Tips for successful school fundraising

Select a Coordinator to be responsible for communication between your group and The Discount Card, (TDC). It is also helpful to provide TDC with a cell phone number as well as an email address.
Beginning School Fundraisers
When beginning your school fundraising (or fundraising for any type of group), start the card sale preparation as early as 4 to 6 weeks ahead of your sale date. If we are tasked with securing the businesses for your card this will give you time to make preparations to market and be ready to sell your cards as soon as they arrive. If you are securing your own discount partners, be sure to do your planning concurrently.
Appoint a chairman
Appoint a chairman to coordinate different functions of the sale. Involve parents, members, students, etc., into as many areas of the process as you can in order to keep the individual workload light. Stir up enthusiasm and excitement. Follow the leader always works. They will only be as excited as you are, so keep it upbeat! Help them feel involved in the success of the program.
Create competition
Create competition by setting up a contest. Kids as well as adults love a challenge. Award prizes or offer incentives for the highest card sales by an individual or organized teams. Many businesses who did not participate as a sponsor on your card may be willing to make a onetime donation which can be used as an award. Not only will this provide your group with a valuable prize but perhaps this business will want to actually be on your card next year.
Organize your Sale
Organize your Sale as an event using a "kick-off"! If you are part of a school, announce your kick-off on the intercom system or have a special gathering in the gym or auditorium and let everyone know about the contest and prizes. If your group is part of a church put on a skit during the announcement segment to promote your card sale and have the kids take orders or sell cards in the foyer as people leave. You can even advertise that you are having your kick-off at one of your Card's discount partner’s locations. Check out your local radio station for the possibility of booking them for a free live remote.
Advertise your sale
Advertise your sale with posters that include a copy of your Discount Card and information about your school fundraising goals. You can receive a print ready proof of your card by email for making promotional material. Place a poster advertising your Discount Card in the window of each business that is participating on your card. Use your group's “Man Power” to spread your posters around your area for promotion. Make sure that they always have permission, since you are trying to foster community support.

Use Social Media
Social media is changing traditional marketing in many ways and it has become increasingly important for the businesses to engage with customers using social media and listen to them and then react accordingly before starting promotions and sales. It will be very important to market your fundraiser by using social media (facebook, twitter, etc.) especially if you have schools involved (the youth). The youth of today is more willing to get involved in the project if social media forms part of your marketing strategy. Here are the most important benefits of using social media:
1. Online reputation management
2. Viral Marketing (Word of mouth)
3. Real-time customer engagement
4. Humanizing brand (brand awareness and perception)
5. Improved customer service
We specialize in social media and have all the capabilities to enforce a potent social media campaign for your fundraiser
Advertise in your local newspaper
Advertise in your local newspaper, school paper, church bulletin, local internet announcements, etc. If your group is a non-profit organization or part of a community school, youth group, etc; it is possible for the newspaper to provide you with free ad space in their community news section or church section. Call your local Newspaper for more info.
Recruit a Sales Chairman
Recruit a Sales Chairman to head up the fundraising event sales process. Keep a paper trail - When you sign out cards, get each person's name, address, phone number, and number of cards. The chairman can keep in touch with those who are selling cards. They can monitor how successful each person is and provide motivation when needed. Be sure to point out to your sales people that "One card is good for only one person, not the entire family. You will need to sell 4 cards to a family of 4 in order for each person to get the discount". This can account for a significantly higher selling rate. (A 4 member family will need 4 cards). You can even give a discount if someone buys more than 1 card as an incentive.
Businesses will allow your group to set up tables outside their entrances to sell cards as their customers come & go. If you have kids involved in your group, let them be the ones to make the "sales pitch". It's harder to tell them no.
Be the first fundraiser of the year in January
Be the first fundraiser of the year in January, or the first fundraiser of the school year in August or September! Fresh customers are more agreeable to support your group. The more people are approached for donations the less likely they are to contribute, no matter what the benefit.
Utilize parents, students, members etc.
Utilize parents, students, members etc., and their places of employment, clubs & group meetings to help market your cards to the widest audience possible. Banks, offices, (real estate, insurance, car dealers, etc.) college campuses, civic clubs etc. are good target markets. Many people are eager to help with school fundraising or any type of event and it is easier to make a sale than some think.
Top Ten Fundraising Tips
Follow these tips for a successful fundraiser

  1. Whether it's school fundraising, church or Mosque fundraising, or any fundraising event - be sure to stir up enthusiasm and excitement by telling people about your fundraiser ideas.
  2. Involve others from the very beginning - such as parents, if applicable. Help the Parents feel important and needed.
  3. Advertise with posters, newspapers, social media etc. Have posters made of your Discount Card. Place a poster advertising your Discount Card in the window of each business that is on your card. Follow the leader always works. Everyone involved will only be as excited as you are.
  4. Be early.
  5. Award prizes and offer incentives for the sale of the Discount Cards. Many of these can be donated.
  6. Recruit a coordinator to head up your school fundraiser (or any fundraising event). This person can keep in touch with those who are selling and find out how they are doing. For example: find out if they need more cards or if they need to turn in the ones they already have.
  7. Create competition. Kids and adults love a challenge.
  8. Keep a paper trail. When you sign out cards get each person's name, address, phone number, and number of cards.
  9. One card is good for only one person, not for the entire family - you sell more cards this way. Emphasize this to your group. (A 4 member family will need 4 cards).
  10. Be the first to take up this unique offer!

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