Blog Summary: The article explores the rise and decline of the once-iconic Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser, a staple in school fundraising during the 1980s and 1990s. Once dominant alongside Sally Foster, Innisbrook’s success waned as competition grew, consumer expectations shifted, and the digital age transformed how fundraisers operated. Parents and schools began seeking programs that offered not just gift wrap but also diverse, high-quality products, with convenient online ordering. While Innisbrook still sells directly to consumers, it no longer leads in school fundraising. In contrast, modern companies like Charleston Wrap now dominate by combining stylish, exclusive wrapping paper with home goods, gourmet food, and seamless e-commerce platforms. The article highlights how innovation, product variety, and digital accessibility define success in today’s fundraising world. For schools, the lesson is clear: nostalgia can’t compete with convenience, creativity, and a strong online presence.

Remember those days? The heft of the Innisbrook catalog in your hands, the glossy, vibrant pages filled with holiday cheer. For decades, the Innisbrook wrapping paper catalog was a staple of the fall season, as reliable as the changing leaves. Ask any parent or teacher who ran a school fundraiser in the '80s or '90s, and they’ll instantly recall the name. The Innisbrook fundraiser and Sally Foster were essentially the only games in town when a school needed to raise serious money by selling gift wrap. They dominated.

But today, we see a very different picture. The conversation around the most profitable school fundraisers rarely includes that classic name. If you've been searching for the current year's Innisbrook gift wrap school program, you likely came up short. So, we have to ask: what happened to the Innisbrook wrapping paper dynasty in the school market?

These departures aren't a story of sudden collapse; it's a classic business case study of innovation, market saturation, and failure to adapt to rising consumer demands. We’re not just talking about wrapping paper; we’re talking about fundraising dollars—money crucial for school sports, band programs, field trips, and new technology. When those dollars are on the line, we can’t afford to rely on nostalgia. We need a strategy that wins, and that means understanding why the old guard stepped aside.

Key Highlights: The Fundraiser Shift

• The Big Change: The iconic Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser is no longer a mainstay in schools. The company shifted its focus to direct-to-consumer sales online.
• The Competitor Exodus: Sally Foster, a long-time competitor to Innisbrook wraps, is out of business entirely.
• Market Evolution: The school fundraising landscape became crowded, demanding more than just traditional gift wrap. Today's successful companies offer variety, exclusive designs, and tech-forward programs.
• The New Dominator: Charleston Wrap has risen to the top, focusing on fashion-forward designs, exclusive prints, and large-format, high-quality rolls, offering a wider range of products beyond just paper.
• Fundraiser Success Equation: To maximize your school's profit, we need a company that provides superior product quality, diverse offerings, and a program that keeps up with modern retail trends, not just old fundraising models.

The Original Appeal of Gift Wrap Fundraising

Let’s be honest: the gift wrap fundraiser is a brilliant concept. Why? Because everyone needs gift wrap! It’s a consumable product, and it’s one of those things we never buy until the last minute, usually settling for low-quality, generic store-brand options.

The original success of companies like Innisbrook was rooted in two undeniable truths:

1. Superior Quality: The paper found in their catalogs was—and often still is—significantly thicker, more durable, and better printed than what you could find on the average big-box store shelf. When we buy fundraising gift wrap, we're investing in quality that doesn't rip easily at the corners.
    
2. Exclusivity and Variety: The designs were unique. They offered patterns we couldn't find anywhere else. This variety and quality justified the price point and made it an easy sell for students.

For a time, this was enough. If a school wanted a holiday-centric, high-margin product, the choice was simple: Innisbrook wraps or Sally Foster. They offered a strong product, and with a limited number of competitors, the profits flowed directly to them. But the world—and the retail industry—changed dramatically.

The Three Shifts That Undid the Innisbrook Fundraiser Model

The decline of the school-based Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser wasn’t due to bad paper or poor management, but rather a perfect storm of evolving market dynamics. We can trace this back to three critical shifts that fundamentally changed what schools—and the parents buying the products—expected from a fundraising company.

