For 2008, fundraising calendars are easier to create than ever.  Simply choose digital pictures of your team or group and submit them to your calendar supplier.

Calendar fundraisers are fun!

Things to consider when doing a calendar fund raiser:

• How many could you sell?
• Price ranges
• Profit margins
• Do you want custom or general?

Sales tips
Some suppliers don’t have minumum purchase requirements so if you have a smaller group, look to those companies.

Pricing
Pricing can vary wildly depending on how colorful or creative you want to be.  Typical cost for a calendar for fundraising is about $4-$5. 

Profits
Calendars sell well at around $10 to $12 for a high quality product.  Anytime you can get 50% to 60% profit on a fundraising product, you’ve done very well.

Selection
Think about what your potential customers will want in a calendar.  If you are selling to only your group, a custom calendar is the way to go because everyone likes to see pictures of themselves!  If you are selling to the general public, a calendar with popular scenes is the right choice.

Additional information
We have hundreds of fundraising advice articles on the best ways to raise funds.  Read this article for specific sales tips and this one for including a raffle with your calendar fundraiser.

One supplier we recommend is Falling Leaf Publishing because they have high quality calendars, there are no up front costs, and no minumum purchase is required.

Fundraiser Help advice on doing 2008 fundraising calendars.

A cookie dough fundraiser is an order taker with delivery a few weeks later. Most times, the product is sold in frozen form in tubs or pre-sliced frozen cookies, so you’ll need to coordinate deliveries with a set delivery day.

The best way to maximize your cookie dough sales is to expand beyond the usual circle of potentail buyers - family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. That means selling to the general public from sales tables at high-traffic locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, etc.

Use large banners and flyers for your cookie dough fundraiser featuring your group name, contact information, and clearly state why you are raising funds. Having social proof of how the funds raised will be used helps get prospective buyers over the decision hump, as do pre-baked sample cookies.

A second profit tip is to offer an alternate product to offer those who say no and those who say yes. The most attractive, high-profit offering is a two-for-one pizza card that costs $2 and retails for $10.

That way, you can make a sale to those who don’t want cookie dough or are concerned about delayed delivery. You can also make a possible second sale to those already buying.

Maximize your profits by maximizing your revenue at each sales opportunity. Increase the number of sales opportunities and your fundraising will wildly exceed expectations.

And that’s it for these quick tips. For more detailed advice, read my full article on how to maximize your cookie dough fundraiser profits.

In a move to erase illegal fundraising, fraudulent accounts and the misappropriation of booster club funds, the new laws are aimed at creating a system of checks and balances that will require each individual school and county school system to be held accountable for each dollar spent.

Each school and school system has until July 1, 2008 to be in complete compliance with the School Support Organization Financial Accountability Act.

For years, high school booster clubs have operated to provide financial assistance to high school athletic programs, as well as school clubs and organizations.

But as money continued to flow from outside sources into the school and through booster club presidents, treasurers, school principals and even athletic coaches, how that money is spent and exactly how much is furnished has sometimes been difficult to track.

Booster clubs are not the only organizations affected by the act. Educational foundations, PTA/PTO and any other non-government organization supporting students are under the umbrella of this act.

In an effort to keep money raised by parents who represent a booster club separate from students who raise money for their own clubs, organizations or athletic programs, the law stipulates that two accounts be set up — the Outside Account and Student Centered Fundraising account.

I think this is a good move by the State of Tennessee to bring accountability back to high school fundraising and would hope to see similar legislation adopted in other states.

Over the years, I’ve come across quite a few good ideas for unique fundraisers. You can find a lot of them being discussed in our forum and learn how to raise maximum funds with any of our fundraising event ideas.

Here’s a short list of unique fundraiser ideas:

Hopefully, these ideas will get your creative juices flowing so you can come up with your own unique fundraising idea!

For more tips on raising funds for your group, visit Fundraiser Help today!

In this one, students get pledges from sponsors to donate a certain amount for each A grade they get on their report card. The middle school students are using the concept of good grades to raise money to help students in Africa.

A’s For Africa sounds like a great fundraising idea because it motivates the children to do well in school in order to help others. And of course, that approach encourages even more supporters to pledge significant financial incentives.

School fundraising doesn’t get much better than that!

Well, there isn’t any one answer that applies to all situations, but there are some generalities that do apply.

• Parents need to be motivated
• You can’t fundraise all the time
• You have to make the most out of each opportunity

So, what does that mean you should do?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I always recommend no more than three fundraisers a year with two of them being event oriented.

