RonPaul2008dotcom asked:

Lew Moore and Jonathan Bydlak of the Ron Paul 2008 campaign report on Ron Paul’s record-breaking November 5th fundraising haul. Read http://www.ronpaul2008.com/files/11-6-2007-PressConferenceFlier.pdf

Juan Franco asked:


(c) 2008 AIM Fundraising

Starting a new fundraiser has probably been going on since caveman days. As long as there are youth sports, cheerleaders, PTA and PTO and other non profit groups, there will always be fundraising. When planning your next new fundraiser, there are some fundamental things that must be considered that could help you double or more your previous sales.

Event

Choose a type of event that coincides with your type of group and your fundraising goals. If all you are wanting to accomplish with any new fundraiser that you are planning is to raise just a few hundred dollars, then the cost should be fairly low. In cases like this, doing something like a soccer-thon or car wash fundraiser will do. If on the other hand you need to raise thousands of dollars for a senior trip you might need to consider fundraisers such as teddy bear fundraisers, cookie dough fundraisers, or any number of other unique fundraising ideas. When the needs are larger, it may be time to consider raising money over a few different programs and times of the year. Your specific needs will dictate the type of new fundraiser idea you should be considering.

Volunteers

Never over look the hidden talents or things that might be of interest to your group. For instance, you would not want to ask the football players to do a teddy bear fundraiser. While that might be a unique fundraiser, you probably will not have a huge sale simply because those boys are not going to be that enthused about them. Now, if what you are planning is a cheerleader fundraiser, or a new fundraiser for little kids or an all girl group, then a teddy bear fundraiser should work just fine.

Choosing The Right Fundraising Product

After first taking into consideration the interest of your volunteer force, you will also want to consider the attractiveness of your fundraising product itself. Right now, in America, the number one product in fundraising is frozen food, specifically frozen cookie dough. Today there are scores of frozen cookie dough brands available for fundraising, but without a doubt the top brands are Otis Spunkmeyer and Chippery cookie dough.

Once a frozen product has been sold in your neighborhood however, you are forced to find a new fundraiser that will be “the next best thing.This is where it gets sort of interesting. I could fill a couple of hundred pages on this subject alone. There are so many things that must be considered when trying to come up with this “new fundraiser.” Things like the type of group you have, the age range of your group, the time of year. The list could go on. There are products however that have stood the test of time and consistently make groups the money they need. There are in fact some new fundraiser products that I can see will be giving frozen products a push off of the mountain top.

Some things have stood the test of time like Christmas wrap, gift items, candles and various food products. There are some new fundraisers like teddy bear fundraisers and Interstate Batteries that are making a showing now to displace the old tried and true fundraisers.

Given that the scope of this article does not include how to properly choose that new fundraiser, I would simply say at this point that it would be wise to consult a professional fundraising company for that advice.

Don’t Let Your Ego Get In The Way

In the quest for new fundraiser ideas, it is important to keep in mind that there are some things that you may initially think will or will not work. It is human nature to pick the product for our new fundraiser based on our own personal taste. The thought process goes, I would not buy that product line so it must be a loser of a fundraiser. If this were the only thing to consider about what works in the marketplace, the would be no Starbucks or Seatle’s Best Coffee. I hate coffee! There would also be a Sears on every corner and whoever thought that putting a retractable wheel in the bottom of a shoe would be a big deal?

When planning for any new fundraiser it is important to consider some basic options to help you decide which fundraising product is the right one for your group. The best option is to get out of the way and simply go with the things that work.

Jessi McCafferty asked:


Everyone who is involved with organizing fundraising events is pressured to come up with great and innovative fundraising events ideas to collect funds for their causes and organizations.

This is especially necessary today, since more and more people and companies are feeling the effects of the financial crisis. They think that brilliant and imaginative fundraising events ideas can easily entice people to donate or support the endeavor. And they can. The number one rule of fundraising is that if your idea is good, your fundraiser will most likely be profitable. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to come up with fundraising event ideas. So what can one do if he or she needs these ideas for the sake of their fundraising event? Here are some suggestions:

Brainstorm

The organization should have a meeting, where everyone is required to suggest ideas for their upcoming fundraiser events. This way, every idea is heard, and the part can decide which ideas to try. The group can also collectively try and come up with fundraising events ideas on the spot. Having a group of people come up with ideas for fundraiser events removes the pressure of the responsibility from one person and passes it to everyone on the organization. Two heads are better than one, they say - so the heads of an entire organization can definitely come with better ideas for the fundraising event.

