Fundraiser Tips to help you get started with your next fundraiser
By Tereasa McKee
Cookie Lee Jewelry Consultant
www.tereasamckee.com
Would you like new customers and more business? Would you like to help your community? A fundraiser is the answer. Finding a fundraiser can be difficult but not impossible. Start by making a list of everyone you know in Churches, Sports Activities, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, Special Olympics, Schools, etc. Having an “in” with someone already established in the organization will make a big difference when you pitch your fundraiser.
The worse way to get a fundraiser is to mail your “pitch” letter and cross your fingers that they call you or to call the organization and pitch it to someone you have never met.
The BEST way to get a fundraiser is to think of everyone you know in different organizations and let them know how you can help them. These people will give you a name to contact regarding raising funds for their organization.
Ideas: Schools – if you have kids in school start there. Talk with your kid’s teachers and tell them you want to help raise money with an easy fundraiser. Usually you will need to pitch or present your idea at a PTA meeting. But once you are approved they will keep you year after year especially if you’ve done your homework and the fundraiser is a success.
• Elementary school 5th or 6th graders attend Outdoor Education Camp. The cost is about $300 per student.
•Middle Schools usually have a field trip planned to another State, like Washington DC.
The cost is about $1,000 per student.
•High Schools usually have a trip planned to another Country. The cost is about $3,000 - $5,000
per student. Talk to the foreign language teachers. One of my sons was taking Chinese and the class went to China!
•Sports always need funds!
Before you pitch or present your idea make sure you are completely prepared. The more prepared you are the better your chances are to get a fundraiser. This guide will assist you. Practice your pitch or talk that you will give to the PTA many times so it sounds natural and easy. Make sure your presentation or pitch information” looks” and “sounds” professional. I recommend putting your presentation handouts in a nice folder. Cookie Lee has beautiful folders with our Logo. Create 10-20 presentation folders to pass out at the PTA meeting so they the people attending can review the materials as you are talking. Especially the people who make decisions! Principal, Secretary, PTA President, etc. Don’t underestimate a Lead Custodian or PE Coach. With schools, often the most unlikely person is the one who influences a Principals approval signature.
What to put in your folder;
1. Fundraiser Guidelines
2. Instruction Sheet or Welcome Letter that will go home with students
3. Catalog showing your beautiful and affordable Cookie Lee jewelry
4. Order Forms
1. The Fundraiser Guidelines - this letter is given to the Principal and PTA President – the decision makers. It shows detailed information about your fundraiser. This sheet should include the percentage of profit the school or organization will earn. Be very clear when stating what the school will earn. You do NOT want an unhappy fundraiser! 30%-40% of your profit is a good rule of thumb.
Try to include the following information;
• % of profit school will earn – be very clear.
• Start Date and Close Date of fundraiser.
I have an example on my website; www.tereasamckee.com Click on Resources – Fundraiser.
2. Instruction Sheet or Welcome Letter – this letter goes home with the students explaining your fundraiser to parents. You want to keep this very simple. Paste the Information Sheet to the outside of the manila envelope that the child will put their orders and payments in.
Try to include the following information;
• How many orders you want each child to collect. I suggest 5 orders.
• When you want orders turned in.
• Where the child can pick up extra catalogs.
• Detailed Information regarding how customers will pay.
Try to include the following information regarding payment;
• Name of person they will write checks to.
• Tax and Shipping charges information. I include a Tax Chart that is very general. I created this in Excel with $5 incremental orders. To offset Shipping charges I charge a flat $1.00 fee, which I include on the Order Form I create.
• Who will be expected to deliver products. Will the child deliver, will you deliver or will parents pick up products from school? If at all possible leave the parents out of the delivery process. Sometimes I have the child take the separated customer orders home for delivery and sometimes I deliver. It depends on what you can handle but keep in mind if you deliver the product you will ignite a relationship with a new customer and possibly get a Home Show out of the visit if you offer something from your product line free.
3. Catalog – its up to you how many to include. 1-3 catalogs are plenty.
4. Order Forms – include as much information as possible on your order form. I create my own order forms when doing fundraisers to include additional information or you can have some printed up from a print shop or use you own.
Try to include the following information;
• Name of school or organization.
• Fundraiser goals – Example; “Outdoors 5th grade Camp” or “Trip to China”.
• Orders are due.
