How to Make Fundraiser Limo Incentives Pay Off

How the limo ride can increase your profits.

It's been proven that a great way to make school fundraisers more profitable is to incorporate additional incentives that motivate students to sell more items.

For example, who doesn't enjoy riding in a limousine? Elementary school students are no exception. Seeing their peers and community in a limo is exciting, let alone taking in the entire experience. As a result, many students will compete for this special incentive by selling more than they ordinarily would. Limo rides are a great way to add another promotional element of excitement to your sale.

However, limos can eat into your fundraiser budget if not done correctly. Here are some things you need to consider if you plan to incorporate a limo fundraising incentive into your next school sale.

Limo Budget Considerations

Limo rides must make financial sense. The most important thing is increasing your profit by maximizing a return on your limo investment. Because limos can be costly, the last thing you want is to lose money.

Many schools that add a limo to their fundraiser usually rent it for 2 hours, and to make it exciting, lunch is usually included as well. Renting a limo can range from $60 to $ 100 per hour or more. Since most limos hold 8-10 people, you are looking at around $25.00 per seller on the high end. If you include lunch, you can add $2.00-$3.00, or more, per seller, depending on where you take them. Make sure to do your homework and check around for the best value ahead of time. You may be able to get bulk pricing at some eating establishments.

How Students Qualify

Your goal is to increase your profit above your limo costs. To do that, you'll need to make sure your students sell enough items to qualify. Here are two ways that you can do it:

1. Top 8-10 sellers:

• The advantage is you're guaranteed to fill the limo and take full advantage of your investment. Students must compete for a seat in the limo.
• The disadvantage is you've not set a minimum number of items that must be sold to qualify. Thus, it's possible to have students who sold less earn the limo ride.

2. Everyone who sells 'x' items:

• The advantage is students must reach a higher sales level.
• The disadvantage is you won't know if you'll fill your limo. Or, you may have too many sellers that will require shuttling or renting more limos.

Establishing Your Limo Fundraiser Goal

To determine what item number to use, assume you'll make about $5.00 profit per brochure item sold. Multiply that number by your limo item goal to determine your profit per seller. Then, subtract out your expenses to get your net profit. Your limo item goal should be based on a net profit you think you can live with.

Regardless of your chosen method, the goal is to maximize the net profit for your school fundraiser as much as possible. Schools must actively promote their limo fundraising incentive daily during their sale to achieve maximum results. Some groups even decide to have the limo at the kickoff to create anticipation.

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.