Shift 1: The Rise of Competition and Market Saturation

For years, the school fundraising industry was a duopoly. When new players started entering the field, they didn't just copy the old model; they improved upon it. These new competitors, seeing the success of the established giants, recognized gaps in the market that the established giants weren’t addressing.

As more companies launched their own wrapping paper fundraiser programs, the slice of the fundraising pie available to Innisbrook shrank. We suddenly had choices—and not just between two similar catalogs, but between options with different profit margins, support structures, and, eventually, product lines. For schools, this was great news. For the legacy companies, it was a wake-up call that they failed to heed.

Shift 2: The Demand for "More Than Just Wrap"

This shift is the most significant factor. Back when the Innisbrook program was king, the focus was almost entirely on the core product: gift wrap, ribbon, and maybe a few basic gift tags. However, consumer spending habits have evolved. Parents and community members supporting a fundraiser started demanding a wider array of products for their money.

Why? Because a single transaction should maximize the profit for the school. If a family is already filling out an order form, we want them to be able to tick all the boxes for their holiday needs. New companies realized that attaching other high-demand, high-margin products—like kitchen gadgets, unique home goods, gourmet food items, or personalized gifts—to the gift wrap sale was the key to larger average order sizes.

The relatively limited gift options offered by the traditional Innisbrook wraps catalog began to be seen as a limitation —a missed opportunity for higher profits. When we compare this to modern catalogs that act as virtual department stores, the old model felt—and was—stagnant.

Shift 3: The Digital Revolution and Online Ordering

When Innisbrook and Sally Foster were at their peak, fundraising was a purely analog affair: physical catalogs, handwritten order forms, and cash/check collection. Today, we live in a digital-first world. Parents expect to be able to share a custom link on social media, collect orders from out-of-state family and friends, and pay with a credit card—all without the school having to handle hundreds of paper forms and loose cash.

While many companies tried to build a digital component, the newer entrants designed their programs from the ground up for online success. We need a system that supports both the traditional catalog and a robust e-commerce platform that handles inventory, sales tracking, and money processing seamlessly. We need a company that uses digital marketing—not just paper-based—techniques to drive sales. The companies that failed to make this leap, including those that built their entire logistics chain on a paper-based system, quickly lost relevance.

Where Innisbrook Stands Today: The Pivot

So, what happened to the Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser program in schools? They largely walked away.

Today, Innisbrook still exists as a company, but its focus has shifted. They sell their quality Innisbrook gift wrap and accessories directly to the public through their online store. While they still offer a quality product, they are no longer actively competing in the complex, high-stakes school fundraising space. They made a business decision to pivot to a simpler, direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, leaving the challenging, competitive school market to others.

And their historic competitor, Sally Foster? That company is out of business entirely, proving just how ruthless the market became for those who couldn't keep pace.

These departures leave a huge gap. A school that needs a high-quality wrapping paper fundraiser partner now needs to look forward, not backward. We need to focus on the company that took these lessons and built a better mousetrap.

The New Fundraiser King: Quality Meets Modern Retail

When we look across the current landscape of the gift wrap fundraiser industry, one name has clearly moved into the dominant position, not by wiping out the competition, but by providing a product and a program that simply outperforms the rest: Charleston Wrap.

Charleston Wrap’s success is a direct consequence of learning from the historical limitations of the Innisbrook fundraiser model. They understood that the game wasn't about fundraising; it was about retail. Their North Star isn't the school hallway—it's the fashion, furniture, and high-end retail sectors, meaning they are constantly scouting trends, ensuring the designs they offer are fresh, current, and highly desirable, rather than relying on the same prints year after year.