Hire the service of experts

Not all organizations can come up with fundraising event ideas. Furthermore, not everyone can organize these events by themselves. Beginners and those who are just starting out with this endeavor should consider hiring the service of professional fundraiser. These professionals are usually paid a pre-determined amount or a percentage of the revenue acquired through the fundraising event. Many are against this since this will obviously decrease the revenue, but it is a smart option for those who are not sure if they can pull off the effort.

Research

The best way to know what type of fundraising events succeed is through researching. There are many resources available on this topic, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. For instance, one can go online and look for tips and ideas. Others can go the traditional way and consult other organizations and individuals who have already successfully organized a fundraiser. Ask them what factors helped make their fundraising event succeed. Go to different fundraising events to see what attracts people and donors.

Improve previous ideas

Finally, when all else fails, one need not come up with imaginative fundraising events ideas - he or she can merely elaborate previous fundraising events of the group or the organization that worked and succeeded in collecting funds. In fact, this is what a number of major non-profit organizations are doing now. Instead of using new ideas, they stick to their old ones, since they are already tried and tested. In short, they are already guaranteed to work. One can merely improve some details and points in order to make it an even bigger success. This is less risky compared to trying out new ways to raise funds.

Juan Franco asked:


(c) 2008 AIM Fundraising

When it is time to set up for your next unique fundraiser, you may find yourself overwhelmed. There is so much to consider. The choices you make may seem insignificant but they can make the difference between having a good fundraiser or a great one.

One of the most important things to decide is what you will do for your incentives for your new fundraiser. It is not only the product line but the incentive you choose which can make or break your fundraising campaign. Using the services of a professional fundraising company is one of the best ways to ensure that things will go smoothly. They do this kind of thing professionally and will guide you in your decisions.

Here are 7 useful tips to use when deciding which products, incentives and fundraising consultant to use in your fundraiser.

1.) Quality

Does your consultant firm offer a high quality line of products? Value is extremely important to your target customers. In order to succeed your customer must feel that they are getting a good value for their investment.

2.) Support Materials

When choosing a fundraising consultant it is important that you take a good look at any support materials that they offer such as product catalogs. A nice looking brochure work to dramatically increase your sales.

3.) Hidden Costs

Hidden costs can sometimes be overwhelming. Make sure that you understand and have taken into account the cost of catalogs, brochures, and shipping. Remember, any costs that you overlook are going to come off of the bottom line.

One thing to consider is that not all cost to your group are bad cost. For instance if you are pitching in on the cost of a particular prize or two in order to offer it at a lower prize level than it would normally be offered, those cost will come back to you 10 times over in the form of extra profit.

4.) Free Sample Pack

Does your fundraising consultant firm offer a free sample pack? If so use this to evaluate the quality of your fundraising product line before placing an order.

5.) Policy

Inquire up front as to the policy of your fundraising consultant with regard to replacement goods in the event of product damage during shipping. Discover what the terms of your fundraising company’s return policy is as well.

6.) Special Delivery

Will your product require special delivery methods such as refrigeration? Spoiled products are always a big concern when dealing with foodstuffs, especially frozen items.

One good thing about frozen cookie dough however, is that it does not require refrigeration like raw breads or cheesecake do. Take care in choosing your delivery area. If the cookie dough is delivered and placed in an area that is out of direct sunlight and not near a heat source brands of cookie dough like Chippery and Otis Spunkmeyer will deliver without the need for refrigeration. That is because sugar is actually a preservative in it’s own right and these particular brand have the lowest water content of other fundraising cookie dough brands.

7.) References

What is the reputation of your fundraising company? Ask for a list of past customers and contact them regarding the performance of your fundraising company. You might also ask what items were best sellers.

Choosing the proper fundraising company is very important to your fundraising efforts. These Seven tips will help you to choose a professional fundraising company that will work with you to ensure that your fundraiser is an overwhelming success.

Anna Hart asked:


Tupperware? That was my initial thought, too. I pictured the Tupperware parties of which I’d heard so often - and the sole party I intended. How could you raise money with a Tupperware fundraiser if everyone had to attend a party somewhere? And who would host all those parties?!

No Party Needed!

Then I learned that a Tupperware fundraiser is not based on parties. A Tupperware fundraiser is run much like any other fundraiser, except that you offer a quality, durable product instead of cheap consumables.

