What Parents Should Know about Fundraiser Companies

What parents need to know about your next sale.

Every day we either get parents calling in by phone or sending us a 'have a question' form. School fundraiser companies should be happy to help answer any question, regardless of whether it's an inquiry from a parent or a sponsor.

However, imagine how many parents there are in a group. If the average group size were 250 students, this would mean at least the same number of parents. If we handled every parent question, we'd probably be overwhelmed.

Parents need to understand that the company's job is to work directly with the school sponsor to be better equipped to answer any parent questions directly. There are two types of questions that fundraiser companies get from parents.

1. Questions about the Fundraising Process

We may receive parent inquiries about a particular item in the brochure, how the prize program works, or when orders must be turned in? The sponsor must address any questions that have to do with the fundraising process. Then, if the sponsor cannot answer a question, they can refer to their fundraising guidebook or contact the company by phone or email.

2. Issues with Fundraiser Merchandise

After the delivery, parents may discover that an item may be damaged or broken. Companies usually handle issues with fundraiser merchandise in one of two ways:

1. Contact Customer Service: Inside the student box, an instruction flyer should provide a toll-free number for the parent to call in and report any discrepancies with their order.
2. Report Issues to the Sponsor: Other companies provide an inventory form to the sponsor so they can submit a single discrepancy report to the company once completed. Parents need to report any missing or damaged items to the sponsor initially.

For companies that require schools to submit a discrepancy report, it's a good idea for the sponsor to gather additional help and physically inspect the items inside the boxes before issuing them to the students to take home. There's usually an inventory sheet with a list of items inside each box. This is more work upfront but can also provide peace of mind.

Granted, we understand that we will receive inquiries from parents directly. Like other fundraiser companies, we're here to assist in any way we can. However, if more sponsors remind parents to contact them with questions, they'll get their answers much quicker.

See our brochure fundraisers.

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.