Believe Kids Fundraising - What Makes a School Fundraiser Successful?

Believe Kids Fundraising

I don't do a lot of self-promotion.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I came right out and said something in a promotional way surrounding my company.  The thing is, the story of the company is pretty remarkable. 


The difference between Believe Kids and other fundraising companies is that when all is said and done, we concern ourselves with the profit earned.  Not being satisfied just to sell something changes the game.  By increasing profitability for schools and groups nationwide, every child benefits!


Successful School Fundraisers

It's amazing to me that many times school don't even realize we were responsible for increasing their profit from previous fundraisers and previous years.  Looking critically at it tells the story, and still it can be lost on matriculating parent groups and school principals that are not involved.


I mention this only in the hopes that a group somewhere will run across this post and graph out their fundraising revenues over time, looking critically at the reasons the fundraiser succeeded or under performed.  Gaining this insight makes it easier to commit to the next fundraiser with confidence.

Here's just a few things that may have been responsible for good fundraising outcomes:


• Teamwork between principal, administration, teachers, students and parents.
• Contests or promotions that made fundraising exciting.
• Extending the fundraiser nationwide.
• Making the fundraiser important by sending notices, making signs, talking it up, etc.
• Productive fundraisers that generate more money per participating seller.


Here are just a few things that may have caused unsuccessful fundraising:


• No incentive for people to participate.
• Limiting involvement to just parents.
• Fundraiser just sent home without any importance or expectations placed on it.
• Choosing a fundraiser with items difficult to sell or low averages.
• Parent group did not want the fundraiser to intrude or be promoted.

Sit for a moment and just evaluate if past fundraisers selected were good, bad or indifferent.  Knowing what stopped a fundraiser from succeeding is a great way to ensure future fundraising success!


Ok, until next time!


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school fundraisers

Elementary School Fundraising - Think Profit!

Not much time to express my thoughts today.  Here's where I'm at.  Schools make irrational decisions when it comes to fundraising.  Schools consistently host fundraisers or select fundraising companies or fundraising programs that will not earn the most money.  

What's more, there's very little that can be done about it from the outside.  I just want schools and groups to know that it's ok to be thinking in terms of profit.  Not necessarily just profit percentage, but final bottom-line profit to the group.  

It's time schools got strategic about their fundraising. Time for PTA / PTO volunteers, principals and administrators to accomplish the foremost task of raising the most money they can with the least disruption to learning. 

Ok, until next time!

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Keep the conversation going on twitter or facebook and please share what you see here with others!  The direct link to this website is fundraising-advice.com

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Elementary School Fundraiser with 100% Profit

I've seen several references lately to schools doing fundraising themselves and keeping 100% of the profit.

That sounds reasonable, but, there is a funny curiosity about it. It doesn't actually make sense.  With every school fundraiser, through a fundraising company or hosted on ones own, a school always keeps 100% of the profit that they receive. After all, it's profit.

Hey, just sayin'.

Semantics aside, how about this one.  If a school hosts it's own fundraiser, they keep 100% of the money?

If there are expenses incurred, the school is not receiving 100% of the money.  That implies no expenses.  The minute a cash prize, a Nintendo dsi, pizza party, t-shirt,  trophy, limo ride or water bottle is offered, that costs money.  Even expenses like printing, sign-making, paper plates or whatever cost real money. 

That means a school is not getting 100% of the money.

In fact, I looked at a school blog where they raised something like $600 on a product they were reselling on their own then offered a limo ride as the prize. Chances are they kept close to 0% of the money.  I guess they do keep 100% of the money, but it doesn't make sense if the expenses aren't taken into consideration.


Ah well.  Thought I'd start the week off with a bit of a humorous look at how schools view profits and money. 

We just have to remember that when we talk fundraising profit, it's the percentage of the retail per transaction that goes to the school after expenses that matters.

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!

4 Frozen Cookie Dough Fundrasing Myths

On the Internet are a lot of juicy articles about fundraising.

These always strike me funny when I run across some of the things people say about frozen cookie dough fundraising sales through schools that just aren't true:

1) "Nobody wants to buy cookie dough"

False - it's the number one selling fundraising product today - period.

2) "Cookie Dough is too expensive"

Again, False. Think about what that product is accomplishing! What other examples of products or services are willing to give 40% or so off the top? Chances are, those products would look like complete rip off's where the cookie dough just seems to be perhaps just a bit overpriced if that. After all, it's hand-delivered frozen and it is not available in stores.

What's too expensive is cigarettes and liquor and health insurance and gas and around the 4th of July but I digress. I know some people are strapped for cash but I just don't buy the widespread belief that people flat-out can't afford it.

3) "I'd rather just donate to the school"

False. Although folks are quick to point out how they would 'rather' do something else, the vast majority never get around to writing a check - ouch.

4) "I don't need to buy, plenty of others will."

False. If you don't buy, you are part of the problem and the school will have less revenue and maybe even earn a lower profit margin or have to cover additional fees.

Nobody is making up for your lost sale.

Lower participation in fundraisers is commonplace today causing more and more fundraisers in schools. What will happen is an schools will do with less or they will add another fundraiser - either way, that's not good.

If you participate and so do other parents, you'd likely only have one big fundraiser a year!

Hopefully this dispells some fundraising myths regarding frozen cookie dough fundraisers at schools! As always, if you like or don't like the info provided, please leave a comment or visit me on twitter - twitter.com/BelieveKids

Thanks for looking!

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising www.BelieveKids.com and blogs here at either www.believejay.blogspot.com or www.fundraising-advice.com