7 Things to Know When Picking a Fundraiser Brochure

A guide to selecting a brochure for your next sale.

After considering several fundraising options, let’s say you've decided to do a brochure sale. But with so many brochures, how can you know you’re selecting the best one for your group?

For example, you can sell candles, cookie dough, frozen food, or even a large shopper that has a little bit of everything that isn’t frozen. How do you know what people in your area prefer to buy? After all, showing the right brochure to potential customers will probably make you more money.

As you probably already know, only you can determine what will sell in your community. Here are seven things you should look for when picking a fundraiser brochure:

1. Large Brochure Selection

If your brochure offers limited items, some people may choose not to buy. However, more variety usually means more buyers. Make sure it offers enough selection in the areas you think your buyers will be most interested in. Your goal is to appeal to as diverse a customer base as possible.

2. Good Brochure Presentation

Even if your brochure offers a lot of variety, people will have difficulty finding what they want if it's poorly laid out. Some brochures are so cluttered with items that people become confused and order incorrect items. To avoid ordering mistakes, it should be clear to the buyer which item number and price are associated with a respective item. This is done by placing this information as close to each item.

3. Readable Item Information

Some people may want to read about the item they are purchasing. For example, how large is it, or how much does it weigh? If the wording is precise and well laid out, they should be able to see it. Item information should also be in Spanish.

4. Appealing Brochure Theme

This is more subjective, but the brochure theme used for the cover and its inside pages can be significant. Make sure you pick a relatively neutral theme to attract more people. Some people may dislike Santa Claus or a Christmas tree on the cover. The theme should quickly convey what the brochure is about and draw people in.

5. Offer Some Lower-Priced Items

Price is important for many buyers. People should be able to find a good variety of lower-priced items in the brochure. Some will be more apt to buy additional items if they're affordable. This helps the school make more money, and students get to the higher prize levels. People also look for lower-priced items to contribute without spending much money.

6. Value Beats Price

Many sponsors make the mistake of choosing brochures based solely on price. While cost is essential, it shouldn't be the only consideration. Your profit comes from the retail price. If the customer spends a little more to get a better quality item, not only will they be more satisfied, you'll make more money from that item.

7. Test Before Your Fundraiser

Test market your brochure options by having people vote for the one that they would be more apt to buy from. You may want to narrow your brochure selection to a few choices first.

Whatever methods you use to pick your fundraiser brochure, it's essential that your choice appeals to as broad a customer base as possible. Ultimately though, your decision will probably come down to intuition over reason.

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.