3 Ways to Experience Effective Spring Fundraisers

How to make your spring sale as successful as your fall.

Those around schools for a long time already know that most sales campaigns are fall fundraisers. There are numerous reasons for this. Fall is when everyone seems more willing to participate in school-related activities, including raising money for upcoming events. People are fresh off summer vacation and anticipate the many changes this time of year will bring.

And many sponsors feel that the earlier they start their sales campaign, the better. People are more inclined to buy from the first few students that ask. Organizations understand that people eventually grow tired of being approached and become less willing to buy.

Yet while most fundraising takes place during the fall season, many groups don’t reach their financial goals with just one sale. Furthermore, schools tend to experience a drop in sales with subsequent campaigns. But does this have to be? The answer is no. Here are three ways groups can have effective spring fundraisers.

1. Your Spring Fundraiser Should be Different

Don’t repeat the same type of fundraiser because people won’t respond as well the second time. If you had a walkathon or carnival in the fall, consider a brochure sale for the spring and vice versa. Variety will help keep people interested.

2. Build Your Campaign around a Theme

You’re always better off building your sales campaign around an existing theme, like a holiday or celebrated event. Valentine’s Day is a good example, while Easter is another popular theme typically used by schools. This way, instead of just having a spring sale, you can have a spring Valentine’s sale.

3. Beef up Your Prize Program

This is perhaps the most important. Ensure you put the same promotional effort into your second sale as you did your first. Effective spring fundraisers don’t just happen; they require hard work and ingenuity. Very few schools can get by with one sale. If you spend time and energy planning and running your second campaign, you most likely won’t need a third.

Many of our customers have found success incorporating our Big Event Super Splash Party prize program into their spring brochure sale. Here’s what two principals had to say afterward:

• “Our students loved every minute of the super splash party, which is why we had our most profitable fundraiser ever!”
• “We ended up selling more this spring than last fall – excellent for us!”

Effective spring fundraisers don’t just happen. Instead, you need to work to make them successful, even if it requires more effort than usual. But in the end, it’s worth it!

See our spring fundraising brochures.

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.