5 Fundraising Sponsor Habits to Avoid

Why these terrible fundraiser habits need to be broken.

Influential sponsors understand that successful fundraisers require hard work. They understand they must get as much out of their efforts as possible. Schools that end up reaching their goals do so because effort and results are expected from their students.

Good sponsors lead by example and expect nothing less than what they put in. In other words, they are straightforward, fair, and good at inspiring others.

On the other hand, another way to appreciate what it takes to be successful is to look at what five fundraising sponsor habits to avoid:

1. Don't Expect the Fundraiser to Run Itself

Most sponsors understand that fundraisers are a 'necessary evil' and that no one wants to do them. However, if you are looking for an overly simplistic approach that won't require much work, you'll probably get out what you put in. If you don't want to put the work into having a great sale, like checking in with your students to make sure they are selling, then you might as well not waste your time with the sale in the first place. Why bother unless you're willing to do what it takes to be successful?

2. Don't Rely on the Fundraising Profit Percent

Many school fundraising companies attempt to entice sponsors by promising extreme profit percentages or exorbitant signing bonuses. Everything comes with a price, and if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Profit percent and signing bonuses don't make you any money. For example, if you can negotiate a higher profit percentage but make only $500 after hoping for $3,000 in the end, you should be disappointed. Many people don’t realize that higher-profit fundraisers typically don’t come with good consultative support, practical sales tools, or a strong prize program. These things are more important to bringing in sales than having a higher profit percentage or a great signing bonus.

3. Don't Be Afraid to Spend Money to Make Money

Sponsors who choose not to invest in additional incentives designed to increase sales usually don't do as well. Some groups even attempt to eliminate their prize program in exchange for a higher profit percentage. This idea never works. Instead, you should focus on how much total revenue you can bring in. Sponsors who choose to invest in their sales understand that working for a strong return on their investment is what's most important.

Improve Sales Without Using Money

4. Don't Assume that Your Students are Selling

Some sponsors think that everyone will go out and sell. They falsely assume that their group will be motivated solely by the purpose. These sponsors hand students their brochures and send them to the community. To make things worse, nobody bothers to track their progress. Students must be held accountable to ensure they're working towards their goals. Since most students don't want to fundraise, they'll find ways to avoid it.

5. Don't Underestimate Your Sellers

One of the worst things sponsors can do is have low expectations of their student's selling ability. Students usually rise to the level of what's expected of them. So, if they didn't perform well with their previous fundraiser, it may have been because no one believed they could achieve their goal.

Sponsors who stand behind reasonable selling goals for their students are more likely to achieve their group's monetary objectives than those who don't.

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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.