You motivate your school’s parents by clearly explaining the need for funds, what the money raised will be used for, and why each parent should pitch in and help to improve the school.

In return for pitching in on your one big fundraising product sale, you won’t need to fundraise all the time.

You make the most of your opportunities by adding in additional fundraising activities to your events such as silent auctions, raffles, live auctions, etc.

You also get the most out of fundraising product sale by also offering an alternate product with a high perceived value and a large profit margin such as a two-for-one pizza card. That way, if a customer doesn’t want to buy something from your catalog (or even if they do), you’ve got a great offering to snag some extra profit.

Click here for more tips on school fundraising.

You have to decide which approach you want to take:

1 - Sell products
2 - Organize an event
3 - Sell raffle tickets

For elementary schools, I always recommend that you do at least two events a year and one product fundraiser.

Do some sort of athletic-based event in the fall, a product fundraiser in Oct-Nov timeframe, and a school carnival in the spring.

Click here to read my tips for elementary school fundraising success.

Tupperware fundraisers are usually done as standard catalog order-takers. Simply order the quantity of fundraising kits you need, then send the materials and instructions home with the students. Each student packet contains a colorful 31-page catalog, order forms, collection envelope, and information on sales incentive prizes.

Collect the orders and advance payments after a two-week sales period, set aside your profits, and send in the order forms with payment. Customer shipments arrive in approximately two to three weeks, pre-sorted for easy distribution.

Profit margins are 40% and individual items range from $5 to $25. Grouped together by theme and also by convenient price points, Tupperware items practically sell themselves.

Individual orders run higher than with most other school fundraisers and that means higher net profits for your group. Many schools average a net profit of $40 to $50 per student. There aren’t many other ways to produce those kind of numbers this easily.

Tupperware Fundraising Events
Some schools do Tupperware fundraising as part of an event such as a spring carnival or spaghetti dinner. A large display of the various containers and food preparation tools is set up. A Tupperware consultant demonstrates the products, passes out food samples, and answers questions.

With over 100 items and prices starting at just $5, Tupperware products are very popular. Each one comes with a lifetime warranty, unusual these days in our throwaway society. In fact, the durability and quality of their products is a major selling point.

Order forms are placed nearby so that sales can be completed on the spot. Shipping is free, so schools can arrange to have their entire shipment sent to the school for distribution or they can charge a small extra shipping fee for people who want their orders drop shipped separately.

Both approaches to Tupperware fundraising work well for all group sizes, small to large. Take a break from selling food products and switch to quality household products for a change of pace.

Click here for more fundraising ideas

Start early
As previously discussed, to get enough volunteers you need to start early. The best way to do that is by pre-recruiting them. In other words, go through last year’s files and select the members that you think will be the most helpful.

Have each of them make a list of three to five potential volunteers and then instruct them to invite each potential helper to the first meeting.

Create an easy sign-up checklist
Next, use your written job descriptions to create a checklist form that has clearly defined positions and time requirements. At your first meeting, circulate a signup sheet where volunteers can place their name and number next to the description of a suitable position.

There is never a better moment to recruit than at the first meeting!

Click here to read more on recruiting volunteers.

I also included a bit of a forum thread I started this morning asking you what type of fundraising advice you wanted.

It might sound funny, but after six years and over a thousand articles covering just about every aspect of fundraising, it dawned on me that I should ask you what you’d like to know.

Add your advice requests here:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1558

Get organized
Divide the main tasks and focus on three areas: design, product, and marketing.

Design your raffle around a desirable car or SUV as the main prize. Include a cash equivalent option for people who don’t want the vehicle. Offer several smaller cash prizes to increase interest.

Product should be highly desirable with a considerable status quotient. Think dream car, not transportation. The other part of the product equation is a clear statement of specific benefits the funds raised by the raffle will produce.

Marketing is key to your success. Your press release should sell the human interest story behind the raffle, not focus on just the prize. What’s the money raised going to do? Sales flyers should include a color picture of the car and bullet points of features and secondary prizes.

Select a desirable car
You want to offer a vehicle that’s highly desirable such as a Lexus or Mercedes. Raffling off a cheap car is actually more difficult then doing one with a luxury model. Why? Because people dream about owning one, so you’re selling a piece of the dream.

Partner with car dealer
Approach the manager of a local car dealer with a win/win offer. You get a good deal on the vehicle, say 25% off list. They get free publicity while still turning a small profit after all the dealer sales incentives are factored in.

Click here to read the rest of the article on doing a car raffle.

