Three Ways to Boost Sales with a School Fundraiser
The sad fact of the matter is that public schools in the United States do not have adequate funding. In fact, when it comes to funding school activities such as trips, athletic teams, and some special assemblies, at least 34 states gave less money per student in their public schools than they did before the Great Recession hit.
According to a 2007 survey from the National Association of Elementary School Principals, 64 percent of principals would do away with fundraisers altogether if they could, but they can’t. Their schools simply need the money too badly. As it stands, 76 percent of schools hold up to five fundraisers a year for different activities or curriculum needs, and 20 percent hold five to ten per year.
If your local school is looking for promotional school items to sell for an upcoming fundraiser, there are a few things you might want to consider before you barrel straight ahead into the promotional school items universe. Here are three ways to optimize your school fundraiser and boost sales with fundraising apparel and school pride clothing.
Rally your base
Let’s say you are raising funds for your school’s lacrosse team. The first thing you need to do is get the players on the team committed to the fundraiser. Your players are the reason for the fundraiser in the first place. The more excited and committed they are to having it succeed, the better off it will be in the end. The excitement and enthusiasm that can come from a group of young people focused on a specific purpose can be truly amazing. Get your base pumped up and success is on your way.
Widen that base
Once your immediate base is committed and onboard, it is time to widen that base. So, taking the lacrosse team example a little further, it is now time to get parents, siblings, and relatives involved. Almost always, parents will be big supporters of a fundraising effort surrounding promotional school items, but it doesn’t have to end there.
Get the word out via social media, via email, via word of mouth. Anything you can do to widen the base of potential customers will ultimately increase sales. Counting on the parents of players is not a guarantee of sales and cannot be the sole means of bringing in the kind of money your team will need.
Sharing the excitement with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone else you can think of will widen your base for potential funds. Nearly three-quarters of parents have said they have sold promotional school items or other fundraising products to friends, family, and coworkers. It just makes sense.
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3.) Get quality apparel products
This is probably the most important thing to do with any type of fundraiser where a donor is receiving something for their donation. Whether you are selling team sports apparel, school spirit gear, or custom company apparel, make sure you are giving something of real value and quality. The items are a thank you to those who are giving to your team, organization, or cause.
Unfortunately, schools and school-related activities are desperately underfunded. This means that teams, clubs, and organizations have to do a good deal of fundraising if they want to keep doing the activities they love. If you find yourself in a situation where you need a fundraiser and want to sell certain items, make sure you rally your base, widen that base as much as possible, and, most importantly, give quality promotional materials in exchange for donations. The next time you hold a fundraiser, the better off you and your organization will be.