I guess you are referring to fundraising events, not catalog sales. For events, mainly we decide if we are trying to make money-like a chili/bingo night-or for a purpose-like an alternative to Halloween or a Christmas Craft Night so kids will have presents to give. Basically decide what the pupose is and if you want it to make money. Figure out if anyone wants to participate. Then set your goal for turnout. If it doesn't work then tweek it or don't do it again. Sometimes you have events that don't work just because of timing and other times because there wasn't any interest. Some years things will have a huge turnout and the next none at all.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
we evaluated fundraisers last spring -- here are some factors:
(1) success at other schools
(2) profit versus time (see the thread about cookie dough sales)
(3) goodwill: in other words, a McTeacher night at McDonalds creates a great sense of community or your school, and that may override the fact that you might only make around $500 for the night
(4) supporting local businesses: we ask for donations all the time; perhaps it would make sense to have a dinner night there because of all the free pizza coupons they give you for your auction
(5) for catalog/brochure sales: profit margin (anywhere from 40-50% is average) and customer service. don't hang your fundraising chairman out to dry with a company with lots of profit promises but is known in your county for rotten service
Our PTO group is looking for a checklilst or criteria used by other groups to determine if a fundraising opportunity is acceptable to use. We recently did one at a toy store where the only income we got was the charge to get in the door. Kids got to watch a movie and have juice/cookies while parents shopped. Response was not the best and we received some negative feedback. As a result, the group wants to put together a checklist to use when evaluating future fundraising opportunities. Rather than start from scratch we thought we'd see if there was anything out there! Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
