Fundraising Fine Print

"If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is."



Sadly there are those who would prey on the volunteers running school fundraisers. Here are a few things to watch for in order to form realistic expectations for your fundraiser.



1. Will the person who is trying to convince you to work with their organization still be around when the project is running? Will they stick with you until all is done and final settlement is made?

2. Are you required to purchase in advance and risk miscalculating sales volume? Will they take back (at full value) all unsold inventory?

3. Will the children be required to go door-to-door in order to be successful?

4. How many staff and volunteer hours will be required to be successful? These are NOT free; there is an opportunity cost for this time.

5. Don't fall into a profit percentage trap. A smaller percentage with higher volume can net you more dollars. Couple that with fewer hours involved and you can run more frequent fundraisers without burning out your volunteers.

6. Beware of give-aways. You are doing this to make money. If you give away any of the product, you may drastically reduce profits.



Let me know if you have "learned from your experience" about other obstacles to successful and easy school fundraising.