Tips for an effective fund raiser

1. Plan ahead. Begin planning your fundraiser as far in advance as possible. The more time you have, the better opportunities you’ll have regarding product selection, production scheduling, and taking advance orders. If your work is done early in the calendar year, you may be able to get more favorable production times.
2. Communicate. Effective and repeated communication is critical to an effective fun raiser. Continue to remind people about what’s available and how to order. Emphasize deadlines to make sure everyone has a chance to order what they want before the deadline.
3. Be clear. Clear order forms with careful product descriptions, prices, and customization options help avoid frustrations later. Make sure your order form describes your selections clearly, reflects prices clearly (including any additional charges for plus sizes, for example), and has clearly stated deadlines. Include contact information so people with questions know where to go for help with questions.
4. Line up volunteers. Ask others in your school or club to volunteer for some of the work. There’s always a need for people to tallying orders, follow up on outstanding payments, or assemble final orders.
5. Offer variety, but be careful to not offer too many choices. Consider selling items at several different price points. That way, you’re sure to have something that fits within most buyers’ budgets. Beware of having too many similar items at the same price point. Too many choices make the buying decision difficult; too few choices can have a chilling effect on sales.
6. Consider sponsorships. Work with local businesses to help underwrite your promotion efforts. You may be able to have businesses sponsor a product you sell by adding their logo to the item. For example, businesses may pay you to have their logos added to the back of a stadium seat cushion, increasing the amount of profit you get when you sell.
7. Date items. Some people like to purchase dated items to show their long-standing commitment to a team or cause. Wearing that 1982 sweatshirt reminds others of that loyalty – and provides incentive to buy this year’s shirt. Use this suggestion with caution because some people have the opposite response (“Why would I want to buy something that gets outdated so quickly?”).
8. Consider incentives. Think of ways you can combine related items and sell them as a package. You may sell more items this way, increasing your overall sales. For example, bundle a hat and t-shirt together or bundle a rally towel with a magnetic team schedule.
9. Share the Work. Suppliers may give you discounts if you take on some of the work they may normally do. At The Sullivan Company, we work with fund-raising groups to price items so that you can optimize your fund-raising potential. In exchange, you will be asked to tally orders yourself, pay with a single check, and fold and bag your items (for example).
10. Work with a company you can trust. Let’s face it, there are many places you can go to get shirts printed or embroidered. Do your homework. What do people say about the quality of the work you’ll get from each company? How timely will the work be completed? How does the company handle those inevitable last-minute orders?

Ask around and you’re likely to hear people recommend The Sullivan Company. We hope so. Give us a call at 614-898-9971 and let us help you get started!