Why Successful School Fundraisers Invest in Their Sale

Reap the rewards of adequately investing in your sale.

Schools need money now more than ever. We've been saying this for a while now. A 2016 school funding report said that most states provided even less money in 2014 than in 2008. This trend still holds as we head into the fall 2020 season. Pressure mounts as schools have to fund more than just extracurricular activities. Either that, or they're forced to cut certain things out entirely.

School fundraisers continue to play an ever-increasing role. One survey found that 76% of schools hold up to 5 sales per year. And 20% have up to 10. Those numbers are striking and reveal one obvious conclusion. There's too much fundraising going on in our schools.

So how do we get schools to have fewer sales? One option is to make some tough choices. There may be some things that our students will have to live without. Another solution is to start putting quality ahead of quantity. Think about it. What happens when your sale falls short?

You plan more sales until you reach your goal. Lots of fundraising also translates into more time and effort. This takes away from your group's ultimate mission. If you're spending all your time raising money, there's no time left for what matters. What if you instead put more effort into your first fundraiser?

It comes down to this. Choose your poison. One option is putting all your effort into one sale to make it a success. Or you can choose to put minimal effort into several campaigns. If you choose the former, you're giving it everything you have. No holds barred. But the advantage of this strategy is once you're done, hopefully, your fundraising is too.

But regardless of the outcome, staying committed to only having one is essential. Your students, as well as your parents, will respect you for it. Plus, next year, you may get even more people to participate. They'll understand you're giving them one chance to raise money for necessities. We aim to convince you to choose the 'one fundraiser option'. It will save you time in the long run, and your community will also be relieved. They won't have to see your students at their front door asking for money quite so much. Plus, extra fundraisers always have a diminishing return.

Here are some strategies to help you achieve your goals with only one fundraiser.

Don't Settle for Company Prizes Alone

Many companies offer a prize program if you're having a brochure sale. There are two primary reasons why:

1. They use it as a sales hook.
2. It helps grow the sale.

Those unfamiliar with brochure fundraising might see it as a nice feature. And it is. The sponsor may have previously paid for their incentives. There are no strings attached unless you're being charged for the prizes.

One large company no longer in business would discreetly add the prize cost to the school's invoice. As schools caught on, it gave them a bad reputation. Many reps who worked for the company were ethical and informed the school upfront. But some didn't. Always make sure to clarify this with the company first.

Company prizes will help grow your sale. The appeal is to the younger students. They seem the most excited about winning these prizes. The more you sell, the better they get. This encourages extra selling. But it's not enough.

Many older students are critical of them, so you must also address their needs. Using multiple incentive strategies ensures you'll reach the majority of your students. Consider adding the following to supplement the company prize plan:

• Prize drawings
• Top seller prizes
• Special privileges

We've found schools that use additional incentives almost always perform better.

Good School Fundraisers Leverage Their Prize Investments

You may be at a crossroads. Should you invest in extra prizes? If you've been experiencing lackluster sales, then perhaps yes. But what if you spend the money and it doesn't help your outcome? That's what most sponsors who are sitting on the fence struggle with. It's a bit of a gamble either way.

If you've spent your money on these prizes, ensure you get a good return on your investment. There are things you can do that can help build enthusiasm:

• Do a presale promotional campaign on social media. This is a great way to notify parents about coming attractions. You have the opportunity to start talking about your cause, as well as your incentives. People are visual. Posting pictures of the top seller prize will help generate some enthusiasm. Or create anticipation by not revealing it but providing some exciting hints.
• Have your big prize featured on a table front and center at your kickoff meeting. This way, students will see it as they walk into the assembly. Or, if it's still a secret, cover it up with a dark sheet. Then let the curiosity continue to build by revealing it at the end.
• Show your prize during your sale by featuring it in your display case. If you have one, it's usually in a centralized high-traffic area for all to see. Be sure to show it off during lunch by bringing it into the cafeteria.
• Finally, after the fundraiser, present the prize to the winner at an 'awards ceremony'. This also allows you to share your results and remind people where the money goes.

TIP: The mistake that some sponsors make is waiting to purchase their prize until later. If you do this, you're missing out on some golden opportunities.

Take Advantage of Your Sales Tools

You're leaving money on the table if you don't. You may have to put in a little more work, but fundraising sales tools can be well worth the time spent.

As the saying goes, you'll always get out what you put in. The nice thing is that you don't have to forge your path. Your company should make accessing this information simple. And the tools themselves should be easy to use. But most importantly, you should understand why you need to use them.

We've found groups that put our tools to work are usually pleased with their results.

Use Privileges Instead of Prizes

Can you offer prizes without spending any money? The answer is yes; the more creative you are, the better. When offering no-cost incentives, it's essential to understand what motivates your sellers.

For example, high school athletes may enjoy not having to run at the end of practice or pick up equipment. As a result, you can exempt sellers who reach a specific sales goal from having to perform these tasks for the day.

One idea for elementary schools is to do periodic prize drawings. Whenever students sell five items, they turn in a prize coupon. Announce your winners after pulling names out of the drawing box. This is also a great way to promote your fundraiser.

Here are a few extraordinary privilege ideas you can use to keep your students engaged in selling:

• 'Line Leader for the Day'
• 'Office Monitor for the Day'
• 'Free Dress Day Pass'
• 'No Homework Pass'

Properly investing in your fundraiser will help ensure that you reach your goals.

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.