Customers as School Fundraising Ambassadors

Leverage customers as extensions of your sales team.

Nothing is a better stamp of approval on your school fundraising products than the words of a satisfied customer. Community members participating in your school fundraiser by purchasing products can offer a valuable and compelling perspective to inspire more sales and drive higher profits.

Incorporate fundraising and selling strategies into your campaign that turn customers into ambassadors for your school. Ambassadors are willing to lend themselves to your mission by telling others about the good work you’re doing and encouraging them to participate. School fundraising ambassadors will share your product or brochure fundraising program in their networks.

As advocates for your cause and products, ambassadors can be a powerful way to grow your customer base exponentially, retain customers over time, and create effective messaging that leads to more sales.

Grow Your School Fundraising Customer Base

Think of school fundraising ambassadors as a physical LinkedIn network. Each new connection will invariably grow your network. You can go beyond familiar family and friend circles to make new connections by growing your network.

Before selling, create a prospect list of close family friends, coworkers, or relatives who are shoo-in customers. Then, select a handful you can ask to connect you with just three more people they know who would be willing to support a school fundraiser and help improve outcomes in education. You can ask that they connect you or your parent with a simple introductory email explaining your school’s mission and sharing your fundraising options.

If you start with five close connections willing to vouch for your excellent school fundraising brochure, you can quickly add 15 new potential customers to your sales base. The warm introduction will increase the likelihood of making a sale.

Retain Customers Over Time

Converting customers to ambassadors (officially or otherwise) inherently increases one’s level of engagement with your school fundraiser. Adding new ways for customers to be more involved in your mission is a proven strategy to get long-term buy-in and retain customers.

Customers who support your cause through purchasing are likely passionate about your mission. Many in your community may even see supporting local schools as a responsibility. Asking customers who purchase to share their passion with others can help them feel they are contributing more to something they’ve supported financially. Challenge yourself to see asking for their continued support through advocating for your fundraiser as a benefit, not a burden. You’d be surprised at how much donors will feel appreciated by the chance to support your school more.

Create Effective School Fundraising Messaging

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits that elevating customers to ambassadors offers is the chance to get real people to share about the quality products they purchased in supporting your fundraiser.

Once your products have been delivered, see if your customers are willing to be photographed with and quoted in a review about their product. Have them share about the quality, affordable purchase they made and why it was important for them to support your school fundraiser.

When next year’s school fundraising program rolls around, you’ll have personal testimonials to use in any promotional materials you produce. Folks will appreciate the chance to hear about what they can purchase, and they’ll be motivated to buy items themselves.

Invest in converting customers to ambassadors. You’ll be glad you did when that bottom line improves for years to come.

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.