Is Reaching Your School Fundraising Goal Enough?

Why post-sale analysis is so important.

Most sponsors measure fundraising success by whether they raise enough money so they can afford to do the things that the group wants to do. Will a middle school band director be able to cover the expenses for their end-of-the-year trip that the students were looking forward to? Can a cheerleader coach purchase new uniforms without asking parents to write a check?

While it's obvious that these things are important, there are more ways to define success than just reaching your school fundraising goal. Sponsors who analyze their previous sales can boost future sales results. Here are some things to consider if your need to raise more money next time.

How Good Were the Fundraising Products?

Nothing affects future sales more than customer product satisfaction. Was the quality good, cheap, and much smaller than expected? Did the cookie dough taste a little different? If your parents liked what they purchased from the brochure, you might have received some positive feedback. On the other hand, if they didn't, you would probably hear a lot more negative. Either way, you will probably feel the impact of your next fundraiser. Offering quality products at reasonable prices and having people talk positively about them will help ensure future success.

Did your Students Like the Prize Program?

How excited were your students at your kickoff? More importantly, will they be as excited about participating in the same fundraiser again next time? Their primary motivation for selling is the prize program. Were the desirable prizes hard to come by? What about the quality? Did you hear complaints from the parents about reliability? Most parents will tell you that most prizes can be purchased at their local dollar store. If your students didn't like the prizes, what makes you think they'll be excited about selling for your next fundraiser?

How did the Fundraising Company Do?

Most fundraising companies make a lot of promises in the beginning. But did they execute on their promises? In other words:

• Did you receive fundraising packets, or did your supplies arrive in bulk?
• Was a fundraiser supply kit provided that helped you run your sale and promote it?
• Were you provided with a school fundraising guidebook with step-by-step instructions?
• Was the catalog company easy to access when you needed it? Did they answer all of your questions? Did they do everything that they said they would do?

In the end, reaching your goal is only one measuring stick. What goes on during and after the sale is just as significant. A well-rounded checklist of what matters to you, your school, and your parents will help ensure fundraising success year after year.

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.