Here is why they are the undisputed frontrunners, ticking all the boxes that schools demand when selecting a partner to maximize their profits:

1. Superior Product Specifications: Size and Quality Matter

We all know the frustration of buying a cheap roll of wrap that barely covers a medium-sized gift. Charleston Wrap addressed this core issue head-on:

• Size Matters: Their standard rolls are 32 square feet or more. No short rolls that force customers to purchase two or three.
• Jumbo Value: Their “Jumbo Rolls” often cost less than the industry-standard size, delivering exceptional value that makes the sale easy for students.
• Embossed Exclusivity: They offer more embossed roll options than any other company. Embossed paper has a luxurious texture that is hard to find in stores, which justifies its premium price and drives sales.

2. Unmatched Design and Exclusivity

The old Innisbrook wrapping paper had unique designs, but Charleston Wrap took this concept to a new level. All of their wrap designs are exclusive and 100% developed in-house, meaning the patterns we sell for our fundraiser cannot be found anywhere else—not at the local craft store or the discount shop. This exclusivity is a powerful selling point.

Furthermore, they push the boundaries with innovative offerings:

• 3D Gift Wraps: Adding dimension and fun to gift presentation.
• Unique Accessories: They go beyond the standard bows and tags, offering specialty items like “Chalkboard Paper” (which can be written on with chalk) and rustic “Kraft Paper” options that align with modern home decor trends.

3. The Critical Shift: A True Retail Catalog

As we discussed, one of the biggest downfalls of the classic Innisbrook wraps approach was the lack of product diversity. Charleston Wrap built its model around a full retail experience. They offer a massive variety of goods to pair with their gift wrap supplies:

• Gourmet Food: Cookie dough, snack mixes, and coffee.
• Kitchen & Home: Cutting boards, candles, personalized items.
• Personalized Gifts: Items that make for easy, thoughtful presents for teachers, coaches, and family.

The bottom line is simple: more quality options lead to more sales and a significantly higher average order value. When we choose a fundraiser partner, we want a catalog that encourages a single customer to spend $100 or more, not just $20 on a roll of paper and a set of tags.

Maximizing Your Raise: Beyond the Paper

The landscape has changed dramatically since the days when the Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser was the default choice. Success now requires not only partnering with the right company—one that is focused on retail trends, quality, and variety—but also executing a modern fundraising strategy.

Here are the key factors we must focus on to ensure our next gift wrap fundraiser is the most successful one yet:

Strategy 1: Embrace the Digital Platform

Forget paper forms being the primary driver. We need to push the online component relentlessly. A great partner provides:

• Individual Student Links: Each student receives a unique link they can share with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends across the country, instantly expanding our reach far beyond the local community.
• Real-Time Tracking: We need to know who’s selling what in real time, so we can offer quick, highly motivating incentives (e.g., “The student who sells $50 online by tomorrow gets a pizza party!”).
• Easy Check-Out: The checkout process must be smooth, secure, and accept all major credit cards. A clunky online store kills sales quickly.

Strategy 2: Focus on Profit Margin and Logistics

The product's quality is moot if the profit margin is too low or if logistics cause chaos for the volunteers. We must prioritize a company that offers one of the highest profit margins in the industry and provides streamlined, presorted delivery. Imagine getting hundreds of boxes delivered to the school, perfectly organized by student name and class—that's a non-negotiable requirement to protect our volunteer sanity.

Strategy 3: Integrate with a Fun Activity

The wrapping paper fundraiser is a fantastic anchor for a holiday-themed fundraising push. We can significantly maximize the raise by pairing the catalog sales with a fun, in-person event.

• Example 1: Hot Cocoa and Craft Sale: Host a small event where students can sell hot cocoa packets, baked goods, or small handmade crafts (maybe even using the Innisbrook gift wrap-quality accessories from the catalog) on a Friday evening.
• Example 2: Gift-Wrapping Workshop: Offer a workshop night where parents can bring their catalog orders and learn creative wrapping techniques. Charge a small entry fee and use the opportunity to push for last-minute orders.

Strategy 4: The Year-Round Advantage

Modern fundraising partners don’t limit us to a single seasonal catalog. We should choose a company that allows us to run multiple, smaller campaigns throughout the year using the same infrastructure. A quality gift wrap catalog works best in the fall, but a different catalog of spring and summer goods can keep the fundraising momentum—and the profits—going year-round.