Studies have shown that running a fundraiser for longer than 2 weeks is too long. It gets forgotten. Try to run your fundraiser through 1-2 weekends and about 12 days.
• Customers Name, Address, Phone # as well as email address
• Childs Name, Teacher name and Room # at school – I include this information on the order forms created. I print out 10 order forms with each student’s information on them.
• Check or Credit Card I try not to allow cash. Sometimes I include a Pay Pal option. It’s Free for you to setup.
• Name of who customers will write checks out to. I prefer checks made out to me but some consultants suggest checks written to organization.
• Your name, phone #, email address
• And finally have a box they can check to be on your mailing list.
Labels – to make your fundraiser easier and organized print out labels. The school secretary can provide you with information on students that you can save to a disk and print as needed.
Here is what you will need;
• Student Name (First and Last Name)
• Teacher Name, Room #, and Grade
• Parents Name, Address, Phone numbers (it is best to get home and cell phones).
Using just the top 2 areas print out enough labels including the Students Name, Teacher Name, Room #, and Grade to put on each students manila envelope top corner for easy viewing and if you prefer on the Order Forms that go home with students. Because I am already printing out my own Order Forms I include the information for each student. It saves on ink and labels costs.
Rewards – It’s easy to give out great rewards if you get donations from stores. I give rewards to the Top Seller in each Grade and to Mom; after all she does all the work! For every 5 orders collected I let mom pick out a piece of jewelry of her choice at 50% off. This costs me nothing to do and puts a smile on mom.
Collecting Orders – Have a bigger manila envelope in each class hanging somewhere visible with BIG BOLD LETTERS saying your “Please Put your Fundraiser Orders Here”. By the door works well because I go in every few days and collect orders so I can begin processing payments and I don’t want to disturb the class. If orders are turned in after the close date of your fundraiser – process them! That’s a new customer or more!
Information Documentation - You will need to create 2 Excel Spreadsheets with information that you will give to the school when your fundraiser is complete. You will need this information for yourself as well for your taxes and customer information.
Your first Excel spreadsheet will provide the school with each students name and each individual order placed.
The second Excel spreadsheet will be created showing your expenses. This is especially important if your expenses will be deducted from the profit before giving to the school. I do not recommend doing that. I give my expense spreadsheet to the school so they are aware of my expenses know but I do not take these expenses away from their profit.
Processing the orders - this will be one of the biggest parts of your fundraising efforts. Cookie Lee provides us with a Sort Sheet that we can print out and put a tally mark by each jewelry item number ordered. If you don’t have a tally sheet provided create one. Before placing your order double check it to make sure you are correct.
Bagging the Orders for Delivery – Once you receive your order you will begin the funniest part of bagging each individual order for your New Customers!
Items to include in each bag;
• The jewelry they ordered.
• A copy of their order form.
• A thank you note with your business card and a catalog.
Delivery - Depends on how you decide to handle delivery. I prefer to deliver myself because I can make sure my new customer received items ordered and I can “up sell” more fabulous jewelry and hopefully get a Home Show by offering something free or hugely discounted. Cookie Lee gives Consultants items from her Outlet at 60% - 95% off! These are great items to use for incentives!
If you decide to have students deliver have each customers order indivually bagged and have all orders the student collected in 1 bag with Students Name, Teacher Name, and Room # on the front. Include your information as well in case the parent or customer needs to contact you.
Put all Student collected orders from a specific Class in a box. Deliver these to each classroom.
Notes:
Be sure to write a check to the school for their earnings as soon as possible. Before delivering if at all possible. Include the 2 spreadsheets of your expenses and student orders collects for their records. Give them a special thank you card and plant for the school office for letting you help their school.
Now begin putting your New Customer email addresses in your Contact List to send out your monthly Sales Newsletters!
Make sure in your “Pitch” that you tell the PTA that you and your team will do ALL the work so they can focus their energy on other areas. Often the parents and PTA are more involved with school fundraisers than they anticipated so telling them off the get go that you do ALL the work will often get you the fundraiser.
Donations – try to get donations not only for your rewards to students if you decide to do that but also for your supplies such as printer ink, staples, labels, paper, manila envelopes, anything you will be using for your fundraiser. If you don’t get many donations don’t worry you will have more to write-off at tax time!
CLICK HERE for example Fundraiser Guidelines, Order Form and more!
