THANK YOU EVERYONE! This is why I love these boards; no one knows everything , but every one knows something! I'm one of those people who actually likes getting advice; I know I certainly don't have all the answers, and out there somewhere, the answers are there for the asking!
I realize that for every situation and community the answers won't be the same, but that's why I was pushing for answers--with the varied members of our community on these boards, I know that the advice I can use is here! :cool:
kmamom, you pose an interesting question which deservedly has received some great responses.
I may add that your fundraising activities will get a boost once you know it all planned out ahead of time. (most important because you have such a large budget) That means asking lots of questions and putting them to down on paper in an outline form.
Do this and you'll be surprised at your results on the backend.
While organizing your group, make sure you at least answer the following questions:
Why is my group fundraising?
What are we going to do with the money we raise?
What are the most important things we need?
How much do we need?
When do we need the money?
Are there other groups in our area/community fundraising at the same time?
Who will be responsible for the following duties:
-choosing a fundraiser
-making sure the sellers have the necessary forms
-making sure the public is aware of your activities
-collecting and tallying orders
-counting and depositing the monies
-handling delivery
I know this is just a brief summary on how to get started, but I hope it helps a bit.
If you want to get people to support your fundraising, be sure to explain WHY they should. Be specific in your marketing. Attach a well-crafted customized cover "letter" to your order form. List the items in your PTO's budget and what each will cost...and by extension, what the kids will lose if the fundraising goals are not met. Be positive and enthusiastic and say THANK YOU alot.
Many people will participate in a school fundraiser no matter what. They just do it automatically at some minimum level. But to tap into that more skeptical audience, you need to tell them WIFM - what's in it for me (or their child or community). Make it easy to participate by explaining all the details clearly: key dates, contact name and phone number, any prize incentives, who the checks should be made out to, whether they need to pay now or later, etc. It's much easier to leave the order form on the kitchen counter than it is to call the office with a question.
I believe the reason it might take 10 times before a customer responds to an ad is because most advertising in the US does a poor job of hitting our hot buttons and explaining the benefits of the product or service. If you explain the benefits of the fundraising program, give people a specific reason to support the PTO, and make it easy to take action, they will.
Another consideration to add to Metzy's list about selection, is to consider the service you will get from the company's rep. Your rep can help put on a fun kick-off event, if that's appropriate for your school. Some will offer additional incentives (we had one give us an electronic globe for every classroom) when you sign the contract. It's also great to have the support of your fundraising rep at delivery time and if there's any errors or breakage.
Also ask what work your committee must do. Specifically: are you responsible for tallying the orders by item #? are you responsible for repackaging the items by student? are you responsible for unloading the truck? etc. It's important to know the workload up front so you can recruit the right number of volunteers.
Our experience is that, in addition to all the other important ideas people have mentioned, persistence is very important. Many groups seem to think that if they get rejected the first time they ask for money, ask for sponsoship, ask supporters to shop online, etc. they should just move on to other targets. Many times, however, an individual does not respond the way you would like until the second or third approach. I remember reading in a marketing book some years back about a study that demonstrated that on average most people do not respond to an advertisement until they have been exposed to it around 10 times. I think there's a moral in that.
This is why I love these boards; no one knows everything , but every one knows something! I'm one of those people who actually likes getting advice; I know I certainly don't have all the answers, and out there somewhere, the answers are there for the asking!