The Final Verdict on the Innisbrook Legacy

The story of Innisbrook's dominance in the school sector with wrapping paper is a history lesson, not a blueprint for future success. While we respect the quality and the legacy, we have to acknowledge the business reality: when the market demanded innovation, greater product variety, and a digital sales platform, the old giants either shifted focus or failed.

For school organizers, PTA members, and volunteer parents, our job is to secure the absolute highest profit for our students with the least amount of effort. That means looking beyond nostalgia and partnering with the modern retail leaders who have built their entire model around maximizing a school's success. The gift wrap fundraiser is alive and well, but it belongs to the companies that treat it like a serious retail venture, not just a seasonal school project. We deserve a partner that offers 32-square-foot rolls, trend-forward designs, and a catalog full of everything a family needs, and we'll use that model to ensure this year's fundraising goal is shattered.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Gift Wrap Fundraising 

We know you have questions when choosing the right fundraising partner for your school. Here are the most common inquiries regarding the change in the school wrapping paper fundraiser market and how to maximize your profits today.

Q: Is Innisbrook still in business?

A: Yes, Innisbrook is still in business. However, they have largely stepped away from the dedicated school fundraising model. While they offer their high-quality Innisbrook gift wrap and accessories, they primarily operate as an online retailer selling directly to the general public, rather than managing large-scale PTA and school programs.

Q: What happened to Innisbrook wrapping paper in schools?

A: The Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser lost its dominance due to three main factors:

1. Increased Competition: More companies entered the market, forcing legacy companies to innovate.
    
2. Product Stagnation: They didn't sufficiently expand beyond gift wrap to include the variety of gifts and home goods that modern customers demand.
    
3. Digital Lag: They were slow to fully embrace robust, modern e-commerce and student-specific online selling platforms, which are now essential for successful fundraising.

Q: Is Sally Foster still in business?

A: No, Sally Foster, the other major historic competitor to Innisbrook Wraps in the gift wrap space, is no longer in business, which highlights how challenging it was for legacy companies to adapt to the highly competitive and evolving school fundraising market.

Q: Why are modern gift wrap fundraiser companies more successful?

A: The most successful modern companies, like Charleston Wrap, treat their catalogs as a high-end retail experience, not just a fundraiser. They win by offering:

• Wider Selection: Selling gifts, home goods, and food items alongside wrapping paper to increase average order size.
• Superior Quality & Value: Providing larger rolls (e.g., 32 sq. ft. or more) and exclusive, fashion-forward designs.
• Seamless E-commerce: Offering easy online ordering and student-specific links that expand sales reach nationally.

Q: What should we look for when choosing a new wrapping paper fundraiser partner?

A: We strongly recommend prioritizing a partner that offers:

1. High Profit Margin: Look for companies offering the highest percentage of profit back to the school.
    
2. Product Diversity: A catalog that sells more than just wrap (gifts, gadgets, food).
    
3. Logistics Support: Check if they provide delivery where orders are pre-sorted and clearly labeled by student and class, significantly reducing volunteer effort.
    
4. Exclusive Designs: The designs must be unique and unavailable in big-box stores to justify the purchase price.

Q: Can we still use the old Innisbrook fundraiser model?

A: While you could find small-scale sellers, relying on the old paper-form, wrap-only model will likely result in lower overall profits. The modern reality is that school communities expect a sophisticated, high-value catalog and a simple digital ordering process. We need to move beyond the classic Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser methods to hit our current fundraising goals.

Q: How can we maximize our profit with a gift wrap fundraiser?

A: Maximize your raise by:

• Pushing Online Sales: Make sure every student shares their unique online link with family and friends outside the local community.
• Running Incentives: Implement short, high-energy incentives (prizes for the first 10 online sales, etc.).
• Pairing Events: Pair the catalog sale with a fun in-person event, such as a holiday craft sale or a gift-wrapping workshop, to generate excitement and drive last-minute orders.

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.