Think back to the last fundraiser you had. Maybe you offered an array of candles - or coupon books. Many of your workers felt they were pushing products people neither wanted nor needed. Instead of appealing to the buyer, they were trying to sell products that were easy to get at low prices.

It all boiled down to a basic feeling that you were dealing with mediocre products, which produced mediocre sales efforts.

Tupperware Fundraisers Are Successful

The Tupperware company offers Tupperware fundraisers for non-profit organizations and schools - and a Tupperware fundraiser is likely to be highly successful.

Tupperware fundraisers offer a straight 40% profit! How much can you raise? How much are you determined to raise?

Imagine you commit to raise $12,000 for a new, public playground. The children in your neighborhood have no place to play. Parents have no place to go and play with their little ones. You need swings, sandboxes, brightly-painted jungle gyms, and some open, green space.

You manage to round up a group of 200 volunteers who are willing to participate in your Tupperware fundraiser. Each volunteer is encouraged to set a goal of 5 or more customer orders, and told that the average customer will usually place an order of about $30. They believe it, and set out.

At the end of your Tupperware fundraiser, each volunteer turns in orders totaling over $150. Some submit orders totaling $200 or $300. Together, your group sold a total of more than $30,000 retail! Your 40% profit comes to much more than $12,000. You reached your ambitious goal - and Tupperware pays all shipping for Tupperware fundraisers.

Your Tupperware fundraiser was successful. Your public playground will soon be a reality!

Products

Tupperware fundraisers succeed in part because of the product’s reputation. Most people are familiar with the Tupperware line of products. Some may have wanted to purchase but did not want to attend a party, or could not find a local dealer.

A Tupperware fundraiser succeeds because you sell exclusive Tupperware products that are not offered in other catalogs. People are eager to get these unique products, and order readily. Baby Boomers, who grew up with Tupperware, are especially positive toward Tupperware fundraisers.

Running a Successful Tupperware Fundraiser

Tupperware fundraisers are simplified by the fact that the company provides everything you need - including a fundraising manager for guidance and advice. There are things you will want to do, though, that go beyond the fundraiser packets.

Here are a few tips to make your Tupperware fundraiser successful.

1. Volunteers should be clearly taught how your project will help the people to whom they hope to sell. Customers want to know “what’s in it for me” more than how wonderful the cause itself is. If your Tupperware fundraiser is to raise money for a playground, how will it benefit the Baby Boomer on the corner whose children are grown adults? She may like your Tupperware, but she should also be shown how your playground will benefit her.

2. Volunteers should believe passionately in your cause. They should be so involved that they can see little red and blue swing seats, with happy toddlers running toward them. They should have a keen desire to make that vision come true - a desire that will carry them beyond rejection.

3. Volunteers should believe passionately that your Tupperware fundraiser is the best possible way to raise the money you need. Your fundraiser manager will likely give a demonstration of the products. Be sure every volunteer attends and accepts the product enthusiastically.

4. Teach volunteers to convey the “I like you” message to every potential customer. People like to be liked, and will more readily order from your Tupperware fundraiser volunteers if they appear to like each customer sincerely.

5. With the “I like you” message, convey trustworthiness. The two together tend to convince customers that you have their best interest in mind.

Tupperware fundraisers have been successful for many groups. They can be so for your group, too, but you must work smart to make it happen.

Patrick J asked:


Two of my friends and I are looking into opening a bar/restaurant. We can not get a full loan from the bank to cover all of the costs in opening. One friend’s suggestion was that we have a fundraiser at another popular bar in the vicinity. Is this acceptable?

Stanley Gallor asked:


Nonprofit organizations need fund. Apart from sponsorship, donations and governmental aid nonprofit fundraising is the other way to increase organizational fund. A lot of nonprofit groups, communities and organizations appoint fundraising coordinator. The job of a fundraising coordinator is to help the group increase and raise fund.

Fundraising coordinators keep looking for fundraising ideas and products all the day, even when they are spending time in leisure. The job is certainly difficult and stressful but not impossible to achieve.

If you search the web, you will find a lot of fundraising products but you cannot use just any product for your group. Points that you need to concentrate on while choosing nonprofit fundraising product are:

• The product must go with the culture of your group

• It should be unique so that everybody likes it

• It should have the potential to become popular

• The product must fetch good amount of money

• It should not take much time to sell

With that said, let’s learn how to select nonprofit fundraising campaigns that brings you ultimate benefit.

