Learn why fundraisers should stop doing these three things.
When sponsoring a fundraiser, it’s as important to know what you shouldn’t do as much as it is to pursue what you should. As hard as we work to ensure that all the right boxes are checked before we kick off our sale, sometimes we leave something out.
Or, we may decide to do something a certain way, but without realizing it, there are negative consequences. But until we learn from our mistakes, we’ll probably keep repeating them.
Therefore, it may turn out to be even more beneficial to understand what not to do. This is why we’re sharing 3 of the more popular brochure fundraiser mistakes we’ve encountered when working with sponsors.
1. Fundraising During a School Holiday
As much as we attempt to talk them out of it, some sponsors are convinced that letting their students sell during a school holiday is an ingenious idea. Yet, this is unavoidable in some cases because some groups are only allowed certain blocks of time to sell. You may not have much choice if you get a terrible start date. This is common with high school groups because so many organizations are trying to raise money. This way, schools can better control the flow of their fundraisers.
However, a few sponsors believe their students will have more time to sell to friends and family on break. Yet they don’t think about the many distractions that the holidays can present to their students. Here are three reasons why selling over the holidays is a bad idea:
- Students are usually focused on everything else except school-related activities.
- As the sponsor, you’re not there to push and remind them to sell; thus, there’s no accountability to keep up with making sales.
- Potential supporter distraction also tends to be much higher because of other out-of-the-ordinary activities.
2. Unknowingly Overlapping Brochure Fundraisers
This is a common mistake and can be a challenge to control. It’s as if sponsors assume they’re the only outselling group. They’ve found a brochure they’re excited about but don’t bother to see if other groups around them are selling something similar.
High school sponsors often know about other groups on campus, but they don’t bother to check if a feeder elementary or middle school might be selling something comparable. Why is this important? Because younger siblings may be selling related items.
Once you’ve checked out what’s being sold in your area, try to find something slightly different. Or, try not to sell your brochure at the same time. And if you can be the first of your type of fundraiser out of the gate, all the better.
3. Assuming Brochures Sell Themselves
This is less common with elementary school fundraisers but prevalent with high school groups. No matter how good a brochure might be, it cannot sell itself. Students have actually to pick it up and show it to others. The point is sponsors can’t afford to hand out the brochures and expect their students to sell. Many probably won’t think about it for another second.
Instead, students need to be motivated, held accountable, and rewarded for their selling efforts. This means you need a well-planned kickoff meeting that discusses your goals and expectations. You also should track your students to ensure they’re selling and offer them a good incentive plan.
If we can shed some light on some of the popular brochure fundraiser mistakes, perhaps more sponsors will be able to avoid making them in the first place.
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.