How to Prepare for Your Fundraising Delivery

Your guide to a smooth and successful delivery.

Following a few simple preparation steps will make your delivery simple and easy. Before your delivery, ensure your school fundraising company provides useful shipping information like delivery date, the shipping company website, and tracking number. Your company should be able to provide you with at least a 3-5 day advanced notice on your delivery.

They should contact you in advance to schedule a date for larger orders. Communicate the delivery date with your team, school staff members, students, and parents.

Also, ensure ample secure space to receive and possibly store your merchandise if necessary. Here are some ways to improve your delivery process.

Announce Your Delivery in Advance

Who needs to know about your delivery date?

• School Administrators they can remind students to talk to their parents during announcements.
• Custodians so that they can secure a delivery location and provide dollies if necessary.
• Parents so they will know when to help their students with their merchandise.
• Students they will tell their parents when the shipment will be arriving.
• Helpers so they can assist in sorting the boxes.

Your main goal is to send home as many boxes on delivery day as possible. Therefore, make sure you get the word out by:

• Publicizing delivery day during announcements at least 2-3 days before delivery.
• Sending delivery notices home with your students.
• Putting the delivery date on your school marquee.
• If possible, arrange with the school to use their automatic voice messaging system.

Ensure an Inside Fundraiser Delivery

Make sure you ask your company where the shipper will be placing your order. Nothing is worse than finding out from the driver that you must offload your boxes. It's rare, but some shippers don't offer inside delivery. Therefore, make sure you have plenty of people available to help. We can provide inside delivery with about 98% of our shipments.

Secure Ample Space for Boxes

Deciding on a location for your boxes as they are being unloaded is not the time to choose where to put them. Make sure to decide in advance that is:

• Large enough to handle your order
• Easily accessible by everyone, including students and parents
• Secure if not everyone picks up their order
• At constant room temperature

Taking a few simple steps ahead of time will help ensure that you experience a smooth and successful fundraising delivery.

Review the Driver's Paperwork

Delivery companies have been known to offload entire pallets at the wrong school. Schools need to know how many pallets they should be receiving. This information is clearly shown on the driver's paperwork, which he should make readily available to you. Don't sign their paperwork until everything has been accounted for. Also, if you happen to receive damaged boxes, make sure that you have the driver note this on the paperwork before you sign and receive your copy.

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.