Simple steps you can take to reach your goal.
Let's face it: your group needs money, but you don't think you can get your students to sell enough to make it worth your time and effort. After all, they aren't easily persuaded, and with so many other groups out there selling, there will be added competition for the same customers.
However, the key to successful high school fundraising is starting strong and sustaining the momentum you create.
Here are three simple actions that will help your group reach or exceed its financial goals by getting high school students involved in your fundraiser:
1. Have a Fundraiser Kickoff Meeting
Don't think that simply handing out your sales materials as your students come by your room will generate much interest. If you want to raise money, you will have to commit time to a launch meeting. Let your students know your campaign is important enough to set a time and date for an organized kickoff. Everyone needs to attend this meeting. This is where you must convince your students that participating is important. Should they feel obligated to sell just because they are a member of your group? Not really. It's your job to sell them why becoming involved is in their best interest.
2. Track Student Sales Progress
Once you have your students' attention, tell them you will hold them accountable to sell. This needs to be communicated from the start. To do this, you will need to meet periodically and track their progress. Hopefully, you've already determined how much money your group needs to raise and how many items they need to sell. If your students know you are tracking their sales progress, they will be more apt to keep up with the sales. This also teaches your students that success comes by selling a little each day.
3. Make Fundraising Competitive
High school students will become more motivated by introducing fun and exciting incentives. Consider dividing your group into smaller teams so you can offer special rewards or privileges to the top-selling team. You can do this throughout your sale, not just at the end. You can tie the reward to activities your students perform as group members. For example, if your group is a sports team, the team that sells the most after the first day doesn't have to put equipment away or is exempt from running at the end of practice.
Successful high school fundraising results from your students understanding why they're selling and how they'll benefit.
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.