Great Fundraising Tips

What's New, Nov/Dec 2001 by Bowen, Deanna

Over the last two years, the Family Consumer Sciences Department and Family Community Career Leaders of America Club at Jackson County High School in Jackson County School District in Jefferson, GA, has sponsored fundraising campaigns to support class activities. Their successful campaigns have collectively raised nearly $2,000. What's their secret? They use the following guidelines:

Sell a product you like and be lieve in. Choose a product that is reputable and easy for students to understand and market. Affordability is another key issue. Avoid selling something that people will store in a closet and never use.

Plan the fundraiser around a gift-giving holiday. The school begins their fundraisers two weeks before Mother's Day. Make sure the fundraising company has enough time to ship the product in time for the holiday.

Educate students about the product. Distribute pamphlets to students that identify the products they will be selling.

Motivate and excite students. Offer three cash prizes to the top three sellers ($25, $15 and $10) or offer extra credit. For every item students sold, you can add a point on to their test grade. Don't put any sales pressure on students. just tell them, for example, that everyone only needs to sell one product in order to meet a $1,000 goal.

Create a short sales cycle. If you give students too much time to fundraise, their motivation and enthusiasm will drop. A successful campaign can start on a Monday and last through Sunday. be sure to include a weekend so students can target more people like neighbors, relatives or other community members.

Involve parents. Send a letter to the parents of students involved in the fundraiser. Parents can help raise money by selling products to their coworkers.

Keep it simple. Have all purchases be prepaid with either cash or check. Make it easy for students to drop off the money they collected by accepting it at any time during the school day. At Jackson County High School, the teacher handles the money, tallies the sales and places the order. Students help separate and distribute it when it arrives.

Follow these simple steps, and you'll be on your way to a great fundraiser!

FUNDRAISING RESOURCES

Badge-A-Minit

800/223-4103

www.badgeaminit.com

Davidson Mills

800/638-2852

www. wesellshirts. com

Doughmakers Gourmet Bakeware

888/386-8517

www. doughmakers. com

Fundcraft Publishing

800/853-1364

www. cookbooks. com

G&R Publishing

800/383-1679

www.cookbookprinting.com

Hanes2U

800/426 3728

www.hanes2u.com

Cookbooks by Morris Press

800/445-6621

www. morriscookbooks. com

Deanna Bowen is a teacher in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at Jackson County High School, Jackson County School District in Jefferson, GA.