The product should go with the theme of your group:

The product should go with the theme and culture of your community. That’s a good point definitely. Rest assured that most fundraising ideas and products are quite sober and nice. However, if you are nearing to any social occasion or event, you can choose a suitable fundraiser accordingly. Christmas cards, New Year cards, scented candles or Halloween masks are some of the seasonal fundraising products that may sell well.

Unique fundraising ideas, products or events:

Unique products become popular easily and it becomes easy for your volunteers to sell these products. To get unique fundraising ideas, you may consider talking to fundraising professionals and experts. Unique fundraisers not only help you raise fund fast but let you create a brand as well.

Popularity quotient of the fundraiser:

When you select a nonprofit fundraising product, make sure it has the potential to become popular. If you decide to sell Christmas cards in the month of February, chances are you will get a poor response! So be realistic while selecting fundraising product.

Try to address the issues that we all face everyday; for example, we all need to clean the sides of fridge at home. Why not sell a fridge frame! It will keep the fridge clean and allow the buyer to display family photographs as well.

Fundraising product should fetch good money:

Make sure you do not need to invest a lot on the fundraiser. Calculate the profit margin before finalizing your nonprofit fundraiser. Know the cost of the fundraiser and per unit price at which you would sell it. Then calculate the return over investment. You should always look for 50% to 55% profit.

Time factor:

Make sure the fundraising idea can fetch you good money in short time. If you need fund before a specific event, you need to raise fund fast.

Just keep these points in mind while choosing a fundraiser for your community or group. Consult nonprofit fundraising professionals for more help.

Juan Franco asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 AIM Fundraising

Why is it most schools doing fundraising do not apply the principals you see discussed below, I have no clue. Maybe because most schools are trained to focus on the wrong things while choosing and planning a fundraiser.

School fundraising companies by nature emphasize their product lines and brochures. But that doesn’t answer the question why the school down the street that picked your second or third choice had a better sale! Your fundraising success has less to do with which brochure you pick (Don’t they all look pretty much the same anyway?) than with how you run the sale. Even profit % means little in how much money a school makes if the sale lacks the one key ingredient… MOTIVATION!

Here are the top 2 secrets on school fundraising that if heeded will make all the difference in your final profit.

First Secret - Run Your School Fundraising Event as Early in the School Year As Possible.

Deciding when to start the fundraiser can mean thousands in profit gained or profit lost. It is a well known fact that the first group to go into an office or neighborhood with their fundraising materials to ask for orders has higher sales than the groups that follow second or third or forth. Timing, however, is not the number one reason schools have profitable fundraisers.

Each month delay from the start of school that you put off starting your fundraiser will take $6.00 off every students sale! Multiply that by 500 students and a mid October kickoff and that school is missing out on $6,000 in sales simply by choosing that date on the calendar! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that waiting till close to Christmas would be a good time to start your sale. It seems to make sense, but the statistics don’t confirm that to be factual. THE Main secret coming next…

Second Secret- (The Main Thing!) The Thing That Affects Your School Fundraiser Most is How You Run Your Sale.

Two similar elementary schools can have excellent leadership and both be excited and they both start their sale on the same date. They both can do everything they know to maximize their sale, so WHY can there be $5 - $10,000 difference in results?

Ready? Here is the number one, the most important, the “Big Kahuna” secret of all. Program Management (how you run the sale) is the most important element in running a successful fundraiser. You may Say, “I knew that but what is wrong with the way I run our fundraiser now?” The main problem I think is that not many fundraising companies train the fundraising sponsors in how to properly run their sales. In the interest of “getting the sale” they let the school have the lead, especially when dealing with a “headstrong” sponsor.

The are several key elements in Program Management that are key:

1) Set Goals

2) Have a Memorable Fundraiser Kick Off

3) Keep the Excitement Up During the Sale

4) Place Emphasis on Motivating Students and Teachers

The most important factor for changing the results for a better school fundraising event is the motivation you provide to the students and the teachers. The main reason why one elementary can have an $19,000 sale while the another, very similar elementary, will have a $40,000 sale is the way they do their incentives for students and teachers! It would surprise you how easy it is to do.

