5 Ways School Fundraisers Can Get More Bang

Proven fundraising strategies that get results.

Everyone tends to gravitate towards the things they love to do. Unfortunately, school fundraisers aren't on most people's lists. They're usually demoted to the 'necessary evil' column, much like cleaning your house or paying your tax bill. You know you must do it but don't eagerly look forward to it.

To make matters worse, raising money takes a lot of time and effort. You would think the opposite was true with so many groups doing lots of fundraising.

Why is that? Most schools have high financial needs. Multiple fundraising campaigns are often necessary to reach a larger money goal. New playground equipment, for example, is costly. Or, they may lack essential sales planning and implementation skills. What would ordinarily be accomplished in one sale now requires many.

Your first sale of the year is your most important. If it hasn't been going well historically, it's easy to have built-in excuses. You can blame it on socioeconomics or seller indifference. Looking outward is easy and will only help you justify your results. But breaking this cycle requires analyzing your shortcomings from the inside out.

So why are you failing to raise money? You're either selecting the wrong product or the wrong method. Successful schools have figured out how to put their energy in the right places. They also invest the necessary time and effort before their sale. These schools can then look back and diagnose what worked and what didn't. They document everything, so they have a tracking system. This allows them to continue to build on their success.

So to reach your goal, you need an effective game plan. Here are five school fundraising ideas that can transform your next sale and make big profits:

1. Determine Your Fundraising Purpose

Have you even established your fundraiser purpose? Unfortunately, raising money for the 'general fund' doesn't qualify. You'll get less buy-in from parents if they don't know where the money's going. It's analogous to a legal version of a 'slush fund'.

Participants will want to know why they should invest their time to help the group raise money. It's also essential that they understand how they'll benefit.

Your purpose becomes especially powerful as soon as you can demonstrate it. Once your parents see that new marquee or playground, they'll see the fruits of their labor.

Take advantage of this opportunity to show that your money went where you said it would go. Announce it in your newsletter or have a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This will also help with future fundraisers as more people will get involved.

2. Establish a Fundraiser Sales Goal

You can't set a goal without a purpose. But once you have one, you can establish the other. How much money do you need to raise? Once you know that, you can determine how many items each student needs to sell.

Crunching the numbers beforehand is essential. After doing the math, you'll want to present this information to your group.

Your students need to know what's expected of them. For example, let's say you have 100 students and need to raise $5,000. If your brochure items cost $15 and you make 40% profit, this equals a $6 profit off every sale.

Each student must average over eight items to reach the $5,000 mark. Your student goal should not only be discussed at your kickoff but throughout your sale as well. For more information, see our fundraiser goal-setting guide.

3. Have a Great Sales Kickoff Meeting

The kickoff is when you pitch your sales to your students and explain the process. When are the order forms due, and to whom should customers write checks out? The kickoff is the one opportunity to establish a strong foundation for your sale. It is where you need to establish momentum. A strong kickoff will lead your group to a successful sale.

So spend some time preparing for your meeting.

See elementary school fundraising ideas for great kickoffs

4. Tracking School Fundraisers

Now that your students have a goal, they must stay focused to reach it. They need accountability. You can't change your results once the sale ends, so you must know how they progress. There's no excuse for lackluster sales when you could have done something about it.

So how do you keep track of your sales? The bottom line is you should know whose selling and who isn't. This gives you time to persuade those students who may need some encouragement. Sales made online are easy to track. You can look at your dashboard. But brochure sales will take a little more effort, yet there are ways to do it.

The following is much easier to do with smaller groups but can make a big difference in your outcome. Arrange to check in with your students three times throughout your sale:

1. The day after your kickoff
2. Halfway through the sale
3. When the sale ends

At your kickoff, you'll be checking order forms and money envelopes. Be sure to document sales made for each student using a tracking sheet.

Having some money collected is normal, but maybe not for every order. For example, students may need to go back and collect some money after people get paid. As you progress through the sale, a higher percentage of the money must be accounted for.

What you want to watch out for is some students may have several orders but no money collected. This may be a sign that they are inflating their sales numbers.

It's a good idea to post the progress for all to see. This creates a competitive spirit among your students. Some students will attempt to work harder to outsell their peers. Our smaller group sponsors get a fundraiser tracker tool in their supply kit email.

5. Finish Strong

Strong runners surge before the finish line. Encourage your students to keep selling, even if they've already reached their goal. The prize program is designed to reward sellers based on how much they can sell, so the more, the better. Hopefully, you're also offering a special reward for the top seller.

Once your end date approaches, prepare your students for what's next. Order form and money collection. Since you've kept up with your student's progress, there should be no surprises.

Sponsors who experience successful school fundraisers know how to lead and inspire. They can motivate their group to reach and even exceed their goals. And when it's over, there are usually no regrets.

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.