Spring fundraising tips for schools that work.
Many schools won’t meet their yearly budget with just their fall sale, so they’re starting to think about what they might want to do after the first of the year. Most groups plan their big fundraiser for the fall, usually where they invest the most time and energy.
A few don’t fundraise in the fall and thus wait until the spring when fewer sales are going on.
Regardless, you can still make your spring fundraiser profitable and worthwhile. It’s just a matter of understanding some of the advantages and opportunities of conducting a sale in the spring.
Here are some ways that you can set your school up for sales success in the spring:
Setting a Limit on Fall Fundraisers
Hopefully, you limited your fall fundraising to one sale. If you’ve already done a few sales this fall, you may want to think twice about a spring campaign because your parents may not be receptive. Most schools that need more than one sale either do one each semester or have two fall fundraisers.
If you haven’t met your budget with multiple fall sales and need to raise additional money, you should think about doing something completely different. Some ideas may be to have a spaghetti dinner, auction, or carnival.
Set a Realistic Fundraising Goal
Even though you’d like to make your spring fundraiser profitable, it probably won’t be as successful as your fall sale. However, don’t set your goals too short, either. Schools raised more money in the spring than they did in the fall, so anything’s possible.
Make sure to try to put the same effort into planning and promoting your spring sale. Depending on where you are with your budget for the year, the last thing you want to have to happen is not to reach your budget after your second sale.
Spring Specific Fundraising Products
Many spring brochures feature warmer-weather products like tote bags, sports bottles, picnic blankets, beach gear, and flowers. These are items that people are more inclined to want to purchase anyway this time of year. Most school fundraising companies will also include popular fall items as carry-overs.
Some groups may be more interested in something other than a variety of spring shoppers and offer a single theme instead. For instance, they may want to sell flowers, jewelry, or cookie dough.
Regardless, attempt to focus your spring fundraiser around popular holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Mother’s Day. This is when most people will most likely purchase items for friends and family. You should also go with a different prize program to maintain student interest.
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.