So you have decided on fundraising discount cards, now what?

This article will give you a brief overview of what it will take to have a successful fundraising discount cards. You most likely will need detailed step by step instructions as you go through your campaign. For this reason it is absolutely vital to choose a company that continues customer service even after the cards are ordered. This brings us to the most important step, choosing a full service fundraising discount card company.

Choosing a full service fundraising discount cards company.
When choosing a card company for your fundraiser there are many items you will want to take into consideration. Most importantly; will the card company get the merchants for your fundraiser card or do they expect you to do the hard work? Getting the merchants takes a bit of skill, if you tried and the merchants aren’t popular or are not offering great deals then the value of the card won’t be as great. A company that SPECIALIZES in fundraising discount cards will be able to gain popular merchants in your area and negotiate great deals. This increases the value of the card and makes them easy to sell. Additionally, gaining the merchants takes a lot of time, between your regular life and volunteering your time, you have enough to do, so leave this up to the professionals. The quality and feel of the card is of utmost importance, a card made of credit card stock with your logo and colors will have a much greater value and will be easier to sell than a generic thin paper card would be. Additionally, make sure support does not end after the order is placed, whether this is your first fundraiser or you are a pro, the experts can give you great tips.

Selecting the optimal number of cards
With most companies you will be able to place quick reorders, this gives you the chance to be conservative with your numbers, but don’t be too cautious!  If you were to order 1,000 cards at $2 each your cost would be $2,000 and selling them would raise $8,000. This great but what if you could have sold 1,500 cards? If you had ordered 2,000 for $1.50 and you sold only 1300 your cost would have been $3,000 but your profit would have been $10,000, even throwing 700 cards in the garbage your group would have raised more funds. If you have a bunch of cards left you can always have a “secondary” campaign to raise even more. With large groups you will want to order 5 to 7 cards per participant (remember if there is a price break you might want to go over that a little). With a small group you can increase the numbers because you will be able to work more effectively towards a common goal. With a 15 person group the local grocer might let you sell cards at their entrance. Greater traffic means more sales.

Creating an incentive for greater sales
The children and parents must have a specific reason for the fundraiser.  “Just to raise money” does not give anyone a reason to put themselves out to sell the cards. However if the fundraiser is specifically to “get new uniforms” or “Pay transportation so the band can march in the Macy’s day parade or compete at Disney” or “buy a concession stand”, you will get much greater results. People want to be part of a cause. If Christopher Columbus had just wanted to go sailing, would he have gotten the funding for a trip that made him world famous? Secondly, motivate the participants by offering a prize, like a Wii or bike to the top seller. The better the prize, the greater the effort.  Think about it, if you could win a brand new car by selling the most Fundraising Discount Cards how much effort would you make? For obvious financial reasons the prize can not be a car. But what if the prize for your little league fundraiser was two tickets to a sold out professional base ball game? How motivated your peewee football team be if they were competing for an autographed football by an all-star from your local NFL team? Be original and work towards a prize that will be the most motivating to your group.

How to distribute the cards
If you have a registration or start to a season or an event where you collect money, the cards should be set up as a “pay to play” sort of situation where everyone pays for their cards in advance of selling them. With a “pay to play” set up you will want to give each person a reduced number of cards (5 is fair) as you do not want to prevent anyone from joining your organization because of the cost. You will want to offer the availability to take more cards without paying for them to try to win the top prize. However, you will want to limit the number of cards given out as extras to avoid fraud and underselling. Give them a number of times that they can turn money in for extra cards, then get more cards to sell. If your organization does not have a formal start or registration, like a church or highschool marching band or you just got a late start, you will want to distribute cards and set a specific date the money is required back in, again extra cards can be gained from turning in money from previous card sales. In general you do not want distribution of cards and money to go through many hands, there should be one or two people that are in charge and allowed to hand out cards and collect money. Don’t give out 100 cards to a coach to distribute to their team and collect the money. They signed up to coach or teach and they are already volunteering for your organization, additionally if they are not motivated or believe in “the cause” the results from that 100 cards will not be as great.

