Why Discount Card Fundraisers are for Older Groups

Why high school students should be selling discount cards.

Discount card fundraisers have worked well for various groups, including high school bands, football programs, and cheerleaders. They are simple for coordinators to handle and distribute and are easy to sell because many people embrace the idea of saving money at establishments they already frequent anyway.

They have been tried in the elementary school market with poor to average sales results. This is unfortunate since elementary schools have to deal with much larger shipments, and discount cards are easy to deliver.

But since sales performance will always trump a stress-free delivery, elementary schools have mostly abandoned the idea of selling discount cards. Discount cards, therefore, seem to work best with older high school groups. Why is that?

High School Market Opportunities

On average, elementary schools can reach more people and raise more money than any other school group. This is due to many factors, including the number of schools, enrollment size, and student enthusiasm. Elementary schools have experienced tremendous success selling seasonal shoppers and cookie dough.

As a result, the market is more open to high school groups to sell other types of products so they don't have to compete with the larger elementary schools.

Discount Cards Require a Sales Pitch

There's no easier sell than a sweet little child greeting their neighbor with their brochure. Not much needs to be explained. Unfortunately, discount cards aren't so easy.

Unlike brochures that allow people to review the offered items, discount cards require more selling. For example, we recommend sellers ask customers to review the card and find their three favorite businesses. Also, people may want to know how often they can use the card for each business and when it expires. Older students can be taught how to incorporate these selling strategies at their kickoff.

Ordering for High School Groups is Easier

School fundraising companies have tried integrating order forms into discount card sales. This would've made discount cards more manageable for larger groups, like elementary schools. In this case, the money would've been collected before the cards were shipped. However, placing preorders for cards hasn't worked as well. Discount cards, like a candy bar fundraiser, sell better when students can show the actual card to potential customers.

Discount Card Fundraisers Require Tracking

Since discount cards sell better when students have them in their hands, it's easier to manage and collect money from smaller high school groups. For this reason, we provide a tracking sheet to simplify the process.

Discount cards can be an excellent fundraiser for the correct type of group as long as they are prepared and know what to expect.

See our discount card fundraiser.

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.