Improve School Fundraiser Results with Better Products

Why better value motivates customers to purchase more.

Sponsors who raise money by having students sell items out of a catalog for their school fundraiser have probably heard this common complaint many times before, “The product I received was smaller than it appeared in the brochure.” Or “This product doesn’t work as advertised.” So now you know why many buyers always look for the lowest-priced item in the brochure. They’ve been burned so many times; it’s no wonder they don’t want to spend money on a more expensive item. Who could blame them?

So what motivates people to pull the trigger and buy in the first place? Many times they can’t say no to a potentially good cause. They may feel obligated out of guilt or buy something to get the seller off their doorstep. What are they going to say if the buyer knows the seller personally?

Perhaps the seller’s mom bought from them from a previous fundraiser. Often, students come home on the kickoff day excited about winning a prize in the prize flyer. Then mom or dad may feel obliged to purchase multiple items just so ‘little Johnny’ can get his prize. And to top it off, think about how often buyers have been approached with a different catalog but with the same items.

For these reasons, and maybe plenty more, many people don’t like brochure fundraising. Who can blame them?

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Options to Catalog Fundraising

Low-quality merchandise is a big reason many groups are looking for alternatives. Schools have grown tired of the complaints. Other products have been attempted but with mixed results. Discount cards work well for older students, but larger elementary schools have not experienced the same success.

So what do most schools with younger students end up selling? Many have moved away from the sizeable seasonal shopper and have sold Frozen food and cookie dough. Sales have been good, but many schools don’t want to deal with the constraints of frozen product delivery. Therefore, most schools feel stuck with the same old brochure with lots of candy, gift items, and wrapping paper. They’ve just learned to accept the cons with the pros.

But does it have to be this way?

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Do Brochure Fundraisers with Quality Items Exist?

Do any school fundraising companies offer products that add value to the customer? One brochure is changing people’s perceptions. The quality of the merchandise is similar to what you’re used to seeing at a lovely retail shop, and the pricing is also competitive.

This brochure also carries items that can be personalized by going to an online store. Has this catalog been proven to boost fundraising sales? The answer is most definitely. Schools that use this brochure have been experiencing a significant increase in sales and positive consumer feedback about the quality.

So, quality items do exist inside a brochure. And these items last and stand up to the test of time. Most importantly, people who purchase these items will use them well. This will make your buyers happy and keep them coming back next year.

It is possible to ‘have your cake and eat it too’. You can realize the best of both worlds regarding catalog sales: offer a large assortment of quality products at a fair price. Your group can make a lot of money, and your buyers will be delighted.

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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.