By Tereasa McKee
Cookie Lee Jewelry Consultant
www.tereasamckee.com
Would you like new customers and more business? Would you like to help your community? A fundraiser is the answer. Finding a fundraiser can be difficult but not impossible. Start by making a list of everyone you know in Churches, Sports Activities, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, Special Olympics, Schools, etc. Having an “in” with someone already established in the organization will make a big difference when you pitch your fundraiser.
The worse way to get a fundraiser is to mail your “pitch” letter and cross your fingers that they call you or to call the organization and pitch it to someone you have never met.
The BEST way to get a fundraiser is to think of everyone you know in different organizations and let them know how you can help them. These people will give you a name to contact regarding raising funds for their organization.
Ideas: Schools – if you have kids in school start there. Talk with your kid’s teachers and tell them you want to help raise money with an easy fundraiser. Usually you will need to pitch or present your idea at a PTA meeting. But once you are approved they will keep you year after year especially if you’ve done your homework and the fundraiser is a success.
• Elementary school 5th or 6th graders attend Outdoor Education Camp. The cost is about $300 per student.
•Middle Schools usually have a field trip planned to another State, like Washington DC.
The cost is about $1,000 per student.
•High Schools usually have a trip planned to another Country. The cost is about $3,000 - $5,000
per student. Talk to the foreign language teachers. One of my sons was taking Chinese and the class went to China!
•Sports always need funds!
Before you pitch or present your idea make sure you are completely prepared. The more prepared you are the better your chances are to get a fundraiser. This guide will assist you. Practice your pitch or talk that you will give to the PTA many times so it sounds natural and easy. Make sure your presentation or pitch information” looks” and “sounds” professional. I recommend putting your presentation handouts in a nice folder. Cookie Lee has beautiful folders with our Logo. Create 10-20 presentation folders to pass out at the PTA meeting so they the people attending can review the materials as you are talking. Especially the people who make decisions! Principal, Secretary, PTA President, etc. Don’t underestimate a Lead Custodian or PE Coach. With schools, often the most unlikely person is the one who influences a Principals approval signature.
What to put in your folder;
1. Fundraiser Guidelines
2. Instruction Sheet or Welcome Letter that will go home with students
3. Catalog showing your beautiful and affordable Cookie Lee jewelry
4. Order Forms
1. The Fundraiser Guidelines - this letter is given to the Principal and PTA President – the decision makers. It shows detailed information about your fundraiser. This sheet should include the percentage of profit the school or organization will earn. Be very clear when stating what the school will earn. You do NOT want an unhappy fundraiser! 30%-40% of your profit is a good rule of thumb.
Try to include the following information;
• % of profit school will earn – be very clear.
• Start Date and Close Date of fundraiser.
I have an example on my website; www.tereasamckee.com Click on Resources – Fundraiser.
2. Instruction Sheet or Welcome Letter – this letter goes home with the students explaining your fundraiser to parents. You want to keep this very simple. Paste the Information Sheet to the outside of the manila envelope that the child will put their orders and payments in.
Try to include the following information;
• How many orders you want each child to collect. I suggest 5 orders.
• When you want orders turned in.
• Where the child can pick up extra catalogs.
• Detailed Information regarding how customers will pay.
Try to include the following information regarding payment;
• Name of person they will write checks to.
• Tax and Shipping charges information. I include a Tax Chart that is very general. I created this in Excel with $5 incremental orders. To offset Shipping charges I charge a flat $1.00 fee, which I include on the Order Form I create.
• Who will be expected to deliver products. Will the child deliver, will you deliver or will parents pick up products from school? If at all possible leave the parents out of the delivery process. Sometimes I have the child take the separated customer orders home for delivery and sometimes I deliver. It depends on what you can handle but keep in mind if you deliver the product you will ignite a relationship with a new customer and possibly get a Home Show out of the visit if you offer something from your product line free.
3. Catalog – its up to you how many to include. 1-3 catalogs are plenty.
4. Order Forms – include as much information as possible on your order form. I create my own order forms when doing fundraisers to include additional information or you can have some printed up from a print shop or use you own.
Try to include the following information;
• Name of school or organization.
• Fundraiser goals – Example; “Outdoors 5th grade Camp” or “Trip to China”.