Tracking your progress
If cards are given out in a prepaid distribution (pay to play) you will not need to keep track of those particular cards, and the accounting of the money will be very easy, multiply the number of registrants times your required up front money. In a prepaid distribution tracking need be done ONLY on additional/extra cards. The person(s) in charge of the fundraiser or their assistant will want to track the number of cards that are out for which money has not been received and also the money that has been received. At the very least all remaining cards or money for the cards needs to be turned in before the set deadline. You will find on “turn in day” many will have “lost their cards” or “forgotten them at home” (the old, “dog ate my homework routine”) In these cases you should ask them to pay for the cards and reimburse themselves when they sell them, most people are ok with that, (Note: make sure not to push too hard as some might have some financial hardships). Even if they try to turn in unused cards, remind them of the importance of the fundraiser and the reason for it, then ask them to write a check for the $50 rather than turning in the 5 cards, then they can sell the cards and keep the money.

Fundraising discount cards can be a very easy and profitable way to raise funds for your organization. Once you have a system in place, with help from your card provider, it will run smoothly. You may even decide to swear off other types of fundraisers for your organization.

Mark South
http://www.easyfundraisingcards.com

About the Author
I started in fundraising as a reluctant volunteer for a small soccer organization in Florida, now fundraising has become a way of life for me

Some of the common methods used to raise money are candy and jerky sales, catalog sales and candles. While these do work, they do not provide continued value. Fundraising discount cards allow the user to save many times the price of the card. When you offer discounts and savings for as many as fifteen merchants in your area, those who buy will use the card over and over. Because of the value, selling fundraising discount cards is even easier than selling goods that are consumed. People want to perceive value in any purchase they make, especially in light of the economy.

When you decide it is time for your group to raise money, you need to provide a specific cause to potential buyers. People are much more apt to buy fundraising discount cards if they feel they are contributing to a good cause. You will want to inform prospective buyers that the money is going to be used for new band instruments, summer youth camp, or whatever your purpose is. Another reason that these cards sell so well is that buyers get instant gratification – you have the cards with you, so no waiting for a product to come in.

Why would merchants want to participate by offering discounts, free goods, or cheaper services? When hundreds or thousands of fundraising discount cards are in circulation, this drives new business to that merchant. This means new customers and increased profits. Most are happy to oblige, and you don’t even have to contact them yourself! By choosing a company that only deals in fundraising discount cards, you can rest assured they know how to communicate and negotiate with merchants, so that you have great deals to offer on the cards your organization sells.

Additionally, when you choose this route to raise the money you need, you support your local community. Those who purchase fundraising discount cards from your group will patronize local vendors, which is good for businesses in your area. As you can see, not only does your organization benefit from the cards, but those who buy them as well as the businesses who offer their services all win. Your group can easily raise the needed funds, those who buy get great deals, and merchants draw in new business.

When you decide that using fundraising discount cards sounds like a great solution for your group, make sure you choose a company that is dedicated to exceptional customer service. They will secure the merchants for you, print the cards and even educate you about organizing your fundraiser. Add to that the fact that there is no up front cost to you, and this is an excellent way to raise the funds your group needs. The best fundraising discount cards are very impressive! Your organizations name and logo, along with the expiration date, are printed right on the front of the card. These cards are the size and consistency of a credit card; not thin paper cards that are easily destroyed or lost.

For your next project, do something different. Instead of offering candy, popcorn, candles or catalog items, offer fundraising discount cards! The entire community will benefit, and you will have the funds you need. This is an easy and fun way to raise the funds you need and support your own community!

Mark South
Easy Fundraising Cards
http://www.easyfundraisingcards.com

When starting a fundraising campaign, whether you are fundraising for a school, church or any other organization, an effective way to encourage people to donate is to provide incentives. Gaining support from local businesses and corporations through fundraising letters is a good way to bring in incentives such as prizes or exclusive discounts. It is possible to pay professional copywriters to produce fundraising letters for you, however this is not necessary. By writing and sending the fundraising letters yourself, you will save money and you will add a personal tone to the letter, which will allow you to outline the benefits of your cause with passion.

What are the benefits for the community AND the sponsor?
When writing a fundraising letter, it is important to emphasize the benefits that would come of the target company donating to your cause. Outline what you are raising money for. Why do you need this money? How will it benefit people in the community?

