Boost Team Funds with a PC Fundraiser | Tips & FAQs for Non-Profits

[HockeyLover]

I am involved in my local hockey team's Booster Club, a non profit. They hold fundraisers a few times a year, and none are over-the-top successful. I was thinking about offering a PC Fundraiser, but have a few questions:

-I am an active member of this NPO, does that cross any lines?
-We hold meetings once a month, so I figure hand out catalogs and OOFs for the following month, so I can collect the orders at the next meeting?
-I would hand out the catalogs in Octobler, when typically would we find out the November specials?
-Has anyone had luck doing a catalog/web fundraiser only? I will bring food to the meeting (any excuse to make those brownies! ), but there is no way or time to do a demo...


Any suggestions? I am mainly concerned that I will get into some sort of trouble being a member and being the consultant on the order.

 

[ljeffries]

As to your main concern - there should be nothing for you to get in trouble for. As long as your organization knows that you benefit from the FR. If you are concerned about that, ask someone on the board or an officer of the non-profit regarding your involvement.
I have had success with a 'catalog' fundraiser. I did one for HWC and one for the local Humane Society. Your idea is good - that gives folks an entire month to collect orders.

 

[tlennhoff]

I think we find out the host & guest specials for november and december in september, I could be wrong though.

 

[cat]

In response to your last question, I've done a couple of catalog fundraisers and they were just ok. One was $1250 in sales and the other two were a little over $700 each. I guess it's better than nothing, but I had hoped that the organizations would be able to raise more money!

 

[ltkacz]

I had Catalog fundraiser in MayIt was $1650. With very little work on my end.

I had one in October and it was $700.

I love to do them.

 

[HockeyLover]

Thanks for the answers! I'm hoping for a successful fr, so they would want to do it again! We have over 100 members, with 30 or so participating actively in fundraisers, so it should be good (better than frozen pies or flower bulbs I hope!).

Now to convince the board... thank goodness most of them love to eat!

 

[cat]

The only thing I'd be careful of is the cost of catalogs...are you going to distribute 100 of them? For my first fundraiser, I gave away 90 catalogs and only got $1250 in sales. Kinda expensive cost! And one of the $700 fundraisers was also 90 catalogs! Granted, I did get some of them back, maybe 1/4 to 1/3, but still! The other $700 fundraiser only used up 15 or 20 catalogs, so that wasn't too bad. But I've had $800 and $1000 cooking shows and I've only had to "give up" 10-12 catalogs!!

 

[reba515]

Thanks for the answers! I'm hoping for a successful fr, so they would want to do it again! We have over 100 members, with 30 or so participating actively in fundraisers, so it should be good (better than frozen pies or flower bulbs I hope!).

Now to convince the board... thank goodness most of them love to eat!

try to present it to them as simply as possible like by saying "if 50 people collect ONLY 5 $25 orders ($5000!) you will have raised $1250 profit."
(w/25% donation)

while you may only make 15-17% in commision (which is a nice chunk of change) you will also have 5000 trip points in 1 show!

 

[HockeyLover]

The only thing I'd be careful of is the cost of catalogs...are you going to distribute 100 of them? For my first fundraiser, I gave away 90 catalogs and only got $1250 in sales. Kinda expensive cost! And one of the $700 fundraisers was also 90 catalogs! Granted, I did get some of them back, maybe 1/4 to 1/3, but still! The other $700 fundraiser only used up 15 or 20 catalogs, so that wasn't too bad. But I've had $800 and $1000 cooking shows and I've only had to "give up" 10-12 catalogs!!

I had thought about that. I plan on only giving 1-2 to each person. The President loves evites, so I know he would be doing that, sending many people right to the website. I wish there was time for a cooking demo, but there's no way. I'll just bring products with me and talk with people during the breaks. We'll see!

 

[HockeyLover]

try to present it to them as simply as possible like by saying "if 50 people collect ONLY 5 $25 orders ($5000!) you will have raised $1250 profit."
(w/25% donation)

while you may only make 15-17% in commision (which is a nice chunk of change) you will also have 5000 trip points in 1 show!

And I need those points! I started in mid-June and don't have many points yet. My goal is Level 1... could be tough!

Thanks for the idea!

 

[ltkacz]

CatalogsFor both of mine I only gave away 5 catalogs! Each one was in a 'packet' with a bunch of order forms.