Your group does catalog sales of a three-pound tub of cookie dough. Average retail price is $10 per three-pound tub. The dough comes in a wide variety of flavors, including some that are sugar free.

Some suppliers are now offering the dough in pre-sliced packages to further simplify the baking process.

Others are offering it in a dry mix that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. All you do is add water, mix by hand, and you have your cookie dough ready for baking.

Profitability
Most fundraising companies offer the three-pound tubs of cookie dough at a 40%-50% discount. Some suppliers also offer a larger four-pond tub for slightly more.

Cookie dough needs to be refrigerated, so this fundraiser requires a little more delivery preparation. Kids like selling this because its something that they enjoy themselves.

The average seller makes ten sales or approximately $100 in revenue. That translates to roughly $50 in profit per seller, which is quite good.

Factors affecting your cookie dough fundraiser profitability include freight charges, quantity discounts, quality of the brochure, number of available cookie dough choices, and the need to keep the dough refrigerated.

This product works well for both elementary school and high school fundraising.

Larger groups can easily earn a quantity discount above 50%. As always, do an RFQ fax quote to the supplier list and get your best possible discount up front.

Sales Tips
Here’s what they need to do to sell:

1 – Smile, use their name in greeting, and introduce yourself
2 – Use the power of “because” (give a reason why)
3 – Ask for their help (ask for the order)
4 – Make eye contact and suggest a favorite

Example sales script: (Keep it short & sweet)

Hi, Mrs. Johnson! (Smile & make eye contact)

I’m Jimmy Roberts from down the street. (Hand over sales flyer with large bold print)

Our school is doing a cookie dough fundraiser because we need new computers.

Can you help us out with a $10 contribution? That gets you a three-pound tub of cookie dough. My favorite is the chocolate chip, but peanut butter is real popular too!

(Pause and wait for a response)

The important points are to smile, use a sales flyer, use the word because, ask for their help, and suggest an order size, then wait for a response.

Each prospect has a potential dollar value to your organization. Don’t waste prospects by not being prepared. Make sure all your sellers know what to say and how to say it.

Cookie Dough Fundraisers is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

Harnessing all this energy and enthusiasm can be a challenge,but having the right cheerleading fundraiser is a great start. You want to leverage their skills by giving them an exciting fundraising product to sell.

So, what cheerleading fundraising ideas will generate excitement?

In this article, we’ll consider three types of cheer fundraisers. Each involves doing something a little different, each of them are easy to do, and each fundraiser packs a profit punch.

Cheer Fundraiser #1
One unique approach for a cheerleading fundraiser is offering custom posters of school sports teams or of the cheerleaders themselves.

For instance, feature the team photo of the football team, or use a series of action photos. Each can be turned into a wall-sized poster or a fundraising calendar.

Add some allure to these cheerleading fundraisers by including your game schedule or team slogan printed on it in a contrasting color.

You could also design one to celebrate your championship teams, commemorate your previous titles, intensify a cross-town rivalry, recognize all of your school’s sports teams on a spirit poster, or feature the cheerleading squad in action.

Any of these items is sure to be popular with a wide range of students. Local businesses will often buy one to put in their front window. Players will want a souvenir copy suitable for end-of-season autographs. Proud parents and grandparents will want their own keepsake copy.

The posters can be sold easily at pep rallies, sporting events, through the school store, and by the cheerleaders themselves via a merchant table at a high-traffic location on a weekend.

Think of creative ways to design and market your own unique set of cheerleading posters. Consider adding merchant sponsor logos to reduce the cost. You could also cross-promote with another school on a rivalry poster and double the overall market.

Cheer Fundraiser #2
Another idea for cheerleading fundraising is selling customized Holiday Greetings CD’s. This is a brochure or order-taker sale of a personalized selection of holiday music favorites.

One of the nice things about this product is that a purchaser selects their ten favorite holiday songs by checking off boxes on a list of thirty classics.

Included in the choices are favorites such as Let It Snow, White Christmas, Jingle Bells, and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

These are licensed copies of the original recordings by the original artists, assembled on a personalized CD that costs your group a mere $4 each.

