Why Combining Fundraisers is Not a Good Idea

Why adding more brochures to your fundraiser is not worth it.

We received a phone call the other day from a school that is interested in working with us; however, they asked if it was ok to work with another fundraiser company at the same time. They informed us that their school wanted to sell two completely different programs. They attempted to assure us that there would be no potential for duplication. Some groups consider combining fundraisers because they are limited by the number of sales they can have, and they believe that more buyer options will bring in additional sales.

However, attempting to work with more than one company at a time creates multiple complications and adds additional work to your plate that you may not expect. To top it off, you may not raise any more money. Many groups end up raising less. Why?

1. Procedural Mistakes & Misunderstandings

Every company has policies and procedures that must be followed to work correctly. Keeping track of the requirements of more than one company at a time can be complex and confusing. This is where mistakes often occur, resulting in minor inconveniences, if you're lucky, or significant problems.

2. Seller Confusion & Phone Calls

Students and parents must juggle and keep track of orders for multiple brochures. Since companies use their item codes, buyers may accidentally place orders on the wrong company's order form. Orders placed on the wrong order form get submitted to the wrong company. If this happens, you can expect to receive unexpected phone calls. And this is only the beginning. Imagine having to sort through the order forms to find the mistakes.

3. Brochure Overload & Buyer Turnoff

People don't have much time, so if your sellers approach them with multiple brochures, they may be tempted to run the other way. Most buyers appreciate the simplicity and being able to find an item to purchase as quickly as possible.

4. Why Make Fundraising Harder?

You aim to find ways to make your fundraiser run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. You're better off putting your effort into working with one company at a time rather than combining fundraisers. Instead, find a brochure with the best selection for your area.

See our brochure fundraisers.

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.