It is important not to forget that there are advantages for the company too, and it is your job to remind the recipient of this through the fundraising letter. Tell them how it will raise their profile in the community. Tell them how donating will align the company with the good cause for which you are raising money for. What will they receive for their sponsorship exactly? Where will you put their logo? Who will see this and what does that mean for them?

What? How? When?
It is important to be as clear and to the point in the fundraising letter. Be clear as to what you are asking from the company. This may be items which you would like to give out as prizes, exclusive discounts to include on a fundraising discount cards, or money. If you are asking for money, give a suggested donation size, and what that amount of money would provide. Give a tangible amount example if possible. An example of this can be found from charities such as water aid: “$3 a month, over a year, is as little as it could cost to help give a person safe, clean water for life”.

Make it clear how they should send the donation to you. Provide an address and a phone number. Make sure to include who they should make cheques payable to. Are you willing to pick up items that are donated in person? Make it as easy as possible for them to donate.

In order to stop the receiver throwing the letter in the to-do later pile, put a time restriction on the donation. Tell them when you are running your fundraising event. Tell them your goals. How much money do you aim to raise? When do you want to raise it by?

Increase the open rate and attention paid to your letter
It is likely that the person you are asking money from will receive other post a long with your fundraising letter. It is important to try and grab their attention from the start. By using a rubber stamp and an ink pad, stamp “IMPORTANT! Fundraising Discount Card enclosed” in red ink on the front of your letter. This should deter the recipient from throwing your letter straight in to the bin with promotional mail.

Make sure to use a P.S. In a single sentence reiterate what you are asking for and why, and thank them for reading your letter, and for any possible donation they can give, on behalf of your organization.

Make your letter easy to read
Break down the fundraising letter in to easy to read paragraphs. Separate different parts of the text with headings. Make sure to use easy to understand, positive language, but also appeal to the emotions of the recipient. Make it clear from the start who you are and what the aim of the letter is.

If you receive a donation…
Make sure to follow up donations with thank you letters and invitations to fundraising events! Send them a letter after the fundraising event to let them know how much you raised. Did you meet your target? Keep in touch with them and let them know what good comes out of their donation. This will encourage them to donate next time you are looking to raise funds!

Mark South

Fundraising Discount Cards are a proven money maker for schools, church and youth groups, sporting teams and non-profit organizations. Fundraisers have always been a necessity and we can make your Fundraising cards as easy and profitable as possible.

On the front of your fundraising card will be your organization’s name, logo, and expiration date. The back will contain twelve (12) to fifteen (15) local merchants, each giving a buy one get one free offer or some other discount (we pit the merchants against each other in order to get your members the best deals, the better the deals the easier they are to sell). The cards are valid for one (1) year of continuous use by the bearer.

Raffles are a regular feature in many a fundraiser and can be a great success if they are run well. They are fun for everyone involved, providing excitement for the buyers of tickets that can be shared with the organizers. In addition raffles can be very lucrative for the organization that are raising the money. In this article I will outline how to implement this classic fundraising idea, and how to run a successful raffle.

It is possible to run many different types of raffle. The choice is yours and the decision may rest on the venue in which you are running your event, the time that is allocated to the event, or to the number or value of the prizes that are available to be won. The two raffles that will be outlined in this article are the tombola and raffle draw.

Where do the prizes come from?

One major benefit of running a raffle is that the prizes are donated. This means that any tickets bought provide practically a hundred percent profit. There are a number of ways in which a school can gain donated prizes.

One is to get the children to solicit the prizes from local businesses by writing letters to them, explaining what the school is raising money for, how they intend to do so. The letters should then ask for support for the cause in the form of a physical item to be used as a raffle prize. Success rates will be much higher if the children write the letters. This could also be done in class, as the writing exercise can be very educational and can also be beneficial for the children’s confidence.

Another way to achieve donations for prizes is through parents. Send letters home with the children appealing to parents to donate unwanted items for use at the school’s fund raising event. Again explain the cause and what the money made will be used for.

Promoting the raffle by gauging the desire of prizes

Before the raffle, the most valuable or desirable donations should be split from the least. The more desirable should be used in the raffle to entice people to buy tickets, whereas the less desirable should be sold at cheap prices in a car boot/junk sale type manor.