A retail price of $10 coupled with the ability for the customer to order a personalized message on each copy, make these a great cheerleading fundraiser.

The CD’s are available in six basic designs – Singing Snow Men, Rudolph, Christmas Tree, Peace On Earth, Kwanzaa, and Happy Hanukkah.

There is room for a holiday greeting of up to thirty characters on each design. For example, the Christmas Tree version has the phrase “Merry Christmas” in green and red, with space below it for a “From the XYZ Family” greeting.

Shipments are sorted by salesperson and customer, making your delivery a very simple task indeed.

Cheer Fundraiser #3
A third type of cheerleading fundraiser that creates an air of excitement is selling flowering “airplants.”

Airplants, or more properly, Tillandsias, are unique, soil-free plants that absorb nutrients and water through their leaves. All they need is air, water, and light.

Tillandsias are attractive and fascinating members of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). Their native habitat is the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Bromeliads – Tillandsias – can be placed in anything: rocks, shells, pottery, driftwood, around water fountains, fish tanks, etc. They like bright, indirect lighting, and a heavy spraying or soaking two or three times a week.

They have a growth cycle starting with one plant growing to maturity, then blooming. One to two months after the blooming has finished, new plants form around the base of the “mother” plant. Each will continue growing and reproducing if given the proper care.

A cheerleading fundraiser Airplant package consists of a beautiful example of the Bromeliad family, comfortably ensconced in a natural seashell holder.

Your group pays $3 per Airplant, including the seashell holder, shipping and handling. Each Tillandsia retails for $6, so your cheerleading fundraiser is ensured a good profit margin.

You can organize your sale as a special event or as an add-on to a regular gathering. Set up a table with your sales display and place a colorful Tillandsia poster on the wall behind to let your prospective customers see how beautiful these Airplants are in full bloom.

You can also conduct your cheerleading fundraiser as an order- taker from a sales brochure. Each brochure contains colorful pictures of these exotic, but easy to care for, plants.

Simple text explanations are included describing the simple steps involved in nourishing these fabulous specimens.

Summary
All three of these fundraising products will add some excitement to your next cheerleading fundraiser.

When all the participants are enthusiastic about offering something new and unique, it packs a powerful profit punch.

Heres to making your next cheer fundraiser a resounding success.

Cheers!

Cheerleader Fundraising is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

You can put a car wash fundraiser together on short notice, but they work best with a little planning. Here’s how to get started…

Things To Do List
1- Line up a location with good main road frontage
2- Ensure it has suitable water access
3- Assemble supplies list hoses, buckets, wash towels, dry towels, squeegees
4- Assign each volunteer an item from the supplies list
5- Make 8-10 poster board signs in high-contrast colors
6- Arrange your volunteers in 2-hour shifts
7- Get advance publicity, if possible

How To List
1- Organize your group into teams – Promotion, Sales, Wash, Dry
2- Promotion team attracts new clients with signs
3- Sales team explains offer (use flyer for quick info) and up-sells clients
4- Wash team soaps, scrubs, and rinses each car
5- Dry team gets water residue off, vacuums, does tires, etc.
6- Have at least two lines so you can wash two or more cars at once
7- Wash cars for six to eight hours (Saturday 9:00 to 3:00 preferred)

Your fundraisers success will depend on the weather. If you can wash 12 cars an hour (one every 10 minutes in each line), you can raise $500- $1000 in one day.

Remember to put together a quick flyer that includes the reason why youre raising funds and clearly states the price. You can even offer some extra services such as providing high-gloss tire treatment or vacuuming interiors for an additional fee.

Car Wash Fundraiser – Success Tips
1- Location, location, location!
2- Sell car wash fundraiser tickets in advance
3- Use a flyer that clearly explaining why you’re raising funds
4- List all prices concisely in large, bold type
5- Up-sell to include additional services
6- Partner with another group if your head count is low
7- Increase revenue with an extra offering such as a 2-for-1 pizza savings card

Alternatively, you can advertise a free car wash and just ask for donations for your cause.

