What works best for you?

[lmradlein]

Getting ready to get in deep with fundraisers and I have a question for y’all. I see many always include another percentage of their commission to the fundraiser event. I can see doing that say if it was my son’s school or baseball team. However, when you advertise to other people (ones you don’t know) do you always include a share of your commission? If you have done both ways can you let me know which works best. I’ve done Relay For Life Fundraisers and 100% of my commission goes back to the team. But I’m wanting to get into this more but yet make a living at it at the same time!

[Nanisu]

I tie it to an incentive. If the fundraiser raises $1,000 in sales I give them an extra 5% of my commission. $2,000, 10%. If it's a group I am involved with I give them the whole thing--I figure it gives me points for the trips and such. I usually match what the company does--if they earn 10, I give 10, if they earn 15, I give 15. I keep back enough to cover my catalogs, which the extra 2% usually covers (I'm at 17% for fundraisers). But if it's a group I don't know then it's what I said above.

[lmradlein]

Thank you Nancy, I'm working on my letters right now to send out. I like the "over" 1k and 2k amounts! Thanks!

[Sheila]

What I did was advertise that (in addition to the % of the sales) PC gives $3 for every show booked and that I would donate an addtional $10 for every show booked (after the show closes of course). I had 4 shows booked off a very small fundraiser. Assuming all 4 shows are held, that's $40 out of my pocket. The sales at the fundraiser covered that $40 donation and the door prizes that I donated. Of the 4 bookings, 3 have been held. The catalog show closed at $377.75, but the first two cooking shows closed at $608.85 & 786.50 in commissionable sales. The 4th show is coming up in a couple of weeks. So everything that I invested in the fundraiser has already been covered in the commission from the sales of the fundraiser. If I was only getting 20%, I've still made $354.62 in commission, before I've even done the 4th show. Totally worth it! ;)

[lmradlein]

Thanks Sheila! Great way to look at it.

[pcchefjane]

Just be careful what you offer. My first fundraiser, I offered free shipping as well as extra 5% at $600 and extra 10% at $1,000 of my commission! Between the copies for the "parent folders", the catalogs, and the incentives, I was in the hole $36! I also gave $25 gift card from Walmart to my top seller but since two children did $300+ each, I gave it to two of them. I changed mine to extra 5% at $1,000 and extra 10% of $2,000 plus did not offer free shipping!

[lmradlein]

Yeah, I don't think I would ever offer free shipping. Thanks for your information!