supplies. Many people don’t have the extra money to support a fundraiser.

Lack of advanced Fundraising Notice

Providing advanced notice that a sale is coming soon is always more courteous. No parent likes to be surprised with a fundraising packet, especially after school starts. It’s hard enough for families to adjust to all of the changes involved with going back to school. Many people haven’t adjusted to the school routine yet. This may cause some people to say no to one more thing on their plate.

What about Fundraisers before the Holidays?

A lot of shopping takes place right before the holidays. Since people are already looking for gifts for family and friends, selling closer to the high-demand buying season makes more sense for many schools.

If you’re looking to jump on the other groups in your area with an early back-to-school fundraiser, you may want to weigh the options first.

What are other drawbacks to having an early back-to-school sale?

See our brochure fundraisers.

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.