Often, this can raise more cash than stating a specific price, because people will see a group of volunteers working hard and having a good time, and may part with their money more easily.

Final Advice
Make sure to keep the event fun for all your participants and your customers. Play upbeat music. Provide soft drinks and snacks to keep the energy level up.

Keep safety in mind. Be sure to get volunteers to hold and wave signs toward passing traffic, not just volunteers to wash cars.

If you have time, get your car wash fundraiser some publicity coverage in the local newspaper, or by posting signs a day or two in advance.

Car Wash Fundraiser Ideas is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

A very high-profit fundraising item right now is candles which are fun and very easy to sell because of their popularity. Candles are a much better choice than food or over-priced novelty items that tend to generate lower profits. They are a rapidly growing option that is more appealing to the public because they are a non-junk food alternative to fund raisers.

Candle fund raisers can also be very lucrative because they come in so many different varieties of size, color and scents creating a great earning potential. For school fundraiser such as band or sports teams, you can purchase and resell candles in your schools colors. For any type of organization, especially religious congregations, think about holiday themed candles for those times of the year.

If your group has decided to embark on a candle fund raiser, a plan of action is a very important step for reaching your fund raising goal. You should start by determining the amount of money you want to raise. Next, figure out how many people in your organization are willing to take part in the campaign and then set your deadlines by deciding on when your group is planning to start and stop the fundraiser.

Research the candle manufactures that get involved with fundraisers and supply these types of items for that purpose. Youll want to start comparison shopping so that you can ensure the most profit. Once youve got your partnership in place, the next step would be to determine the new sale price of each candle and the number of candles each participant in the fund raiser will need to sell in order to achieve your goal.

Be sure to let everyone involved know what the expectations are and encourage them to use their best selling skills. Also, if youre using brochures to sell the candles, youll want to supply your sellers with everything theyll need to make meeting your fund raising objective as organized and easy as possible. Give them plenty of order forms and make them aware of shipping and delivery time periods so that they can let their customers know when to expect their items.

By following a few guidelines and setting a fair, but profitable pricing structure, your organization should be well on its way to reaching its fund raising target! Good Luck!

Candle Fund Raisers Are Highly Profitable For Your Organization is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

On a good note, it shows that people do care how others live and cope with their lives. However, it also means that, because we are always being asked to donate to one good cause after another, we are not always able to help. Despite our best intentions, our own funds simply will not stretch that far.

However, if we request the donation of items instead of cash, that is often a relief to a potential donor. People will often gladly donate a can of food for a food drive, or a kitchen item they have never used for a sale, whereas they would not donate cash. And there are many kinds of fundraising ideas you can use to hold sales based on items collected.

For example, you could hold a toy drive that would give your organization toys to sell to support your work. Or what about a gardening sale? If you have some volunteers with green thumbs, they could easily grow some plant cuttings or start some seeds or bulbs growing ready for a plant sale in the spring or early summer, when the general public is looking to restock their garden after the winter.

Book sales are always well attended, but of course you will need to collect a lot of donated books to make this a success, as books do not generally sell for a high price. You could approach local publishers to see if they have any books that they could donate to support your cause. If they do give you some books, don’t forget to write them after your event to thank them and also to let them know how successful you were and how much their donation helped you. Donors like to be thanked, and they are more likely to support you in the future if they know their gift has been appreciated in the past.

Some groups like to ask for donated items and then they use these to make up some themed gift baskets which they then raffle, usually at another fundraising event. For example you may make up a bath basket containing some soap, hand towels and bath salts from your donated items. The trick here is to keep raffle tickets affordable, especially if you are expecting those that donated the items to be buying the raffle tickets!

You may find that some people are willing to volunteer their time rather than funds. For example an electrician may prefer to spend a half day checking the wiring in the new offices your non-profit group just moved into, rather than donate cash. As long as this benefits your non-profit organization, any donation is welcome, whether it is time or money, but make sure your donors know what the goal of your organization is, and how their assistance will help you. They may then mention it to their circle of friends, and this kind of promotion is very valuable.

