How Do School Fundraisers Work?Each year schools raise about $1.7 billion selling merchandise. We know it works.
But before you start, decide how you want to sell our products. We offer 3 ways to raise money:
If you want to take orders first, we’ll send you what you need before your start. Each student gets a brochure, order form, prize flyer, and money envelope. Students then show the brochure to neighbors, family and friends and ask them to buy 1 or more items. Money collection takes place up front with the order.
Once finished, deposit the money in your account and send us your order forms. We’ll then send you a sales report, invoice and schedule your delivery. Orders arrive packed by seller to make distribution easy. Your profit is the difference between what you initially deposited and the invoice.
All of our brochure programs include an online store. This gives students a 2nd way to raise money.
Online FundraisersIf you want to sell online exclusively, If you want your group to make sales online exclusively, check out our online school fundraisers. There's nothing easier. You have no order forms or money to collect, and no product deliveries. Everything ships directly to the customer’s home. And to top it off, we offer exclusive prize programs that can make selling online even more fun and rewarding!
Sell DirectAnother option is to order your product up front and then sell it directly to consumers. In this case, instead of using a brochure, your students would have the actual product in hand.
It’s important to know how much product to order since you’re receiving the actual product up front. You'll need to ask:
We provide a handy ‘Calculate Your Profit’ tool on each product page. You'll know how much to order, and the amount of money your group will raise.
To get started, submit a purchase order. Payment is due within 15 days after receiving your product.
What Makes Our School Fundraising Programs Better?Funding for extracurricular projects and events normally isn't provided by the school district.
There are many ways that schools can raise money. For example, they can have events, drives, or sell products. Previous sales experience is often used to determine the method that works best.
It usually depends on the size of the group. Smaller organizations can make $1,000 or more. See our high school fundraising ideas. Large school-wide groups often bring in over $50,000.
Schools end up having several smaller unplanned sales to meet existing financial needs. Instead they should take the time to plan 1 or 2 larger ones in advance.
It depends on the type of sale. Events like a carnival take place over a day or evening; but much more work goes into planning an event. A brochure sale typically lasts 2 weeks to give people time to collect orders and money.
The simplest sales campaigns are those that don’t require a lot of up front work. Groups can also complete them in a shorter time-frame. Some products, like lollipops or beef jerky, can sell out in 5 days or less.
Variety sells, so consider large fall or spring brochures. Otis Spunkmeyer® cookie dough and Auntie Anne’s® frozen food are all popular programs.
School Fundraising Ideas & TipsMore than 90% of elementary schools have fundraising events. The majority of middle and high schools need them as well. They account for 80% of the money used to fund extracurriculars.
School fundraisers are essential. They help create the educational opportunities that assist students in finding their passions.
Raising money is a part of nearly every student’s experience. That’s why we offer a huge selection of products and brochures. Choose an item-in-hand school fundraiser, like pretzel rods or lollipops.
Or if you want more product variety, try our gourmet kitchenware brochure. Your group will find a fundraising program that appeals to everyone.
We make logistics easy and efficient. With our turnkey programs and marketing, you can focus on selling items and raising money.
Nowadays, raising money goes far beyond traditional campaigns like cookie dough or discount cards (although these still make excellent programs!). Your fundraiser can feature deluxe frozen pies, themed smencils, or customized apparel.
You can even sell Auntie Anne’s® pretzels or Cinnabon® rolls. Kids, teens, and adults will all find a sales program that appeals to their passion and fuels them to make sales.
School fundraisers can be very successful. Make sure to set goals, consider your audience, and encourage engagement. Goals are normally tied to a need, like a new playground or textbooks for fifth grade science. Determining how much your school needs to raise is a great way to help you pick the right product or brochure.
But schools must also consider their audience. Your school may be in a predominately younger neighborhood. Fancier kitchen gadgets may have less appeal to new families on entry-level incomes.
But, lots of single-family homes are perfect for gourmet food offerings. Consider pizzas or pies that make every mom’s life a little bit easier. A little research up front will go a long way in setting you up for a successful sale. Learn how to sell for school fundraisers
Finally, be sure to pick a fundraising product students can get excited about. Sports teams will love things they can customize to foster school spirit. Younger students will enjoy selling treats and items they can use and enjoy.
Sales campaigns can be overwhelming. They depend on resources and volunteer support. We offer decades of experience, industry leading products, and motivational prize programs.
Our school fundraisers increase participation, drive up revenues, and achieve big goals. We offer a variety of products and unique incentives, like Big Event Prize Programs.
These experiential prize programs allow students to take part in a super fun event. And they get to celebrate their success with low sales requirements. Schools routinely report a major upsurge in participation with our event incentive plans. This dramatically boosts school fundraising profits.
If you want to achieve bigger results, start your journey with Big Fundraising Ideas.
