How to Prepare for a School Fundraiser Kickoff

Get your students excited about selling

The school fundraiser kickoff is perhaps the most important part of your entire sales process. The primary purpose of the kickoff is to generate as much enthusiasm and support as possible. In other words, you have to sell your campaign to your students.

If you’re successful and your students buy in, you will have created much needed sales momentum that will ultimately help you reach your financial objective.

The more passionate your audience becomes, the more they'll want to participate. You should be prepared to convince your students why they should become involved. Then, you’ll need to work to keep the sales coming in throughout your fundraiser. Before your kickoff be sure to do the following:

Engage Your Audience

1. Plan for a live assembly: Even though you could show your kickoff video during morning announcements or P.E., attempt to introduce the video during a live assembly. Your students will feel the energy from their peers in the room.
2. Plan for a large audience: Plan to have one large assembly if possible. The larger your audience, the more excitement and energy you'll generate. It will also give you the opportunity to rally your entire school collectively, including your teachers and staff. Remember you are working on this project together as a team.

Plan Your Message

1. Plan to communicate your purpose: Be ready to communicate your purpose at the beginning of your assembly. Why are you fundraising? Where will the money be spent? How will you convince your audience that your purpose is important to them? A well communicated purpose will motivate everyone to work harder.
2. Plan to have the principal introduce your fundraiser: Have someone that your students respect as an authority figure introduce as well as close out your assembly. This will add credibility. If you are unable to get the principal involved, have another key person do it.
3. Plan to have music: Arrange for a good sound system and play radio-edited music that your audience will enjoy as they enter, and again as they leave the assembly area.

Employ Available Technology

1. Make your video viewing screen as large as possible: The larger the viewing screen, the more excited your students will become. Increased excitement usually translates into more sales. This helps ensure that students sitting in the back can see as well. The best option is to use a large screen and a projector with a laptop. As an alternative, use a large-screen TV and a DVD player.
2. Use a good sound system: It’s important that everyone hears both you and the video. Your best option is to hook your laptop computer/DVD into a good stereo system. Your next best option is to hook external speakers into the laptop. Then put the speaking microphone up to the speakers. If you're using a large-screen TV instead, you will want to hold the microphone up to the TV speakers.
3. Set up and test your equipment in advance: All technical equipment, including music, laptop computer/DVD, projector, and microphone, needs to be tested and working properly in advance of your assembly.
4. Turn off the lights when showing your video: Arrange to have someone shut off the lights once you start your video. Then have them turn the lights back on once the video is finished.

Incorporate Additional Incentives

1. If your fundraising program also has an online store: Inform your group they can find information about selling online in their parent letter and the brochure. Tell them that online selling is an easy way to bring in more sales as well as receive additional prize program credit.
2. Boost sales: Maximize results by offering additional incentives.

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