We know there is a big difference between fundraising companies and their offers.
Without question, it can seem like schools are 'sold' like a used car salesman. These days, it's hard for school volunteer groups to sort through real information come up with a true expectation of what their fundraising company should deliver.
These hints should make it easier to compare fundraising offers:
1) Get it in writing before you commit.
If you are accepting numerous offers for your fundraiser, let every company know what your preferences are and encourage written offers. Don't be swayed by representatives that tell you they 'could' do things - just get their best offer in writing up front!
Once you have all the offers give each vendor a chance to fix and improve their offer if you either change your preferences or have a better offer on the table. Keep in mind that with negotiations, you can improve your offerings but you have to ask. Remember, even a good company can't fix something in their proposal if they are unaware it needs fixing.
2) Don't let anything keep you from hitting your goal.
• If you have a relationship with a rep that you know is not offering you the type of fundraising options that would produce results, get out there and take a look at other options (if you are one of these groups, you know what I mean).
• Ask your fundraising company what promotional materials, goodies and extras they will be providing that help your sale! There is one company I know of (shameless, I know) that increases student participation by offering complimentary charm necklaces during the fundraiser to boost sales. Just one simple and organized promotion can make a huge difference in the outcome of your fundraiser!
• Look into each company to see if they have anything they offer that helps get principals, teachers and faculty involved. Getting true support from the school could just be the number one factor in improving sales. Ask what they have to offer.
3) Get the facts
The truth is, hardly anyone ever does. But if you ask what average sales are per student and participation rates for all the companies you are looking at, the most productive fundraiser will surface. You can take this data and compare with what you know about the results of your schools previous fundraisers. Then focus on improving the numbers (see #5 below).
4) Know that you will look good!
If you end up with a ton of complaints, your fundraiser wasn't a success no matter how much money you make.
Ask some or all of these questions:
• How many items did you backorder last year?
• Did you replace, refund or give credit for these items?
• How long did the process take to satisfy these customers?
• Who do customers call in case of damages, missing items, ordering issues, etc?
• How does the company guarantee accuracy?
• What is order turnaround time?
• Who processes the order forms?
• Can schools track their sales?
• Can my customers also buy online?
If you are not talking to a customer service oriented company, it should be quite obvious by the answers you receive (shameless promotion #2 - Believe has a look good guarantee).
5) Improve your sales - Ask each company what they offer that will increase your sales.
• Offering quality items at good prices produces value. When you offer a good value, you will get sales. Therefore, things like lower price points, nicer catalogs and a nice shopping site may just help. These items may be somewhat intangeable so start a list.
• Find out what you have access to as far as tutorials and advice, email templates, marketing materials, contests, etc. Rate the quality of the parent letter, prize program and catalog. By getting a sense of how students, parents and the community will react to the fundraiser, you can choose the right company for your needs.
Not all fundraising companies are used car salesmen. Good luck out there and thanks for looking! I hope that you found the information helpful!
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Jay Moneta is the Vice President at Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at www.fundraising-advice.com I encourage feedback, comments and questions here or at twitter.com/BelieveKids Feel free to visit our website www.BelieveKids.com for more information.
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