As the children will provide the majority of excitement for buying the raffles tickets, they should be used to gauge which items will be the most desirable prizes. Get them to clap or cheer at varying levels depending on how much they would want the various prizes. The items that create the most excitement and noise will be the best prizes to promote the raffle with.

Hampers, wine, and other prizes that will appeal to the parents rather than the children, should also be used to engage the parents in the raffle. Parents may get bored of buying their children raffle tickets with the chance to only win prizes that cater for the children. However, by including prizes which appeal to adults, the raffle more fun and worthwhile for the parents.

Running a tombola

One way to run the raffle is to number all the items allocated as raffle prizes and put them on display. Place the raffle tickets in a raffle drum (also known as a tombola). Charge people to spin and pick tickets from the raffle drum. Tickets picked can be exchanged for prizes if the numbers match.

The tombola can be run continuously throughout the fundraising event, or until prizes run out. This, however, also presents a negative aspect of the tombola; if prizes run out, then the ticket sales will stop. One way to try and prolong the lifespan of the tombola is to fill the raffle drum with many more tickets, and charge slightly less to buy them.

It is also a good idea to give people who do not get a prize a cheap sweet. This will keep the children happy!

Announcing the winners

An alternative to the tombola is a raffle draw. The tickets are sold throughout the event, and then, at a specified time, numbers are drawn from a hat for each prize. For this to work the prizes must be desirable. However if a raffle draw is run well with good prizes, the winners can be announced at the end of the event, giving people an incentive to stay at the fundraiser for longer. This will give you, the organizers, a longer period of time to sell, feed, and entertain people attending the event, providng the opportunity to raise more money for the school.

A benefit of the raffle draw is that tickets can be sold everywhere, as there is no need for a raffle drum. Ticket books can be given to volunteers preparing and selling the food, volunteers selling items at the ‘junk’ stall, and volunteers can approach people in order to sell the tickets and promote the raffle.

In both cases, incentives should be given to buy more tickets. For example, you could offer tickets at a dollar each, or a strip of eight tickets for five dollars. This will increase the volume of tickets sold, and help increase the profits made from the raffle.

Raffles are a great way to add money to the amount you raise at fundraising events. They are very low cost and are a proven school fundraising idea. Also, the children can get involved, but above all they are great fun!

What are fundraising discount cards?

Fundraising discount cards are the size of a credit card, and can be easily slotted in to a wallet. They entitle the holder to discounts at a number of local stores in the area, due to prearranged agreements with the merchants. Typically, each card will come complete with around twelve offers.

In most cases the card will allow the bearer to unlimited discounts from the participating stores. However sometimes one merchant, who is sponsoring the event, may display a one time special offer on the card.

One massive benefit of the discount card is that it will be worth more than the purchase price to attendees of the fundraising event. Consequently, not only will you be making money, but also anyone who supports their local church and buys a card will actually save more money than they spend. This means that your event will provide some value for the people who attend, on top of helping raise money for a cause they believe in. In addition, it will also make for an easy sale.

The discounts that the card will allow the holder can be varied to suit all types of people who may attend your event. Money could be saved from a hair cut at the local hairdressers, a movie from a DVD rental store; it could entitle the holder to a free soft drink with a meal at a local takeaway, or money of gas.

With the current economic climate, the perceived value of the discount card is even higher. Who would not want to support their local church as well as save money for their family in the process? In addition, selling fundraising discount cards will help local businesses by encouraging people take advantage of the discounts and use their services.

Where is it possible to get fundraising discount cards?

There are many companies who will make the necessary arrangements with the merchants and manufacture the discount cards for your church fundraising event. It is important when selecting a service that adequate research is taken in order to get the best value for the money you spend, and to also maintain a good product for the people who the cards will be sold to.

Many discount card supply companies can print the Church’s name or logo on to the front of the card. This will remind buyers of the value that the Church provided to them at the fundraising event. Every time they use the card to gain a discount they will compare how much they spent on the card to how much it has saved them. This will reinforce the value provided, and will encourage them to return to the next fundraiser held by the church.

