10 Easy Tips for Fundraisers from Mixed Bag Designs

Aug. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- San Francisco, CA. Green fundraiser company Mixed Bag Designs helps thousands of organizations meet their fundraising goals by offering versatile and fun reusable bags. The colorful fundraiser catalog offers up tons of different styles and prints to dress up your everyday errands, with most of the products made from recycled plastics. Boasting the best green fundraiser service in the country, Mixed Bag Designs is happy to offer tips on how to have the best fundraiser. Here are 10 easy tips for fundraising!

1.   Use a checklist - Planning fundraisers can be stressful for the volunteers and for the fundraiser chairperson, but a bit of planning can really cut down on the stress levels and late-night scrambling with all those orders! The first step is actually starting from the end (it’s not as tricky as it sounds). The easiest way to plan out a fundraiser is to start at your distribution date and then work backwards, making sure to keep in mind each step so that you can create an easy-to-follow checklist to make sure you stay on track.

2.   Make a fundraiser plan – In our experience, we have found that fundraisers that take the time to make a fundraising plan beforehand and really prepare a strategy not only have more successful fundraisers, they also are far less stressed when it comes to crunch time.

3.   Get the word out online - Using Facebook is a great and efficient way to get the word out about your fundraiser – you can easily update all of your contacts and let them know how to support your fundraiser. You can also send out email blasts periodically throughout your fundraiser, reminding parents how they can lend a helping hand.

4.   Prepare cover letters - Fundraising letters are a great way to let parents know about your goals and how they can give their support. Send the cover letters out with the catalog so parents can immediately learn: what the fundraiser is about, when it is happening, where to turn in orders and contact information.

5.   Hang posters – Get colorful, eye-catching fliers and posters to promote your fundraiser and hang them in heavy traffic areas. If you’re doing a school fundraiser, hang these posters in the front hallways and near the cafeterias so people pass by them multiple times a day.

6.   Offer Prizes - When we’re all working for a greater cause, everyone enjoys a little pat on the back. An easy way to kick start your fundraiser is to offer prizes and freebies as motivation. Create contests where everyone’s a winner and give out different size prices based on different sales brackets.

7.   Follow through to impact - As we all know, planning a fundraiser includes lots of loose ends and organization – and sometimes you and your other fundraiser partners may lose sight of the greater impact that you’ll have with the success of your fundraiser. A great way to maximize profits for fundraisers is to follow through on the impact and highlight where all the hard work is going! Once the orders are in, keep open communication with all those involved with the fundraiser to show where the profits are going so everyone can be kept in the loop of the impact of their hard work and fundraising efforts.

8.   Diversify fundraising options - Showcasing variety is a great way to present a fundraiser and to reach a lot of people. Let your donors give as much or as little through offering a variety of products. Single product fundraisers usually do not attract as many donors, simply due to the lack of variety. Let people pick and choose, offering a wide range of options and price points in your fundraiser!

9.   Choose a company based on the reps - The fundraising company‘s sales rep represents far more than a company’s sales strategy, they are your engine that can really rev up your fundraiser’s profits. When planning a fundraiser and selecting a company, contact a few and see not only who responds but how they respond and if they seem in line with your goals. The best reps are the ones that understand the fundraising business and can quickly analyze an organization’s position to develop key selling points that will accelerate a fundraiser’s sales. The best chairs are the ones that know how to work with the reps to incorporate their creative ideas into the overall fundraiser plan.

10.   Post the results – People want to know how it’s going! Use countdowns, thermometers and announcements to display the latest results. This is a great way to motivate those last-minute participants (using phrases like “help us with just a few more orders!”) and also updates those who have participated. If your fundraiser is helping to build a new project, when the project is done, send out a follow-up email thanking everyone for their support.

About Mixed Bag Designs:
Freshen up your fundraiser with style and sustainability. Mixed Bag Designs Fundraisers (http://fundraiser.mixedbagdesigns.com) help organizations achieve their fundraising goals by offering a versatile and attractive product that gets people excited about supporting the cause. With top-notch customer service and products that everyone will love, there’s no end to your fundraising possibilities! Get more information at http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com