Big Shoppers Aren’t Always Your Best Fundraiser

Reasons to consider alternatives to the large holiday shopper this year.

The most popular school fundraiser is the large variety shopper usually sells before the holidays. Many feel that the additional selection leads to more buyers. However, will you always attract extra buyers with more item choices?

There are times when having a lot of items to choose from may not be your best fundraiser choice. Some people become overwhelmed with too much selection. Many groups look at other organizations' performance before deciding what to sell. Yet, that doesn't tell the whole story either.

Here are some other factors that you should consider as well.

Brochure Fundraiser Saturation

If other groups have already experienced success with a particular type of brochure, it may also mean the community will tire of it after a while. Understanding what's already sold well is good as long as you do two things:

1. You are one of the first groups to sell it the next time.
2. If you can't reserve an early start date, attempt to sell something different.

An Opportunity for Specialty Brochures

Just because lots of groups have experienced success with a particular type of brochure doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Sometimes, offering something unique and different will do a better job of getting people's attention. See our specialty brochures.

Understanding your Fundraising Customer

Understanding what your community is most likely to buy is powerful. The best way to find out is to ask. Before deciding on a fundraiser, why not conduct a survey? Just because you think something will sell doesn't necessarily mean it will. You may be surprised by what you find out.

See our fall fundraising shoppers.

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.