Melloweer, Our parents also complained about the brochure sales although that's where we made the most money. To give them and us a change, we sold World's Finest chocolate bars for a fall fundraiser, but followed it up in the spring with WF's Easter Choc Collection. For 2 years, the 2 together made a bit more than 1 brochure. Now, I think they're complaining about doing 2 fundraisers, so we may alternate by going back to the brochure sale for a year or two. Fortunately, we can do all with the same rep and company. Just an idea...
If people hate the fundraising your group is doing, then you will know by a significant decrease in profit. If you do a catalog fundraiser, and still make the same profit you've always made, then the people who "hate" it are either participating anyway, or are being replaced by new parents who want to support your mission, or maybe per unit sales are up because you did a better job marketing.
Other fundraising programs might seem more interesting, fresh, clever, unique, desireable, and you might have a volunteer anxious to lead the project. But it's hard to beat the return and short-term duration of a catalog sale. We may want to do other projects (ex: scrip), but how can we budget for the year when the return is unpredictable or spread over several months (ex: magazine sales, scrip, cartridge recycling)? About this time every year, we ask "should we try something new?", but the answer is always the same - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Right on...I have been interested in doing something along these lines or a garage sale instead. Thanks!
I posted this awhile back when I was brainstorming anything I could figure out to please the parents (this was the first fundraiser I did) I finally figured it out I can't please em so oh well. lol
We're also trying to get our of the traditional catalog sales business. Parents hate it, and with so many groups competing for the same pot of money it's getting a little crazy. Last fall we had SEVEN fall fundraiser at our house, between three children in two schools, 3 football teams, and cub-scouts. We have really looked at a way to cut down on the "guilt buying" and try to find something that people would buy normally. This spring we are doing a spring flower sale. Flats of flowers and hanging baskets. We've found a greenhouse that is terrific to work with and since no one else in our district does any kind of spring sale we're doing it district wide. Hopefully we'll make enough money this spring to cover next years budget. We've let our parents know that if the sale goes well we won't be doing a fall fundraiser and our parents have been very happy. The proof will be in the pudding as they say, so I'll let you know in April how we did.
This year we opened a brand new school that was filled from overflow from 5 different schools.
2 of these former schools students never did a brouchure sale. We got alot of complaints about the "Quality". In todays world people don't realize that the products they are buying are really "TOKEN" rewards for supporting the school.
Of course it isn't WORTH $10 or $15. About half of that is going to the school. The rest to the cost of product, the packing, the delivery, the prizes.
We sent out a survey to parents about fundraising. we received about 200 resonses. We wanted them to grade the quality, selection, prizes and all the others aspects.
of the 200 responses 120 had participated in the fundraiser 86 said they WOULD support another one with 34 saying they WOULD NOT. This fundraiser was really thrown together at the last minute( because we were all new.) We have to look at what sells and brings in money. NO school is going to make that kind of money in another kind of sale.
We figured that the 34 responses came from parents not used to doing this kind of brouchure sale.
And no matter what you will always have someone complaining about something.
We were brand new and had no money at all. So this helped out.
One thing I have learned from being a School Dad for 13 years now is Why are we doing this?
I have been to schools that want to do everything themselves "cause we can make a BIGGER PERCENTAGE.
THE BANK DOESN"T TAKE percentages they take MONEY.
Is it Better to make 70% of $1000 or 50% of $1500?
That's what these companies DO for you. They MAXIUMIZE your profit.
I cracks me up when the officers comment that they paid xyz company this amount of money. That money was collected from the 350 families that sent it in.
The owner of a company my old school worked with in the past, told me a few important things that still hold true.
1. You can do it cheaper, but you can't do it better. This is true as a group wanted to make carnival games and do there own. We made more money the first year, because parents thought the were going to get what the company gave us so they bought more presale tickets. Only to be upset when they arrived and we were giving away small junkie prizes. There carnival the following year drop over 50%. And is steadly declining still. No one wants to admit we made a mistake and they keep getting smaller. That is not good business.
2. If a salesman starts his presentation with you are going to make 50% profit, get worried. They should be selling you on what is going to make your sale the best yet. If it is the best, then you will make more money.
3. And most important it isn't about the cost. He told me that his competition wasn't selling me the same items cheaper he was selling me much cheaper items for only a slightly lower price. When I truly compared i realized it was true. And I know every school has less fortunate children, but I know that our less fortunate parents appreciate receiving higher quality products for the money.
Are we fundraising to better our school? Or are we fundraising because everybody else is.
The name of our group Starts with Parent- isn't that the most important job. Being a parent. I have seen the previous carnival commitee go for almost 2 weeks where they "WERE TO BUSY WITH THE CARNIVAL" to help or in one case see child awake.
Fortunately, we can do all with the same rep and company. Just an idea...