What to Do When You Don’t Meet Your School Fundraising Goal

What to do when your sale doesn’t go as planned.

It’s no secret that school fundraisers demand energy and persistence on the front end. But what qualities will carry you through if things go exceedingly well or veer far from what you expected? In this article, we’ve got some tips on reacting and responding to the possibility that your school fundraiser may not meet its goal. Responding well in this moment of disappointment may pay dividends in future fundraisers and keep students, volunteers, and your community engaged.

You know the adage: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” It’s the truism that sometimes, you may not reach your desired destination no matter how perfectly your map is made. This can be a particularly challenging reality in school fundraisers where success impacts students’ educational experience. But, with varying economic conditions, unforeseen circumstances, and even changes in administration, you may be up against extenuating factors that nobody can prepare for.

If you’re faced with a fundraising result that doesn’t call for confetti, consider these strategies for responding in a healthy and productive way.

• Evaluate Your Fundraiser Immediately
• Consider Gap-Filling Fundraisers
• Confront Failures and Celebrate Successes

Evaluate Your Fundraiser Immediately

When your school fundraiser is over, no matter what the result, your reflex may be to take a break and breath. Persevere a little longer, and look candidly at your overall performance as soon as possible.

Admittedly, looking at something disappointing immediately can be hard, but debriefing can be a therapeutic way to discover what was and was not preventable. Dissecting the fundraiser by looking first at the numbers and data and then at qualitative factors, like theme and morale, can help you internalize and regain control if you feel like your fundraiser got off track.

Evaluating immediately can also help you balance your perspective. You may be focusing on the $10,000 deficit on the fundraising spreadsheet. School fundraising volunteers should balance this fixation by also considering the impact that the $30,000 you did raise will have. Remember that any progress in fundraising makes a difference in the quality of the education students receive because it’s money that wouldn’t have been available for critical resources otherwise.

At the end of your evaluation, prepare a final report that includes the following:

• A numbers-based bottom line regarding profits, participation, and year-over-year changes.
• Qualitative feedback was received throughout the fundraiser.
• Internal and external factors that had a bearing on the outcome.
• Goals for the next school fundraiser.
• A list of best practices.

This process may not make you feel positive about the results. Still, it will help you make sense of an outcome that can initially be overwhelming—especially if you’re passionate about education. That internalization can be valuable in being a resilient and proactive fundraiser.

Consider Gap-Filling Fundraisers

Somewhat arbitrary deadlines often confine school fundraisers. Though the needs school fundraisers meet may constantly be there, the urgency varies over time. Discuss the possibility of hosting another fundraiser to fill in the remaining gaps.

You have a variety of options when it comes to gap-filling fundraisers. For example, you may seek corporate sponsorship of a lump-sum amount. Proposing a local business or regional office of a large corporation can be easier when you have something to show for what you’ve done. An appeal that begins by telling how your students raised tens of thousands of dollars through their hard work can appeal to corporate donors who want to reward industrious students.

If your gaps are smaller, you can employ some old-fashioned, grassroots fundraisers—like car washes and bake sales. Or, if time allows, you can hold a series of these fundraisers that may add up to fill a bigger gap.

Channel any feelings of frustration or disappointment into positive productivity by taking actions that minimize the sense of loss and reduce the distance between your results and your goal. You might be surprised at how responsive students and your community are if you demonstrate redoubled commitment to meeting a goal.

Confront Failures and Celebrate Successes

A productive reaction builds from successes and failures, making every outcome useful. This involves identifying what went well and wrong and responding to each category accordingly. Good fundraisers know this is essential to creating a fundraising culture that improves consistently over time.

First, confront any failures in the school fundraiser. Casting these as “areas of growth” or “opportunities” puts a positive spin on shortcomings, but acknowledging that a tactic or strategy didn’t work is the critical lesson. For example, perhaps your school tried a new product instead of your tried and true cookie dough fundraiser, and it flopped. You’ve learned something important: people look forward to purchasing cookie dough, and the tradition and dependability work in your favor. Next year, don’t shake things up as dramatically.

It’s important not to fixate on failures, especially those easily mitigated. Your fundraising volunteers, faculty, and staff need to know they have a safe place to fall if an idea doesn’t work out. Spaces like these are where ingenuity and commitment thrive.

Finish off on a high note by celebrating successes. Even if you’ve lauded the same tactic or component of your fundraiser a hundred times, the 101st time certainly won’t hurt. Reinforcing good practices and capturing positive responses to an idea will ensure that beneficial strategies are retained year after year.

Failure is rarely final, and you can set the tone for how a less-than-ideal outcome affects school fundraisers. Respond productively and proactively, and you may be surprised by what comes from it.

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.