How is money made form the fundraising discount cards?

The production of the discount cards usually come in blocks of 1000, and the price that would be paid per card can range from four dollars, down to one dollar.

The cards are usually sold at ten dollars each, leaving a profit margin of six to nine dollars per card sold. When considering the quantity of discount cards to order remember it is not unusual for one customer to buy multiple cards for other extended family members or friends.

Using fundraising cards to raise more money for the church in the future

The fundraising cards you order will come with an expiration date. They are usually valid for discounts at the various merchants for a year. This is a great opportunity for repeated sales.

When selling the discount cards, collect the email addresses (or home addresses) and names of the buyers on forms. Get them to tick a box to give consent to be notified of other discounts available in the future. When the validity of the current discount card is coming to a close, send out emails to the buyers offering them a new discount card with other exciting discounts. It is also possible to send emails to the buyers inviting them to future fundraising events help by the church.

Fundraising discount cards are a great way to raise money at church fundraising events. As shown, they provide value for everyone involved; the buyer benefits from discounts, local stores benefit from the promotion, and they are a very effective method of raising funds for your church.

Whether you are a parent of a teen or a teen yourself, you know the importance of having funding for extracurricular activities. Youth groups, sports teams, bands and other high school activities all need to raise money. Fundraisers can be fun if you know how to put a new twist on typical fundraisers.

Successful fundraising is just a few steps away if you follow these ideas.

1. Baked Potato Dinner. A lot of groups do pancake breakfasts or spaghetti dinners, but serving baked potatoes and all of the fixings is a great way to raise money. Potatoes are relatively inexpensive and can be baked in bulk. You can buy cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, broccoli, butter and chili in bulk packages. Find somewhere to hold the dinner, like the school cafeteria, where there is enough room for everyone. The students can sell tickets ahead of time and also at the door.

2. Picnic Basket Auction. This idea works well at another event, like a back to school night or school carnival. It can also be done independently. Provide a picnic basket for each student and then have them decorate and fill it with food with a budget of $10. Each picnic basket is raffled off in a silent auction.

3. Singing or Musical Telegrams. These are perfect for a high school band or chorus and work well around Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Students can sell telegrams at school and participants fill out the recipient’s name, their address (or room number if the telegrams are to students) and then have the students deliver the telegrams on a specific date. Search online for lyrics for a singing telegram, or have band members play a piece of appropriate music.

4. Growing Kit. Buy seeds in bulk for fast growing flowers and then purchase some clay pots from a surplus garden store. Have a meeting with the teen group where you all fill the pots with potting soil, attach the seeds to the outside and then wrap up the pot with cellophane and ribbon. Sell the pots at a flat rate around school and in the community. This fundraiser works well in the spring and before Mother’s Day.

5. Candy selling with a twist. Instead of selling the standard bars of candy why not make some candy from scratch and sell it at a premium price? People enjoy homemade candy more than commercially made bars. You can distribute recipes to the group, or if the high school club is small, you can organize a candy making party. The pieces can sell for higher amounts that regular candy and you can keep most of the profits.

6. Group yard sale. This one requires a bit of organization, but it’s well worth it. Have all the members bring clothes, toys and household items the week before the sale. One group of students can organize the items and price them, while the other can canvas the neighborhoods with signs. The day of the yard sale you can sell muffins in the morning and chili toward the afternoon as an additional form of fundraising.

Delegating to free up your time

It is important to understand that time spent looking over somebody’s shoulder is the equivalent of two people doing the same job. In order to be effective and efficient give your volunteers the knowledge and training they require to do the specific task that they are appointed to. Have faith that they will do the task correctly. This will free up your time, allowing you to make sure the event runs smoothly.

Promote the cause not the event

We are all familiar with the Oxfam adverts showing a single child with a swollen stomach due to starvation he or she is suffering. This is a form of marketing and you should be using it at your church fundraising events. Appeal to emotions of the possible donors, rather than the organization itself. Instead of looking to raise money for the church, tell the donors exactly what will be done with the money that they are generously giving to your cause. Include the problems that are faced without these benefits, and how the money raised from the event will help specific individuals. It is a lot easier to give money if the donor can see exactly how people will benefit from the donation.

