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Fundraising…so many choices, so much to do! How do you know which fundraiser to choose for your group or charitable cause? Here’s a quick run-down on types of fundraisers including pros and cons to help you decide.

Discount Cards, Entertainment Coupon Books, Scratch-off Cards, and “Spinners”

Pros: A profit margin of 90 to 100%. Easy for younger participants to understand and use.

Cons: You usually have to pre-purchase the cards or books and estimate how many your group will sell. Reputable fundraising companies will allow returns of some un-sold items, but you could be left holding the bag if you have too many leftovers. These are popular fundraisers — everyone else may be doing the same fundraiser! You might want to explore options for a more unique fundraising event.

Events: Car Washes, Bake Sales & Festivals

Pros: Events like car washes create a sense of community among participating members of the group.

Cons: Organizing and staffing a festival usually puts most of the work onto the shoulders of a few volunteers. Not everyone gets involved. All event fundraising requires very hard work, long hours, many volunteers and a minimal return on your investment.

Catalog Sales

Pros: Limited upfront fees. You may incur some expenses associated with the launch of your fundraising program like printing information letters and maybe postage for the catalogs. These events are fairly easy for younger participants to understand and often have awards for the kids built into the profit structure.

Cons: Catalogs aren’t a unique fundraiser and many other groups will be using the same catalog. Often the items sold are not of good quality and will end up in the landfill. The catalogs also don’t change from year to year and your donors will tire of the same old stuff every year. If your fundraising team is engaged and invested in the group or cause, prizes and awards might not add value and will diminish profits.

Raffles & Silent Auctions

Pros: If high value items are raffled or auctioned, they will generate a lot of excitement and be very profitable for your organization.

Cons: This type of event requires a huge amount of organizational and promotional work. Depending upon the format you choose, you may also have to find a site for the event and handle set-up and take-down tasks. In addition, this kind of event requires volunteers to solicit donations for the raffle or the auction. In addition the solicitation for items may be difficult for youth or younger children to handle.

Product Fundraisers (magazine subscriptions, candles, cookie dough, gourmet items, wrapping paper)

Pros: This type of fundraiser makes good use of your organization’s members and their personal and professional networks to promote the products. Since door-to-door sales for fundraising are usually discouraged by schools and youth organizations, networking is a key to a successful event. A product fundraiser requires less up-front planning work for group leaders and can be completed quickly. Some fundraising companies provide on-line event management tools and the opportunity for recurring revenue.

Cons: Many organizations, schools, clubs, and charities are using this type of fundraiser. Be sure you do your research and find a high quality, unique product line and schedule your event when other groups aren’t actively fundraising. Profit margins and the quality of products will vary widely between fundraising programs. If possible, check out samples or get references before you try a new fundraising program or company.

Once you’ve chosen the best type of fundraiser for your group, you can research which fundraising program and/or company will provide the best service to meet your needs. If you’ve decided upon a catalog or product fundraiser, here are some key criteria you should consider when choosing a vendor for your fundraising event:

* Look for high-quality, desirable items that people use every day. Don’t sell items that will gather dust or get shoved into a closet. If you decide to sell consumable products like coffee, chocolate, or cookie dough, don’t settle for “just OK.” Look for the best and don’t settle for less! Your donors won’t be inclined to repeat their purchase next year if they end up with junk this year! * Your vendor should provide individual support from start-to-finish. If you need assistance or have questions, make sure the vendor will be there for you.

* Some vendors have customizable programs. These custom options can include services like putting a custom label on items your group sells or developing a customized product subset for your group. If one of the vendors offers chocolate, tea, and coffee, will they also offer a custom gift package for your group? A custom gift package with your logo on the label can significantly increase sales and profits for your team. * Ask how your items are shipped at the end of your event. Will the products require refrigeration or freezing? Will you need a large storage and sorting space? Ideally, your items should come pre-sorted so they can be easily distributed to each of your volunteers for delivery to customers. * Finally, does the vendor make use of on-line tools to make your fundraising event easier to run and easier to replicate in the future? Do they provide an option for recurring revenue? Several companies can provide you with online order entry tools that will let you keep records of what was sold and to whom. This feature will make it easier in the future to get repeat sales from donors. In addition, some programs provide an online store-front for your group which allows you to sell products and make money even after your official event has concluded.

If you take the time to choose the appropriate fundraiser and vendor for your group, your success is guaranteed!