Being Creative With Your Fundraising Ideas is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

Maybe one of the following techniques will be the answer youre looking for.

Youre probably aware of the credit card industry for purchases. Did you know you can actually buy money with credit cards? You can withdraw the money no questions asked, assuming you have available credit of course.

Not only can you use your card, many credit card providers also can send checks that you can write against your credit limit.

If you have five credit cards you can cash a check or draw money (cash advance) of $1000. That makes $5000 if you use this method on all five cards. Cash the credit card check at the bank or institution that provides the credit card.

Many banks also offer overdraft protection these days. Using this method a check can be cashed for higher than the amount in the bank account. The check is processed even though the funds are there. The bank honors the check, therefore , as a benefit, no overdraft fees for you or the person whom you issued the check. This method is actually revolving credit.

Another method is using your home equity to borrow money. If you have $25000 equity in your home You could take out a loan using the equity in your home. Many astute people use this method in order to start or expand a business.

The next method, which has been used very frequently is borrowing from friends and family. For example if you have 10 friends that each loan $100, thats $1000 right there. Imagine the possibilities if have hundreds.

Even though you dont realize it you probably have cash laying around. Im not talking about finding money in the pockets of old jackets. Old furniture, dolls, antique items can all be sold to raise funds. Almost anything in your bedroom, attic or basement stored away has the potential to generate funding. You could even have a yard or garage sale as a fund raiser.

There are many more methods that can be used. Use your imagination to see the endless possibilities. They are out there, spend a little bit of time contemplating and less time worrying. The world is full of endless opportunities for anything and everything. Be prepared to use any or all the methods when the need arises.

If any of these methods work for you, youre well on your way.

By Farida Madre
Copyright 2006 GoldenStarEbooks.net

http://www.goldenstarebooks.net

An Action Plan For Raising Instant Cash is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

That 85% consists of large and small donations but it is the steady stream of small donations that keep most nonprofits afloat.

One should plan and forward his or her steps careful if the organization is new and they are not sure about the process of Non Profit Fundraising.

Ideally, first step should be to cultivate donors in the local community and than move on to Internet Fundraising.

How does one raise funds?

One can raise your funds through grants, product sale and special events and by phonathons. Online fundraising is very popular around the world these days.

Primarily one has to find one or two donor who will make a large donation (known as major donors).

Let us discuss some simple steps to get prospective donors interested and involved in the project.

1) Create a list of prospective donors who may get interested in organizations activities.

2) Primarily one should concentrate on friend-raising activities rather than a
fund-raising one, like organizing some special events (a spaghetti dinner, carnival, concert, or some other fun activity) with several door prizes.

3) Now create a mailing list of those persons who are somewhat interested or may get interested about the organization. One should include the following points in the mailing list-

a) detailed address of office and residence

b) phone number

c) personal & detailed information

4) Within 3 days mail a nice letter to every listed individual. In addition, tell them-

a) how the organization is helping someone in the community.

b) that it is only possible with the support (monetary and otherwise) from
good people like them.

c) ask them for contribution and include a pre-addressed return envelope to make it easy for the donor.

5) Try to invite the prospect to come as a volunteer.

a) have a volunteer coordinator well prepared in advance to accept all calls, and to put them to good use.

b) the coordinator should introduce them to the staff, and make them feel to be a part of the organization. Once a volunteer feels to be a part of the
organization, he or she (and friends) is more likely to contribute.

6) Send letters and newsletters to those who did not volunteer. It may work to good effect if they are asked to speak to their civic groups, church groups about the organization. A good relationship always pays. .

7) Thank anybody and everybody whenever and however possible on whatever occasion.

Finally, maintaining donors involvement over time is indispensable. Try to get them excited about what you are doing with their kind help.

Remember: Non Profit Fundraising is all about building relationships.

About Non Profit Fundraising is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

There are few things that are more important than location. It not only
applies to real estate, but to fundraising too. Here are some tips to
expand your horizons when trying to maximize your fundraising efforts.

