What do you Consider a Successful Fundraiser?

There are oodles of groups big and small and they all have stuff.  They have stuff that works and stuff that doesn't.  And somewhere in all that, there are truths and consistencies.

There are ways to determine a successful fundraiser:

Start with the obvious - the fundraiser itself.

Did the fundraiser provide a product or service that was easy for the community to understand and take part in?  Did the fundraiser offer a good value and a sense of quality?  Was everything simple, understandable and provided to your group ahead of time?

Next... The most common guide.  Did the school fundraiser succeed financially?  Setting goals and then hitting them feels great while falling short doesn't.  How did you and the group feel about the financial aspects of the fundraiser?

Then the nitty gritty.

Did the school get the expected numbers of students participating?  How did the participation differ from years prior?  This is a good gauge.  It provides a clue into the way parents think and how important the school made the fundraiser.  After all, a fundraiser that is mandatory receives almost unanimous support.  A fundraiser that is not marketed will earn hardly any support. 

Now here's the tough part. 

Would you do the fundraiser again?  If not, why?  Is there something that the fundraising company could have done to improve things?  Is there something the school could have done to make the sale more effective? Was there too much work involved?

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A good school or group fundraiser...

A good fundraiser answers the questions above like this...

Yes, it was easy to get started and host. We offered something of value to the community and earned a substantial profit.  The school got behind it and we had record participation and record sales as a result.  It was actually easy. I would do this fundraiser again.

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This fundraiser is out there too!

So, if you feel like you're not experiencing quality fundraising, just know that your group can succeed at fundraising by offering a quality product or service at a good value, keeping it simple and getting behind the fundraiser!