How Can I Increase Participation in My Fundraiser for a New School?

[amy07]

I have my very first fundraiser in the works and I'm really excited to help raise funds. :thumbup: Here's the situation:
It is a new school to serve indigent youth who are at risk of dropping out of school. It's main purpose is to serve/educate the youth as well as the parents who may slip thru the current social services/court system. They are planning on opening in the fall. The executive director has a huge celebration event planned at the end of this month at a large local church to thank corporate sponsors and to help introduce the school to the community. I will have a booth set up there and have the fundraiser set up on my website. The problem is how can I get more participation? The ED is basically a one-woman show at this point trying to secure more corporate sponsors for scholarships. I know she has a board of directors and I have asked her to contact all of them to contact ALL of their contacts and send the link to the website.
It seems my biggest problem is that there is not enough people to really rally around/promote the PC fundraiser, as in right now she (ED) is running around trying to finalize grants, staff, building issues etc.
Any suggestions? TIA!

 

[janetupnorth]

One thought is to ask her if she'd be willing as she goes around securing corporate sponsors that if the corporation will not donate at this time, if they'd be willing to let you come in and do a fundraiser show during their lunch hour......just one thought...

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Would she give you addresses so you could contact the board of directors? She sounds like she is very busy - maybe you could offer to do that and take one thing off her "to do" list.

 

[amy07]

great ideas Becky & Janet. I did give her the suggestion to leave the catalogs at the business and go back to collect orders, but I didn't think about the workday/lunch show.:thumbup:

 

[Wildfire]

Hi there! First of all, congratulations on your first fundraiser and for supporting such a worthy cause. I can understand your concern about getting more participation and I have a few suggestions that may help.1. Utilize social media: Social media is a powerful tool for spreading the word and reaching a larger audience. You can post about the fundraiser on your personal and business pages, as well as asking the ED and the board of directors to share it on their social media platforms as well.2. Partner with local businesses: Reach out to local businesses and see if they would be willing to help promote the fundraiser in exchange for a small donation or percentage of sales during the event. This will not only help spread the word, but also bring in more participants.3. Host a pre-event: Consider hosting a smaller event before the main celebration to raise awareness and generate interest. This could be a cooking demonstration or tasting event featuring Pampered Chef products, with a portion of the proceeds going towards the fundraiser.4. Reach out to your personal network: Don't underestimate the power of your personal network. Reach out to friends, family, and acquaintances and ask them to support the fundraiser by either attending or sharing the information with their own networks.5. Offer incentives: Consider offering incentives for those who participate in the fundraiser, such as a gift with purchase or a percentage off their next Pampered Chef order. This can motivate people to not only attend the event, but also make a purchase.I hope these suggestions help, and I wish you all the best with your fundraiser! Keep up the great work in supporting this important cause.