Product Selection
In youth sports fundraising, it’s so important to select the right products to sell. The right product is one that has mass appeal, an above average price point, and good profit margins.

Product Price Point
Product offerings should be at an attractive price point. This means it should be neither high nor low, but right in the comfort zone that encourages people to open their wallets. Produce bigger numbers by offering product bundles.

Product Profitability
It’s important that your fundraising product has a high profit margin. Many standard items have a profit margin of 50%. Ideally, try to make 80% with products like discount cards for two-for-one fast food deals.

Sales Script
Don’t send your sellers out unprepared. Part of youth sports is teaching. Helping kids with their sales skills goes a long way toward building self confidence.

Here’s what to tell them:

1 - Make eye contact, smile and introduce yourself.
2 - Say one sentence about why you are raising funds.
3 - Say second sentence that asks for their help.
4 - Make sure that sentence includes the word “because”.
5 - Extend sample item, catalog, or order sheet.
6 - Suggest a personal favorite item or bundle.
7 - Always ask for the order.

Increase Prospects
Once your kids know what to say, they have to have prospects for their sales pitch. Have everyone make a list of their potential customers. Have each seller stand up in front of their teammates and state how many prospects they have. Then have them make a commitment to raising a certain financial amount. Set sales quotas. Encourage competition by offering prizes for top sellers.

Location Sales
Boost your youth sports fundraising by going where the prospects are. Reach incredible numbers of people by setting up fundraiser sales tables at entrances to high-traffic retail locations. Grocery stores, home improvement stores, and mass merchandisers have hundreds of prospects available. Get permission in advance from the store manager.

Have Fun
Always make raising funds fun for the kids. Their emotions are subconsciously communicated to each potential prospect. Tell them to smile, state your team’s need, then ask directly for help. That will create a favorable response.

If they’re looking down and mumbling, people will pass on the offer. Get kids involved by having some competition, include fun activities in the process, and have some rewards waiting for success.

Follow these seven tips and your team’s fundraising effort will be a big success.

Click here for more fundraiser ideas.

Fundraising Products

Fundraising Cards - Fundraising cards are easy fundraisers - Extra profit tips for discount card fundraisers to double your profits.

Cookie Dough Fundraisers - Cookie dough program overview plus companies and suppliers.

Candle Fundraiser - Five ways to maximize your candle fundraiser profits - Candle fundraising tips that really work to double or triple your results.

Top Five Fundraisers - Fundraising products that are easy to sell and always successful - Five top fundraisers for schools and youth sports teams.

Fundraising Events

Casino Night - How to raise funds with a Casino Night fundraiser - A fun fundraising event for adults where games of chance help charity.

Click here to read the rest of the article on the best fundraisers.

The best way to boost your fundraising results is to get your product offer, raffle, or event information in front of as many people as possible. It’s all about approaching your fundraiser as a business and using proper sales strategies to meet or exceed your group’s financial goals.

What strategies would a business use to increase sales?

1 - Increase sales staff
2 - Create attractive offers
3 - Offer discounts
4 - Do special promotions
5 - Get favorable publicity
6 - Seek out new customers

And how would you employ those strategies in fundraising?

Click here to read the rest of the article.

You can easily raise ten thousand with a simple raffle, tens of thousands with a desirable prize such as a new car, and hundreds of thousands of dollars with a truly deluxe prize such as a new home.

Cash prizes
From the late-1700s to the early 1900s, many public buildings and university expansions were funded by raffles. The raffle prize was always cash and the raffles always sold out all their chances.

Cash prizes allow people to dream of what they’d do with the cash if they won. Cash awards work best when ticket prices are fairly low and the grand prize is a significant multiple of ticket cost.

For instance, when you have a $10 ticket price, a $10,000 cash prize is a huge draw. Having lots of additional chances to win smaller cash prizes is another great ticket sales incentive.

The most popular cash raffles combine low-priced tickets with a significant cash prize and several tiers of smaller cash prizes. Total cash awards should always be less than 50% of total ticket revenue.

Luxury prizes
Physical prizes that match the ticket buyers “wants” also do well. Vacation getaways, restaurant gift certificates, spa treatments, and other items with a luxury feel also work well as prizes.

And don’t forget prizes aimed at men such as sporting event tickets, sports memorabilia, golf-related gifts, and anything that goes fast or makes lots of noise are also good draws for ticket buyers.

Click here to read the rest of the article on raffle prize ideas.

Cow Chip Fundraiser - A cow chip fundraiser is a great family-style fundraising event - How to get a big turnout and raise substantial amounts of money.

