Times are tough and pretty much everybody can use more money, especially groups and organizations.
Now more than ever it is important to think about fundraisers and fundraising ideas.
You must be creative to come up with a fundraiser that can eek what little money folks have from their ever dwindling savings.
This guide will help you sort out what you should ultimate go with for your fundraising needs, and ultimately, come up with some unique fundraising ideas.
The fundraiser you choose depends a lot on your organization.
Are you looking for fundraising ideas for schools, or are you looking for ideas for fundraisers in general? You may not want to use coffee for an elementary school fundraiser, but it could be a great high school fundraising idea.
It's always a good idea to use an internet search engine and be as specific as possible with your search query.
It is wise to consider what you or your organization considers important.
Do you care about social justice? Then you may want to consider a fundraiser using Fair Trade products.
Does your organization care about the environment? Then you will want to promote an environmentally friendly option.
Considering you or your organizations core values is a healthy first step in focusing on a proper fundraiser.
Now, consider what will make your fundraiser unique.
One thing that can really make people identify and want to support your fundraiser is to have a private label.
Some companies will use your organization's logo or artwork to make a custom label to reflect your organization or beliefs.
Prices can vary from free to exorbitant amounts for label setup, so it's good to look around.
Where is your organization located? It may be there are local companies that can provide fundraising services.
If you are located in the middle of nowhere you may have to find an online fundraiser.
It is always a good idea to look at the local competition.
If there are a lot of local fundraisers from schools, churches and other organizations people may me sick of fundraisers.
If all the school kids are trying to sell cookie dough, you may want to use something else.
How much cookie dough can one person use? Just because one fundraiser seems popular it doesn't mean that it is successful.
Perhaps everyone is just following along which will result in a saturated market and low sales.
You must remember why you are doing this, to raise funds! You must look at the profit, or margin of the product you're selling.
Another good thing to consider is not only the percentage markup, but the actual dollar amount profit per item sold.
As you well know, a lot of organizations use candy bars for fundraisers.
Many of these candy fundraisers have margins as low as 40%, so from the sale of a $1.
00 candy bar you're only making 40 cents! As an alternative consider using Fair Trade organic coffee for a fundraiser.
The margins are generally around 45% resulting in a profit of over $5.
00 per bag.
Always consider your passion about the item you're selling.
If you believe in it, then it will be a much easier sell.
If you hate cookie dough and the increased weight associated with the consumption of said cookie dough, then don't sell it.
If you are looking for unique fundraising ideas you can always think outside the box.
Personally, I think fresh roasted Fair Trade organic coffee is the way to go.
Pretty much everyone drinks coffee and going organic is environmentally responsible and Fair Trade is socially responsible.
You have a product people will actually use.
You have a cause that people can get behind, and better yet, almost no one else is doing it.
Next, it is important to consider your upfront costs.
Some fundraising companies demand that items be purchased upfront.
Other companies will let you use order forms to take pre-sales orders before your purchase.
If you do find a company that lets you take orders in advance find out if they must receive payment prior to shipping the goods, or if they will send you an invoice.
If you find a company that will let you take orders then you don't have to worry about your upfront costs.
Another cost concern is shipping.
How much will the fundraising company charge you to ship your items? Do they offer free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount? If you're not careful shipping costs can eat your profits.
If your fundraising company doesn't offer free shipping make sure you receive shipping quotes on several different quantities upfront before you start selling anything.
Consider the time lines involved, especially if you are going to be taking pre orders.
You will want to have a guaranteed delivery date for your customers.
You'll need to know how long in advance your fundraiser company needs to process your order and how long it will take for your order to arrive.
You then need to analyze the logistics of distributing the items to the recipients.
If this is a school fundraiser you may want to have people pick up the items at the school on a certain day.
Finally, make sure you make it fun.
Stress can kill anything, so try to make it as fun as possible.
A happy, relaxed person sells more than an uptight deranged person.
Remember, if you believe in your cause and you find the product to sell, your fundraiser will be a success and your organization will benefit.