Fundraising Brochures Alone Don't Make Money

Steps to prepare your students to make sales.

The other day we responded to a high school student's question about raising money for their senior trip in two years. Like most people, he was interested in which sales brochure would yield them the highest profits.

Instead of suggesting what sales brochure his group should use, we took a different approach. Too many people are focused on what to sell and should be more concerned about first taking the necessary steps to ensure a successful sale. In other words, fundraising brochures alone don't make you money. Here's what we advised him on how his group could raise the most amount of money:

Set a Fundraiser Goal

Determine how much money you need. This is important because you'll need to use this amount to determine how much each student needs to sell. Since their senior trip was two years away, We told him that his group could have several sales and to set realistic goals for each one. For example, ten items per student are reasonable. Over time the money brought in would add up, and they would be able to do something extraordinary.

Have a Kickoff Meeting

Have a formal kickoff meeting with your group. This is where your advisor will discuss the purpose and goals of your fundraiser. Everyone must understand what they're working towards as a team and how long they have to accomplish their goal.

Track Brochure Sales

We also told him that it would be necessary for his advisor to meet with the group regularly throughout the sale. This would be important for accountability to ensure everyone was staying on track to reach their selling objectives.

Use Seller Incentives

How are you motivated to sell? Will your sponsor also provide motivational incentives, or will they only use a company prize program? This is probably more important than the fundraising brochures. Even if a prize program is provided, additional incentives should always be considered to maximize sales.

Limit Your Selling Time

Limit the selling to a specific period. We recommend two weeks. This will help create a sense of urgency in everyone's mind because there will be a starting point and a finish line.

We told him they were ready to start thinking about the fundraising brochures once they determined them.

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.