How Does Online Fundraising Work?Instead of asking for donations, sell products using the internet. U.S. Consumers spent $601.75 billion online in 2019 alone. Everyone is looking for innovative ways to make raising money easier.
Touchless fundraisers will expand your market. You don't have to take catalog orders in person. Instead, ask your group to direct friends and family to your online store. After they place their order, we’ll ship them their product, and you receive a profit.
Sellers can use our email generator, social media tool, and text feature to reach more people. To learn more, see our online fundraising ideas & tips section.
Why Our Online Fundraisers?Group members promote your online store people using email, social media and text. You make up to 50% profit off every purchase.
Our biggest sellers are popcorn and cookie dough. Flowers are a unique fundraising idea. Or you can offer a large selection of products. Variety sells because people have more options.
To get started, select a product and submit a ‘start a fundraiser’ form. We’ll then send you your online store ‘getting started’ instructions and access information.
When selling products, be sure to get participants to register. This way they’ll be able to share their unique store link with friends and family. It's also important to remind them to keep sharing the link throughout the sale.
There is no cost to set up, start and run an online product sale.
You'll have access to your online sales dashboard so you can check your progress anytime.
People have the opportunity to donate as well.
We recommend keeping your store open for 2 weeks.
<p>Your profit check is processed within 15 business days of the close of your store.</p>
Only the buyer pays a fee to ship them their product. Many of our programs also offer free shipping to the customer once a certain dollar amount is ordered.
Online Fundraising Suggestions & TipsHopefully, you’ve determined how much money your group needs. Now you need to communicate what it’s going to take to reach your goal. Before your sale, run your numbers. For example, if you’re selling $15 items and you reach the 40% profit level, you’ll make $6 per item. Divide that number into the total amount needed. So a $3,000 need will require selling 500 items.
Finally, divide the number of items by your group size. If you have 50 sellers, each member will need to sell 10 items.
Another way to determine your profit is to use our ‘Calculate Your Profit’ tool. Simply enter your group size and seller goal. The calculator will then determine how much you’ll make. You'll find this feature on each online product page.
So why is setting a fundraiser goal important? Because it gives your sellers a guide and it lets them know what you expect. Every project has a start and an end point. Knowing how far they have to go will provide them with feedback and encouragement.
Accountability is important. Group members are much more likely to sell if they know you’re monitoring their progress. We make it possible for you to log into your portal to see who’s sold and how much. This instantaneous feedback gives you the opportunity to check in with your sellers.
You can then make corrective measures before it’s too late. This is one advantage online selling has over in person brochure sales. With a catalog sale, you don’t know how well everyone does until after they turn in their order forms.
And tracking sales gives you the opportunity to encourage and praise their efforts.
You may think it’s enough to email participants their sales information. This may not be as effective because it’s less personal and engaging. Many schools use online portals as a way to communicate with their parents. This can help you announce and promote your school fundraiser.
If you can, try to have a kickoff meeting.This can help get your fundraiser off to a stronger start. You should also meet with your group periodically as well. Even if it’s a Zoom call.
And what is the most important thing you can tell your group? Register so they can share their online store link with friends and family. The greater your group registration percentage, the more money you’ll raise. It’s that simple.
So how do you do a virtual kickoff?
If you’re a smaller group, consider meeting on a platform like Zoom to kickoff your sale. You can better communicate your purpose and your group will feel a greater sense of unity.
Learn how to host a video meeting
A communication app like Facebook Live may also be a helpful tool. Here are the best education communication apps for schools.
When people think about online school fundraisers, one thing that comes to mind is ‘donations’. Many fundraising platforms allow individuals and groups to set up a page and promote it. Then the company collects a percentage of the profits.
But when buying a product online, people receive a tangible item in exchange. There is no cost to set up and run your store. The company collects all the money initially, then distributes the profit money afterwards. A donation option is also available.