• Orders are due
Studies have shown that running a fundraiser for longer than 2 weeks is too long. It gets forgotten. Try to run your fundraiser through 1-2 weekends and about 12 days.
• Customers Name, Address, Phone # as well as email address
• Childs Name, Teacher name and Room # at school – I include this information on the order forms created. I print out 10 order forms with each student’s information on them.
• Check or Credit Card I try not to allow cash. Sometimes I include a Pay Pal option. It’s Free for you to setup.
• Name of who customers will write checks out to. I prefer checks made out to me but some consultants suggest checks written to organization.
• Your name, phone #, email address
• And finally have a box they can check to be on your mailing list.
Labels – to make your fundraiser easier and organized print out labels. The school secretary can provide you with information on students that you can save to a disk and print as needed.
Here is what you will need;
• Student Name (First and Last Name)
• Teacher Name, Room #, and Grade
• Parents Name, Address, Phone numbers (it is best to get home and cell phones).
Using just the top 2 areas print out enough labels including the Students Name, Teacher Name, Room #, and Grade to put on each students manila envelope top corner for easy viewing and if you prefer on the Order Forms that go home with students. Because I am already printing out my own Order Forms I include the information for each student. It saves on ink and labels costs.
Rewards – It’s easy to give out great rewards if you get donations from stores. I give rewards to the Top Seller in each Grade and to Mom; after all she does all the work! For every 5 orders collected I let mom pick out a piece of jewelry of her choice at 50% off. This costs me nothing to do and puts a smile on mom.
Collecting Orders – Have a bigger manila envelope in each class hanging somewhere visible with BIG BOLD LETTERS saying your “Please Put your Fundraiser Orders Here”. By the door works well because I go in every few days and collect orders so I can begin processing payments and I don’t want to disturb the class. If orders are turned in after the close date of your fundraiser – process them! That’s a new customer or more!
Information Documentation - You will need to create 2 Excel Spreadsheets with information that you will give to the school when your fundraiser is complete. You will need this information for yourself as well for your taxes and customer information.
Your first Excel spreadsheet will provide the school with each students name and each individual order placed.
The second Excel spreadsheet will be created showing your expenses. This is especially important if your expenses will be deducted from the profit before giving to the school. I do not recommend doing that. I give my expense spreadsheet to the school so they are aware of my expenses know but I do not take these expenses away from their profit.
Processing the orders - this will be one of the biggest parts of your fundraising efforts. Cookie Lee provides us with a Sort Sheet that we can print out and put a tally mark by each jewelry item number ordered. If you don’t have a tally sheet provided create one. Before placing your order double check it to make sure you are correct.
Bagging the Orders for Delivery – Once you receive your order you will begin the funniest part of bagging each individual order for your New Customers!
Items to include in each bag;
• The jewelry they ordered.
• A copy of their order form.
• A thank you note with your business card and a catalog.
Delivery - Depends on how you decide to handle delivery. I prefer to deliver myself because I can make sure my new customer received items ordered and I can “up sell” more fabulous jewelry and hopefully get a Home Show by offering something free or hugely discounted. Cookie Lee gives Consultants items from her Outlet at 60% - 95% off! These are great items to use for incentives!
If you decide to have students deliver have each customers order indivually bagged and have all orders the student collected in 1 bag with Students Name, Teacher Name, and Room # on the front. Include your information as well in case the parent or customer needs to contact you.
Put all Student collected orders from a specific Class in a box. Deliver these to each classroom.
Notes:
Be sure to write a check to the school for their earnings as soon as possible. Before delivering if at all possible. Include the 2 spreadsheets of your expenses and student orders collects for their records. Give them a special thank you card and plant for the school office for letting you help their school.
Now begin putting your New Customer email addresses in your Contact List to send out your monthly Sales Newsletters!
Make sure in your “Pitch” that you tell the PTA that you and your team will do ALL the work so they can focus their energy on other areas. Often the parents and PTA are more involved with school fundraisers than they anticipated so telling them off the get go that you do ALL the work will often get you the fundraiser.
Donations – try to get donations not only for your rewards to students if you decide to do that but also for your supplies such as printer ink, staples, labels, paper, manila envelopes, anything you will be using for your fundraiser. If you don’t get many donations don’t worry you will have more to write-off at tax time!
CLICK HERE for example Fundraiser Guidelines, Order Form and more!
Fundraiser Tips