Jessi McCafferty asked:


Organizing a college fundraiser can be rewarding and taxing or often easy and demanding. The contradictions may seem a little too much for a simple fundraising event. However, once you understand the market of these activities, it will become clear why these endeavors require proper preparation and a surefire idea in order to succeed.

College fundraising activities are different from other fundraising endeavors because they are trying to reach a different level of maturity: college students. Faculty members as well as other adults in the university are also part of the potential donors of college fundraising endeavors, but it is best to concentrate on students since they by far outnumber the other people on the campus.

These young adults are mature enough to make their own decisions, so it will be easy to appeal to their charitable side. However, college students are also hard to connect with. After all, they are usually preoccupied with their studies, their social lives, and their extracurricular activities. A good university fundraising plan must be sufficient enough to collect funds for these worthy causes. At the same time, they must be creative and exciting enough to catch the attention of the intended audience.

Show Them It Is Necessary

Among the popular university fundraisers are those that appeal to the need of the students and the faculty members. An example of this type of fundraisers is the “clean For A Buck” fundraiser. Here, the fundraisers go door to door to ask other students for a dollar in exchange for vacuuming their dorm rooms. This activity works, obviously, if the school has huge dorm halls.

Another similar activity is the labor auction or sale for members of the faculty. For a few dollars, a professor or any member of the faculty can have a student work for them. This works just like the usual celebrity fundraisers, where one can spend a day with popular personalities through winning the auction.

Everyone Likes Food

Of course, another basic human need is food, and what better way to collect funds than to use this need. College fundraisers can collaborate with various local food establishments such as restaurants, cafes, bars, and ice cream shops. This college fundraiser can work in various ways.

The establishments can opt to give a percent of their earnings for every customer the fundraisers bring in, or they can give a percent for every purchase of a particular item in their menu. Either way, both fundraisers work because they require minimal cash-outs.

For the “clean for a Buck,” the fundraisers will only need vacuum cleaners, which they can easily borrow from various individuals, while the fundraisers merely have to collaborate with the local establishments. With no capital invested, any amount of money garnered from the college fundraiser is sure to become revenue for the event.

The university fund raisers can also use other common ideas such as pizza fundraisers and discount card fundraisers, although they have make to sure the ideas can still appeal to the more mature market. But regardless of the difficulties, the university fundraisers are indeed fulfilling tasks to accomplish.

Jessi McCafferty asked:


There are times when you cannot organize the fundraising event by yourself. This can be due to a number of reasons - you do not have the funds, you do not have the resources, you do not have the skills to organize such big scale event, your do not have good fundraising events ideas for the event, among other reasons. Fortunately, you can hire a professional fundraiser to help you organize your fundraising event. But is it really wise to hire a professional fundraiser? Or should you do it on your own?

What Is a Professional Fundraiser?

A professional fundraiser can be a company or an individual which or who you will hire to do some of the organizing for your fundraiser events. Their services and their rates vary, as well as the terms for payment. The usual term for paying a professional fundraiser is by paying a pre-set amount. The professional fundraiser will then provide with the tools and materials, or the items that will be used for your fundraising events.

Besides the fact that the professional fundraiser does most of the handiwork for the fundraising event, one of the main advantages of this service is that it can used by organizations and individuals who do not have funds for the endeavor. This is possible for a number of reasons. First, you can use a pre-order type of fundraising event - people order and pay for items, then you give them items after a few days. The professional fundraiser will give you catalogs, which will be used so the people can choose which item to buy. Both you and the professional fundraiser will get a cut from the revenue. Another method is through paying the professional fundraiser a certain percentage of the fundraising event’s revenue. The percentage can be discussed with the professional. This delayed form of payment works best especially for those who need to hold the fundraising events but do not have the cash.

Why Would I Not Want to Hire a Professional?

Of course, hiring a professional fundraiser can have a number of setbacks. For one, the delayed payment can cut a significant amount of revenue from your endeavor. This means you really have to make the effort to make the fundraising event a success-and earn a huge sum of money. Otherwise, you will be left with only a few dollars for your efforts.

Control can also be an issue here. After all, the service of professional fundraisers is limited to a certain extent. While their services for fundraising events are effective if done properly, they may not be what you have in mind. Hence, you will have to settle with what they have to offer.

The Decision is Yours

So with these advantages and disadvantages, you should now be able to decide if you will hire a professional fundraiser for your fundraising events. Of course, it cannot be denied their services are convenient-a great alternative if you are running out of fundraising events ideas.