My Tip of the Week: How To Avoid Fundraising Fatigue
Fundraising fatigue is one of those alliterative terms that newspaper editors love. And the story of parents tired of getting hit up for more dollars seems to appear in one paper or another almost every month.
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draising fatigue is one of those alliterative terms that newspaper editors love. And the story of parents tired of getting hit up for more dollars seems to appear in one paper or another almost every month.
But is it true? And can your group overcome it?
I wrote a longer column on this topic, but in a nutshell, I think fundraising fatigue is way overstated and -- where it does exist -- most often self-inflicted.
It's simple: If you want to have parents who complain less (and support more), then fundraise less but fundraise better. Stick to that mantra even when your budget gets low and even when the next neat idea is proposed at your meeting. Groups that have a higher fun and involvement quotient almost always raise more dollars, too. And groups that seem to fundraise all year long almost always see diminishing returns and a less effective parent group in the long term.
As you start thinking about your spring fundraisers or start reviewing choices for your next big fall fundraiser, check out these resources:
Good luck!
But is it true? And can your group overcome it?
I wrote a longer column on this topic, but in a nutshell, I think fundraising fatigue is way overstated and -- where it does exist -- most often self-inflicted.
It's simple: If you want to have parents who complain less (and support more), then fundraise less but fundraise better. Stick to that mantra even when your budget gets low and even when the next neat idea is proposed at your meeting. Groups that have a higher fun and involvement quotient almost always raise more dollars, too. And groups that seem to fundraise all year long almost always see diminishing returns and a less effective parent group in the long term.
As you start thinking about your spring fundraisers or start reviewing choices for your next big fall fundraiser, check out these resources:
- This article on choosing the best fundraisers for your group
- This additional column I wrote on ''profit percent'' (and why it can be a bad measuring stick)
Good luck!
