Harmison's Hometown Fundraising: fundraising tips

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

4 Money Handling Tips for Your Fundraiser

If you're needing extra cash for your organization, a fundraiser is a great way to come up with it. Once you've decided what you're going to sell, you need to figure out how you're going to do it. Many Missouri fundraising companies will offer order forms to take orders on. In addition to how you'll take orders, you'll want to develop a money handling strategy. In today's blog, Harmison's Hometown Fundraising offers a few tips for handling money during your next fundraiser.

1. Appoint One Person to Be Collector.

For most school organization fundraisers, the teacher or advisor in charge would be the person to collect the money from the students. For other organizations, its important that you appoint someone to collect the money from everyone selling. Make a plan on how and when to get the money to this designated person. Depending on how long your fundraiser will last, you may want to have each person turn their money in at the end of each week. You don't want a bunch of people walking around with large amounts of money they've collected.You want to do whatever you can to minimize the risk of losing any of that money.

2. Create a Paper Trail.

You want to have a system in place for how many sales you've made. That way, at the end of the sale you can match those sales to the amount of cash you have collected. Many of the order forms provided by your fundraising company have a place for you to write the total and mark whether or not the person has paid yet. In addition, you might consider getting receipt books for everyone. Some customers paying in cash may want a receipt for the transaction, and that also gives you another way to double check your sales numbers and make sure everything matches up.

3. Deposit Money in a Timely Manner.

As mentioned above, you don't want anyone walking around with a large sum of money in their purse or backpack. If you have a plan for getting the money to an appointed "collector," that person can then take the money collected to the bank. If your organization doesn't have a bank account, be sure that the collector has a safe place to keep the money from your fundraiser, or consider opening an account. Depending on the length of your fundraiser, it might be wise to make multiple deposits throughout that time.

4. Keep It Simple.

One of the most important things to remember about handling money during a fundraiser is to keep it simple. Limiting the number of people that have their hands on the cash is the best way to reduce the likelihood of error. Make sure that people selling take the money straight to the collector. You don't want to give money to your friend to take to the collector; if there is a discrepancy in the sales numbers and the amount of money, you won't know who is short.

For all your fundraising needs, you can trust Harmison's Hometown Fundraising! We offer a variety of catalogs, featuring products your customers are going to love. When it comes time for your organization to hold a fundraiser, make sure you have a money strategy in place. Depending on the fundraiser, sometimes money needs to be collected at the time of purchase and other times, it should be collected upon delivery. Make sure everyone in your organization knows how the money collecting is going to work. Happy Fundraising!

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Harmison's Hometown Fundraising
Email: info@harmisonsfundraising.com
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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

5 Tips for a Successful Fundraiser

Holding a fundraiser is one thing, but holding a successful one is another. In today's blog, Harmison's Hometown Fundraising offers a few tips to help you organize a successful fundraiser for your organization. We've got some great products and catalogs for you to choose from, now what are you going to do to sell them?

1. Define a Clear Purpose.

Why is your organization considering doing a fundraiser? Do you need money for equipment and supplies? Do you need to raise money to pay for educational trips and experiences? Make sure that you're not just raising money to raise money. In order for the fundraiser to be successful, you need to have purpose behind it. The people supporting your fundraiser will want to know why you are doing it and where their money will be going.

2. Set Goals.

Once you have a defined purpose for your fundraiser, you'll want to set some goals. While it's great to raise as much money as possible, people work better knowing they're reaching for something, a specific goal. Think about how much money is needed per person to go on that trip or how much the new equipment is going to cost. Once you have those numbers, share them with the group and set a goal for how much of that money needs to be raised during this upcoming fundraiser. If you're planning to do more than one fundraiser, you can set smaller goals that lead up to that big goal you want to raise by the end of all your fundraising.

3. Have a Marketing Plan.

Think about how you're going to let people know that you're raising funds for something awesome. Are you going to put flyers up around your school? Are you going to blast information out on social media? Word of mouth is great when it comes to fundraising, but there are other marketing avenues you should consider too. No matter how you plan to get the word out about your efforts, make sure you have a plan. Consider putting together a marketing committee, consisting of individuals dedicated to spreading the word about your organization and what you hope to accomplish with this fundraiser.

4. Practice Selling Techniques.

Once you've determined what you're going to be selling and have your catalogs picked out, practice how you're going to approach consumers. Do some role-playing and test out your selling techniques. Don't just ask for the sale though. Be prepared to talk a little about the organization you're raising funds for and what you plan on doing with that money. People will be more willing to support you when they know their money is going to a good cause.

5. Don't Forget the Thank You.

One of the best ways to keep your supporters happy is to thank them for their contributions. While you may have already gotten the sale this year, showing your appreciation will encourage them to continue supporting you and your organization in the future. Don't forget that when you're out there selling, you're being the face of the organization and people will notice those extra little bits of effort.

When it comes to your fundraising needs, Harmison's Hometown Fundraising is here to help! Not only have we become a success in the Midwest, but we are proud to now service customers nationwide! Our Missouri-based fundraising company is committed to providing you, your organization and your community with quality products and customer service. We hope these tips help you get out there and sell, sell sell, so you can reach your fundraising goals!