Helpful Tips to Maximize Your Fundraising Efforts

95% Fundraiser Project: Part Three

Step 1) Set Goals:

In fundraising, the first thing you need to do is set your goal.

How much do you want to raise? Or how much do you need to raise? What will you use the money for? When do you need the money by?

How much money does your group need to raise?
When do you need the money you are raising?
How many participants will be involved with your fundraiser?
When are you planning on starting the fundraiser?
Do you have a volunteer base to help with the fundraiser?
How important is the ease of administration?
Have you held fundraisers before? How would you rate their success?

Once you determine your fundraising goals, maximize your fundraising opportunity by telling EVERYONE about them! Tell your members. Tell your organization's officers. Tell your supporters. Tell the community. You'll generate more support and motivate your sellers.


Step 2) Choose a Fearless Leader...

When choosing a person to be the director of your fundraiser, look for a cheerleader.

Choose the person that's going to be excited about the products and prizes. A person who can motivate the members is going to be your #1 asset. Of course your leader should also be organized.

It does take time to keep the products and money organized, and Profit Potentials offers tools and advice to make it as easy as possible.


Step 3) Business Sense

Your fundraiser will go smoothly if you assign at least two people who are experienced and comfortable with handling money. Appoint one to serve as treasurer; the other as fundraising leader.

Both should be present when counting the money that has been collected. Both should sign all requests for money using a numbered receipt book for all cash disbursements. Accurate records of all money collected are necessary.

Deposit money in a timely manner-preferably daily. In between bank deposits, make arrangements to keep money under lock and key.

Profit Potentials gives your group free record keeping charts so you have an organized way of keeping track of all product distributed and money collected by each memeber.

(Source: The Fundraising Edge, Association of Fund Raisers and Direct Sellers.)

Set your objective: The objective you set for your group should include a financial goal. It is always best if for fundraiser addresses a specific purpose. For example, your objective could be to raise $6,000 for playground equipment. Supporters are more likely to support a specific purposed fundraiser than one just raising money costs to the Annual Band Competition.

Set your deadline: We strongly suggest your fundraiser lasts a maximum of 1-3 weeks. We believe than fundraisers that last less than one week will not give participants adequate time and those longer than three weeks remove any sense of urgency.

Review your group's makeup: Think about how many of your group members will be participating in the fundraiser. It will help you organize a selling strategy.

Motivate the group: It is important to maintain close and constant contact with your group members, and to motivate and encourage them constantly. The most successful fundraisers are those in which the participants receive some direct benefit from the fundraiser. Benefits include not only the purpose of the fundraiser but also incentives to perform well in the fundraising effort.


Step 4) Managing your group's fundraiser

Delivery: Once you have placed your order, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of additional DVDs.

Money collection: If you are holding a pre-sell or brochure fundraiser, participants should collect money when they take the order. If supporters want to pay for their merchandise with checks, make sure those checks are made payable to your group, not the Bible Stamp Club. For direct sales, your participants should collect the money when they give out the products.

Tallying and packing orders: It is a good idea to solicit volunteers in advance to help with these tasks. Appoint a chairperson to oversee and coordinate these activities. The chairperson and each participant should ALWAYS check and double-check orders for errors.

Step 5) Should I offer incentive prizes?

Do I offer incentive prizes: It is very important for fundraising participants to benefit from the fundraiser. You probably do not need to offer separate prizes for a group raising money for a trip or for tournament costs. However, larger church-wide type fundraisers usually benefit from prize incentives.

Best-seller prizes: Offer a DVD prize to the individual who raises the most money, or sells the most units.

Draw prizes: Every participant who sells a pre-determined minimum amount is entered into a drawing for cash prizes or other DVD merchandise.

Step 6) Here are some tips for your participants:

When talking to a potential supporter, you may want to say:


"Hello, my name is ________________,
and I'm raising money for _______________.
Would you like to support our group by
purchasing ________________?
We could really use your help.



List as many potential supporters as you can before you begin approaching people for support. Consider family, friends, neighbors and other people whom you feel would be interested in your cause.

Know why your group is holding the fundraiser be sure to tell potential supporters.

Smile, be polite and most importantly, be enthusiastic about your cause.

If possible, always carry your fundraising products or materials with you.