Motivate the volunteers by instilling the cause

It is important to make the volunteers fully aware of the benefits that will come about from the fundraising event. Do not put pressure on the volunteers; stress will create a negative atmosphere at the event and put them off volunteering in future fundraisers. Just explain exactly what will be done with the money that will be collected, and how it will benefit the church.

As above, show the volunteers exactly how the money raised will help specific individuals. Once the volunteers have adopted the cause as their own, your job will be much easier. They will actively work in order to raise the money for the cause, and will have fun doing it! Consequently they will be back time after time, helping out with future church fundraising events.

Use local media to promote the event

If your church fundraising idea has benefits for the community, you will find that it can be presented as a story that the local media would consider to be newsworthy. Send out press releases, and let the media help you inform the local community about how they can help your cause. Do not stop at the newspapers either; inform local radio and ask the owners or managers of shops and takeaways if you can leave fliers or put up a poster in their store. Send out adverts to local papers for consideration as public service announcements.

Make the event fun!

By providing an entertaining day for everyone who turns up, not only will you loosen their wallets, but you will also make the event a fun and exciting memory that will provide an incentive people to come to the next one! Hire a professional storyteller or magician. Provide food and drink for sale. Set a time to announce the results of a raffle to keep people there longer.

Keep in touch with donors

At the event collect email or home addresses of the people who attend. Make sure to let them know how much they helped raise, and remind them of how the money will benefit their local church. Sincerely thank them for their part in helping to raise this money. Keep them updated when the money has been spent and the benefits have been actualized for the cause.

Having people’s email addresses also means they can be contacted when you run future fundraising events at the church. Consequently it will be much easier to get the word out about your next church fundraiser.

Show your gratitude to your sponsors and volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of any fundraising event. Show your appreciation to them by sending thank you cards or possibly an inexpensive present. A small show of gratitude will go a long way, and now that you have run a successful event, the next one will be much easier if the same people are willing to donate their time again.

Send any sponsors thank you cards along with certificates showing that the organization supported the church fundraising event. Put the certificates in frames and make them look good enough for display, so that the proud sponsors can hang them on the walls of their stores or offices. This will make them more likely to sponsor you again in the future, and will also provide you with free promotion.

Mark South

Easy Fundraising Cards

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When you say the word ‘grants’ to many non-profit organizations it instills fear and trepidation. Often they don’t have a dedicated grant writer so it’s a matter of pooling resources and even then, no-one has direct grant experience or knows where to start.

The government, large companies and philanthropic agencies have to give you their money. It’s the law. Well not so much for the companies, but government grants and some philanthropic agencies are governed by mandates to return funds to the community and they are eager to comply. Unfortunately, or fortunately for you the fundraiser, the quality of some applications is not all that great, but they have to award it to ‘somebody’.

So where does this leave you? In a very good position to raise funds without baking one more cake, or selling chocolates.

Like most fundraising, it’s essential to determine your cause or project that you want the funds for. Then it’s a matter of finding a grant that will give you the money. Finding a grant can often be the most time consuming part but again, the government is there to help – seriously. They provide all the information. Check out http://www.grants.gov for all the grants you can stand. They also provide handy hints on how to apply.

Don’t worry about the paperwork, they make it seem worse than it is. The most important documents you need to support your grant are:

Copy of incorporation (or similar documents proving your status as non-profit organization)

Copy of last financial audited report

List of all executive officers, their titles, signed on organization letterhead

The Grant application.

The application form itself is not as daunting as many fundraisers think it will be. Your supporting evidence is the most crucial part. To give the grant credence, it’s wise to get letters of support from other community and non-profit organizations in your area who would benefit – the broader the benefit the more likely the grant.

If you want to raise funds for a landscaping project for example, take photos to show them what you want to do. Contact the government department directly, to discuss your grant, try to get a representative to come out and inspect the project for, example lighting for a sporting field. Even if you’re confident about your application it’s always better if the department or organization know you’re applying and what your project is about.

Fundraising will always be a part of the non-profit organization and in my view it actually strengthens that organization. Grants can give this a huge boost and provide funds for larger projects or even staff members to do nothing else but apply for more grants.