We were able to complete online sales during COVID to support our scholarship fund.
HELPING SCHOOLS RAISE MILLIONS SINCE 1999
Instead of only asking for donations, online fundraising works by selling products online. U.S. Consumers spent over $1 trillion online for the first time in 2022. Everyone is looking for innovative virtual fundraising ideas to make raising money easier.
Touchless or online fundraisers will expand your market. You don't have to take catalog orders in person. Instead, you can ask your group to direct friends and family to your online store in peer-to-peer fundraising. After they place their order, we 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. The benefits of organizing online fundraisers for non-profit include the following:
Hopefully, you’ve determined how much money your group needs. Now, you must communicate the online fundraising goals and what it will take to achieve them. Before your sale, run your numbers. For example, if you sell $15 items and reach 40% profit, you’ll make $6 per item. Divide that number by 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 must sell ten items.
Another way to determine your profit from online fundraising for nonprofits or schools is to use our ‘Calculate Your Profit’ tool. 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 an online fundraising goal important? Because it gives your sellers a guide and lets them know what you expect. Every project has a start and an endpoint. Knowing how far they have to go will give them feedback and encouragement.
In fundraisers online, accountability is essential. Group members are much more likely to sell if they know you monitor their progress. We allow you to log into your portal to see which participants are making sales and how much. This instantaneous feedback allows you to check in with your sellers.
You can take corrective measures before it’s too late, which is one advantage of online selling over in-person brochure sales. You don’t know how well everyone does with a catalog sale until they turn in their order forms.
Tracking sales allows you to encourage and praise their efforts.
Emailing participants their sales information may be enough, but this may not be as effective because it’s less personal and engaging. Many schools use online portals to communicate with their parents, which can help you announce and promote your school fundraiser.
Try to have a kickoff meeting. Coming together as a group can help get your fundraiser off to a stronger start. You should also meet with your group periodically, even if it’s a Zoom call.
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 at fundraisers online. It’s that simple.
How do you do a virtual kickoff?
If you’re a smaller group, consider meeting on a platform like Zoom to kick off your sale. You can better communicate your purpose, and your group will feel more 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 fundraising ideas for schools, one thing that comes to mind is ‘donations.’ Many fundraising platforms allow individuals and groups to set up and promote a page. 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. When fundraising online, the company initially collects all the money and then distributes the profit money afterward. A donation option is also available.