Traditionally, fundraising efforts are concentrated on:
-Friends
-Neighbors
-Relatives
-Co-workers

Besides the usual suspects, there is a whole lot of money in other places right under your nose.

You have to go where the money is. The big money in fundraising is being located where people are shopping. They are out and about with cash or checkbooks in hand.

There’s no better time than that for offering a quality fundraising product at these locations:
-Drugstores
-Home Improvement Stores
-Grocery Stores
-Shopping Malls

Drugstores – Nice entry-level sales spot. Generally have good sidewalk space available.

Home Improvement Stores – Big weekend traffic spots. Lots of do it yourselfers diving in to their next project.

Grocery Stores – Prime hunting grounds for product fundraisers. A small, high-quality food item does real well here.

Shopping Malls – Hard to get approval for outside space, but a location near the food court is golden.

And don’t forget the 800-pound gorilla: Wal-Mart – The Holy Grail of fundraising locations. A day spent fundraising in front of this high-traffic retailer is like being in fundraising heaven. You’ll have more potential prospects than you can shake a stick at.

Because of the sheer volume of Wal-Mart shoppers, you’ll
need oversize signage to get your fundraising message across quickly before
your prospects hurry on in

Casing the Joint Ahead of Time
You want the best location for your weekend fundraising table. Scope out the lay of the land. Check which entrance gets the most foot traffic.

Find out who is in charge at this location. Often it’s the store manager, but occasionally it might require approval from the regional manager or
shopping center management. Don’t expect them to drop everything to speak with you. If necessary, set up an appointment to seek permission

Be prepared with a two-minute overview of
Who – Tell them who you (and your group) are
What – Describe what your fundraiser involves
When – Have a primary date and an alternate one picked out
Where – Identify the exact spot you’d like to use
Why – Give the specific reason you are raising funds
How – Summarize your proposed activities at their location

It’s a good idea to have everything written up in a well-prepared letter. Stick to the basics as described above. If you have group letterhead, use it!

Make sure that everything will go smoothly. Ask for the name of the contact person for your chosen date. Get permission, preferably in writing, just in case the weekend manager didn’t get the memo.

Setting Up for the Big Job
After you’ve cased the joint, you want to be prepared to pull off your fundraising bank job.

Location – There is often a separate set of entrance doors. You want to stake your claim right there. There should also be plenty of room for people to get by.

Signage – Look for good places to hang your signs and posters. They should be bright and bold with wording visible from thirty feet away. Highlight major benefits of the product and be sure to identify your purpose

Table Space – You want a large folding table, preferably 36×72. Place folding chairs on the side away from the door. Use a full-sized tablecloth to improve presentation.

Staffing – Schedule your fundraising teams with overlapping adult/child pairs. You want two adults and two children covering each 90-minute shift. Stagger the start/departure times by 30 minutes to avoid resource shortages.

Pulling It Off
To really break the bank, you have to have everything well planned. Timing and presentation are everything. You only have 30 seconds to capture your prospects attention and convince them to stop. Your fundraising should be well thought out in these areas:

Product – Make sure to choose a high-profit, cash and carry fundraiser. Fast food discount cards are excellent. So are quality food items such as cookies and gourmet treats like fudge. Sales items should be small, highly portable, and attention getting in their own right.

Samples – Product samples should be well-displayed and readily offered to each prospective client. In the case of food items, plates or trays of small nibble-sized morsels should be offered by the children involved.

Presentation – Sell the sizzle, not the steak! Accentuate product benefits, not features. Would you rather have a juicy, mouth-watering, flame-broiled Whopper or a hamburger?

Sales Patter – Talk a good game! Work from a loose script. Write down your best talking points as itemized bullets. Keep it short and simple. Tell them about your cause and be sure to ask for their help

Location Wrap
As you’ve seen, a great location delivers hundreds of potential customers right to you. All you have to do is stake your claim to the prime turf and go for it!

