Homeschool Facts

The suggestions that follow may seem trivial but they work. It addresses the core reason why some schools do better than others even with all other factors being equal. It is easy when planning a new fundraiser to focus on the wrong things. Here are five of the right things to focus on.

Below you will find four things that a school can do that will greatly affect the profit their new fundraiser will make.

Step #1 - Profit Percentage Does Not Mean More Profits.

A company offering 80% profit on it’s goods vs a company offering a 20% profit margin is not necessarily better for a school. One thing people often overlook is that banks do not accept deposits of percentage. Every bank I know of accepts only money. Profit percentage is the thing that many decision makers look at first when it comes time to pick what they are going to do for their new fundraiser. What I am saying here does not mean profit percentage is not important, but it should not be the school’s first and only priority when choosing their next new and unique fundraiser. It should be the school’s number one goal to raise the maximum profit possible with the least amount of hassles!

Step #2 - The Product You Sell Does Make a Difference (But Not As Much As You Might Think) Coming up with the right product for your new fundraiser does make a difference, however, it is not the most important factor in having a successful fundraiser. You have probably seen this in your own neighborhood, how two schools decide to sell cookie dough and they both sell them at the same time and the same price. But the difference in their results (Profits) were HUGE! Because of this, you could come to the conclusion that it is not the product which made the difference. So what is it that makes the huge difference? Hint, see Step #4!

Step #3 - Start Your Fundraising as Early In the School Year as You Can

When you start your fundraiser is a very important reason for it’s success. It is a fact that is indisputable, the first school to start it’s fundraiser wins. The first sales brochure that goes into the office or neighborhood has higher sales than the ones that come later. However, timing is not the #1 reason why schools have successful fundraisers. Hint, see the next step!

Step #4- How You Run The fundraiser is the Main Factor in it’s Success. (Called “Program Management”)

Program Management is the element that makes all the difference in having a successful fundraiser. You as a fundraising chairperson may know that “How” the school fundraiser is run is critical to it’s success, but the main problem is not many fundraising companies train the sponsors in how to run their sale the right way. On top of that, it is very simple to do.

Following are several key elements on Program Management:

A) Set High but Goals for the School

B) Have A Memorable and Fun Kick Off

C) Maintain Excitement Throughout the Entire Sales Time

D) Find Good Volunteers

E) Motivating the Students/Sellers

F) Motivate the Teachers and Staff members to Promote and Participate in the Sale.

To get the HIGHEST sales on a new fundraiser the students/sellers must be properly motivated. You can provide motivation not only to the students but also to the teachers and the staff.

The main reason why one school will make $8,000 while another similar school will make $15,000, is in what they did with their prizes for students and for the teachers!

There is a saying “Students could sell $10 bills for $20.00 and do real well if the motivation is right.” The most important part of your school fundraiser will be to provide prizes that get more of your students to participate in your sale like they have never done before! A school that typically has a 25% participation rate will double their sale with only a 15% increase in participation. Achieving a 15% increase in participation is not a hard thing to do especially if your school has been plagued by low participation in years past. But the main thing is that you will have to do something different than what you have been doing to make it happen.

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