Golf Ball Drop Raffle - Raise funds fast with a golf ball drop raffle - Fun fundraising event features cash prizes for closest to the pin winners.

Rubber Duck Fundraiser - How to organize a rubber duck race as your fundraising event - Profit boosters for your rubber duck fundraiser that can double or triple your results.

Cash Calendar Fundraiser - Combining a cash raffle with a calendar fundraiser - Understanding the appeal of a cash calendar fundraiser.

Art Raffle Fundraiser - Putting together an art raffle fundraiser is easy and fun - How to raise large amounts for charity with an art raffle.

Fundraiser Raffle Ideas - Tips on putting together fundraising raffles - Fundraiser raffle ideas for any size group - Prize selection and ticket price tips.

Selling Raffle Tickets - Advice on selling raffle tickets - How to sell twice as many raffle tickets in half the time.

Click here for more fundraiser raffle ideas.

One ideal way to drop the golf balls that provides great fun for spectators is to use a tethered hot air balloon suspended above a huge bullseye target painted on a field. Another method is to drop the golf balls from a helicopter as it hovers above the target.

Either way, the cascade of several thousand golf balls plummeting toward the target has great spectator appeal.

Event specifics
While selling raffle chances is the bulk of the fundraising activity, you can also generate plenty of additional profits by making the drop event into a big party. You can add live music, serve food and drinks, offer donated items in silent auction bids, and even do a live auction of the best items such as a vacation getaway, spa package, or other attractive prizes.

Or, you can add a golf ball drop raffle whenever you’re planning a charity golf tournament or organizing a charity event. It’s an easy way to add tens of thousands of dollars to just about any fundraiser. All you need is a place to drop the balls and an eager sales force to sell the raffle chances.

At the center of the target area, plant a golf course flag in a hole cut in the grass. The winning ball is the one that’s closest to the hole. In case of a tie, combine two prizes and split the money between the two winners.

Click here to read the rest of the golf ball drop raffle article.

Preparing a press release is fairly simple, but if you don’t present a newsworthy angle in your summary paragraph, your cause will suffer. Read these great tips for how to work the media with a win/win approach and draw a huge crowd to your fundraiser.

Fundraising Publicity - Simple methods to get your fundraisers well publicized - Publicity is the key to successful events.

Getting Media Coverage - How to get media coverage for your non-profit group, charity auction, or fundraising event.

Fundraising Fundamentals - How to increase community awareness of both your need and your offering.

What’s In It For Me - To succeed, everyone needs to know “What’s in it for me?”

Click here to read these and other fundraising event publicity tips.

Here is a selection of cheerleading fundraising ideas for your cheer squad. Most of these fundraisers for cheerleaders work well for just about any age group, but use your discretion when deciding what works in your area.

To simplify your search, they are grouped into Product Ideas and Event Ideas. Some of the articles that are directly about cheer fundraising will cover several activities or events.

Cheer Product Ideas
Fundraisers For Cheerleaders - Ten ideas for fundraisers for cheerleaders - Five cheer fundraisers with products and five event ideas for cheerleading fundraising success.

Cheerleading Fundraisers - Three cheerleading activities and programs that are fun and profitable.

Custom Silicone Bracelets - Selling fundraiser bracelets is a great way to support your cause - Custom silicone bracelets are an attractive way to raise funds and show you care.

Dance Team Fundraisers - Eight fundraising ideas for dance team fundraisers - Four product ideas and four events for dance team fundraising.

Candle Fundraiser - Five ways to maximize your candle fundraiser profits - Candle fundraising tips that really work to double or triple your results.

Click here to read the rest of the article on cheer fundraising ideas.

Here are a number of articles about various fundraisers for all kinds of sports ranging from baseball to basketball to football with cheerleading, soccer, and other popular sports activities included as well.

Youth Sports Fundraising - Tips for improving the results of your youth sports fundraising - Fundraisers for youth sports teams that always do well.

Soccer Fundraising - Soccer team fund raising made easy for your high school or youth sports team.

Baseball Fundraiser - Three ideas for a great baseball fundraiser - Easy Little League fundraisers that produce double what you’ve previously raised.

Softball Fundraisers - Three softball fundraising ideas to raise funds for your team or league - Softball fundraisers that produce excellent results and don’t cost a lot.

Pizza Hut Fundraiser - Raise funds fast with a Pizza Hut fundraiser - Choose between sales of a $10 pizza discount card with two-for-one pizzas or host a Pizza Night at your local Pizza Hut.

Click here for more ideas for your next youth sports fundraiser.