Are you currently stuck doing a fundraiser? I don’t think there’s anyone in this world who likes to fundraise. The beginning idea of it is fun (pun intended)–you have big hopes and dreams of all the cash you’ll be bringing in for your group. Then a couple days roll by, you find yourself NOT bringing in as much as you thought, and suddenly you find your enthusiasm quickly getting killed by the doors slammed in your face.
Trust me, we’ve all been there.
There are tools out there that will alleviate your fundraising pains this year. Thanks to improvements and technologies and some innovative ideas, fundraising is getting easier than ever and bringing in more cash than ever.
Below are your top 5 tips on improving your fundraising game!
- Check out Flex Fundraising for your fundraising needs
The best way you can solve all of your fundraising problems is to simply switch to a company that knows fundraising better than anyone else! Flex Fundraising is the new and innovative service that makes fundraising easier than ever. You’ll earn more, keep more, and do less than you ever have.
I would highly suggest this option if you’re sick of getting little return for all the work you and your teammates are putting in. Flex gives you the flexibility to sell whatever you want and not be limited to what you can and can’t take. Cash donations? Perfect. Swag? Got it. A thousand homemade chocolate chip cookies that you want donors to enjoy? For sure.
Plus, they’ve figured out how to get you your biggest return without needing to leave the house or stand awkwardly in front of a grocery store peddling those awful chocolate bars for $5 each.
Partnering with Flex Fundraising is free, simple, and will get you the most money you’ve yet to raise. Plus, it’ll make following the next four steps much easier.
- Make a SMART goal and stick with it
You know SMART goals, right? Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and with a time frame. Setting a goal like this will give you a clear vision of what you want to do. Create a goal as a unit that will encourage teammates to work hard but not feel like the task is too daunting to realistically reach.
The nice thing about fundraising is that the massive number you’ll set as your overall goal can easily be broken down to give everyone a realistic amount of money to raise. Each teammate can have a small goal to raise a couple hundred dollars, which will naturally contribute to the whole.
Check out Forbes’ article on why athletes that succeed are those who use SMART goals.
- Ditch the door to door method–use that smart phone
Door to door may be the oldest technique when it comes to raising money. Not many people want to be disturbed in their own home from some kid going door to door asking if they want to buy a $20 coupon book. It takes a ton of time, it’s hard to track where everyone in your team has been, and it has the worst ROI.
Instead, use that smart phone of yours and send out some texts about the fundraiser. Texting or emailing allows people the flexibility to donate or not without the added stress that comes from donations. I believe that people are more understanding this way as it feels less invasive. Teammates can text their friends, coworkers, neighbors, share on facebook pages, etc.
- Have a cash option
Do you remember the last time you gave that kid at your door $20 for that coupon book? You may think that they received most if not all of your generous donation, but in reality, only $10 made it back to the school. Plus, that coupon book is now a chore to the donor, and they feel like they have to use it to get their money’s worth. It’s a whole thing.
Having an option to simply donate cash is a great way to allow people to contribute totally to the school, which might be the only thing they want.
This adds some greater flexibility as well, allowing donors to name the price they want to donate. Some may reach well above what you would ask for in a set amount, which is a win for everybody!
- Have a reward during and after the fundraiser
No matter what age group you’re working with, it’s always a good idea to have incentives and rewards during the journey. This will help with burnout and keep people from forgetting about the fundraiser altogether!
When I was a kid doing a fundraiser, we were told that if we raised a certain amount of money over the weekend, we wouldn’t have to do conditioning for a couple days. That was incredible motivation to a bunch of kids who don’t want to do sprints after practice. We hit our goal with no problem.
Incentives can be wide ranging. You can skip out on conditioning, have people enter for a raffle, let your teammates throw a pie in your face, etc. Little rewards go a long way and keep people interested in the fundraiser.
Use these tips to get the most out of your future fundraisers, and be sure to use Flex Fundraising for your fundraising needs!
