Boost Your Fundraiser with a Super Party Incentive

Why do super parties work so well for schools?

Most sponsors understand the importance of incentives in achieving their fundraiser goals. The more excited the students are about the prize program, the more sales they'll make. However, most prize programs work the same way. You don't have to sell very much to get a prize, but you won't be overly excited about what you win, either. Bigger and better prizes await those students who sell many items from their brochures. Unfortunately, those students are in the minority, while the majority will have cheaper prizes. Over time this can lead to seller apathy because older, more experienced students now understand the game. So what are the options?

This has led many schools to reevaluate their prize programs. The question has become, "Should we take a chance and offer something different or continue to play it safe?" After all, many schools faithfully raise the same amount of money, year after year. If it's not broken, why fix it?

To help answer that question is a list of pros and cons that compare traditional prize programs to a Big Event Super Party incentive plan head to head.

Traditional Prize Programs

Advantages:

1. Familiarity
2. It can be used with both large and small groups.
3. Simple and easy because prizes come inside each seller's box.

Disadvantages:

1. Cheaper prizes at lower prize levels.
2. Many students and parents are unsatisfied with the quality.
3. Experience shows that most students only sell enough to reach lower prizes.

Super Party Incentive Plan

Advantages:

1. Students who don't sell very much can still get something exciting. This leads to increased participation over time.
2. Students who sell more can still win bigger prizes.
3. A significant increase in sales has been experienced by schools in head-to-head comparisons over traditional prizes.
4. The party is embraced as exciting and new by many students and parents.
5. No parent complaints about a lack of prize quality.
6. No broken prizes to have to deal with.

Disadvantages:

1. Additional work is required to have the event.
2. Schools must share the cost of bringing in the event if sales don't reach the minimum.
3. Some parents may feel it's unfair for students to have to sell to attend an event at their school.

Deciding whether to stay with a traditional prize program or move up to the party may be worth considering, especially if your school:

• Has experienced stagnant or declining sales.
• Has a larger enrollment with less than desired participation.

Selecting the right prize program is essential to the success of your fundraiser, so it's best to weigh all of your pros and cons first.

Learn more about our super party incentive.

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.