Don’t wait for your next fundraiser to suddenly grow wings. Plan ahead and pull off your own bank job instead.

Maximize your fundraising success with location, location, location!

The Importance of Location in Fundraising is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

Some of the fund raising ideas for the product itself range from chocolates, cookies, candy, pet supplies, magnets, candles, books, posters, and the list goes on. Your next step will be deciding how you are going to get these products to the people. Maybe your fundraising idea will be to sell from door to door. This has the advantage of talking to the people face to face about your fundraising, but be prepared that everyone you talk to will not welcome you with open arms and will close the door in your face.

Another fundraising idea you have is direct mail. This is not by selling a product, but by asking directly for donations. It can be a bit costly because letters have to be made up. To have these done properly, they should be done by a marketing firm, which can cost you more than you anticipated. This fundraiser idea will have to have self addressed envelopes included for donors to respond, and there is really no way of telling how much money your fund raising will solicit from the donors out there.

Out of all the fund raising ideas that are out there the donation boxes as got to be among the easiest and the cheapest way to coordinate a fund raiser. This is where you place containers in the businesses around town. These boxes are usually clear with the groups name printed clearly on the container. Be prepared though, the drawback for this fundraising idea is that the boxes fill up very slowly and you cant depend on this for your whole fund raising. This fundraising idea is a supplement for other fund raising ideas.

Another way to make a fundraising idea work is to team up with other groups. In this way you have all the fundraising help you need and the results can really pay off. Combining schools and churches for instance can make a very successful fund raiser. There are many more fundraiser ideas that you can explore. It is you that will have to decide which fundraiser ideas will work best for you and your cause.

There are lots of fundraising ideas, but you have to know what you need, plan it and do it well for it to succeed.

The Hard Task Of Coming Up With A Fundraising Idea is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com

There are four major forms of fundraising. When one mentions fundraising to the average person, the image of a well-meaning person going door-to-door begging for support immediately comes to mind. While most of us have been there at some point or other, there is a lot more to this business than meets the eye. And yes, my friends, this is a business. We are in the business of managing relationships; relationships which, more often than not, are the key determining factor for success.

The first major form of fundraising is dealing with institutional grantors. These organizations are often the most difficult to deal with, due to the inherent bureaucratic nature of these types of organizations. On the other hand, grants and endowments from these organizations can often amount to incredible sums of money. For this reason alone, they should not be dismissed. You may have to invest a lot of time and energy into convincing these institutional organizations into supporting your particular cause, and this where the business of managing relationships comes into play. A single grant from one of these groups could secure the future of your non-profit activities.

The next significant form of fundraising is the promotion of special events and product sales. While this area could potentially include thousands of ideas, there is a central theme between them all. What is the donor getting in exchange for their donation? These types of fundraisers are labor intensive, and require a lot of detailed planning. In the case of event planning, spend the majority of your time on ticket sales. While you may want to obsess over every little event detail, it won’t really matter if people do not show up.

Direct marketing is another one of the major fundraising types. This approach includes direct mailings, telemarketing, paid advertising, public service announcements, and door-to-door canvassing. Direct marketing can be extremely effective, as it affords your organization the ability to reach out to a vast number of potential donors. In this area, it is crucially important to have a reliable donor list. There is no point spending resources trying to ask individuals or organizations for donations, if they are not connected with your cause in some way. Be sure that your direct marketing efforts are highly targeted, and you will undoubtedly achieve the desired results.

Last, but not least, we explore the idea of approaching individual donors. This approach is very similar to that of institutional donors, but it is geared towards well-to-do individuals. Individual donors can contribute to your cause in a number of different ways. One area that is common to individual donors is the planned gift. In simple terms, this refers to the choice of an individual to leave a portion of their estate or life insurance policy to your organization. Approaching individual donors should be left to your more experienced team members. As we mentioned before, fundraising is the business of managing relationships. A mentor once told me that “80% of your money should come from 20% of your donors”. Wise words, indeed!

The Four Major Forms of Fundraising is a post from: Finance Blogs | Mlbcal.com