How-To: Keeping Excitement During Your Fundraiser

Wow! Your fundraising representative did a great job energizing the students with their enthusiasm, fun videos and prize demonstrations! The kids hit the doors ready to win all the pigs (goats, dogs, chickens, etc). Now, you have 13 days left until the end of your campaign to, hopefully, raise the money you desperately need for your program, trip, equipment. How do you, as a sponsor, ensure that happens? With minimal time investment, you can ensure a successful campaign! 

Daily engagement is key

Here are some easy ideas: 

1. Thermometer charts that show the sale as it grows. Have students fill these up. Either by accessing the reports on your Sponsor Dashboard or by having the kids show you their order forms. 

2. When you call roll, instead of students answering with “here”, have them answer with how many items they’ve sold to date, how many emails, texts or social media posts to date. Small rewards (candy or stickers in addition to anything your rep may provide) for daily increases will help drive your sale. 

3. Drawings for gift cards, class privileges. Set a goal for the end of the first week. If the goal is met, all who have contributed to that goal are entered in the drawing. 

4. A first and last weekend push. All who achieve the minimal goal (10 emails sent, 15 items sold, etc.) get to participate in a donut hole party Monday! All who reach the minimal goal or double the goal by the end of the last weekend, pizza party! 

5. Email blast to parents prior to the start of the sale, on the day of kick-off and then a few days before it ends will help negate objections like, “I didn’t know we were having a fundraiser”. Cherrydale provides our sponsors with terrific, pre-written templates for emailing and social media. Sponsors and parents that share to their own social media accounts will help to open up your to folks beyond the school building. 

6. Use the video clips provided by your representative. They only take a couple of minutes daily and are easy reminders of why you need the funds, the prizes to be won and who to contact to help. 

7. A “Secret Shopper” on campus is a great way to get things buzzing at school. Contact a non-teacher friend (front desk assistant, Dean, asst. principal, librarian). Ask them to be the secret shopper. This is a 24-hour contest. If a student asks them for “help with my project for (group name here)”. The Secret Shopper then says, “Congratulations! You found the secret shopper!” Ideally, it should be someone who would order from a student anyway. The Secret Shopper then lets the sponsor know. Have an announcement made the next day announcing the winner to claim their prize (5 lb bag of gummies work great for this!). Great way to generate a buzz on campus and for students to ask adults they might not otherwise think of asking for support.

- Shelli Long
Cherrydale Regional Representative