We love working with organizations on fundraising.   We are a growing business and it's a great way for us to get our name out there.  We've written some tips to help our fundraising friends on your journey- whether with us or another company.   Reach out to use with any questions you may have- we're happy to help.   While we can't contribute all the time- we will do the best we can.

 

Booster Clubs, Fundraising time is here!

 

Fundraising is an essential job of Booster Clubs, but it can be challenging to come up with ideas or understand what your approach should be. To some organizations fundraising can be fun and energizing, to other groups it can be downright daunting. Here are tips that should make the job easier and more profitable.

 

There are two main types of fundraising: Events with donations and Fundraising with profit sharing.

 

Events with donations: Whether this be a gift card or a physical item, the concept is the same.  But the main question many Booster Clubs may have is “who do I ask and how to I approach them?”

 First, make sure you have a person within your organization who is the key contact.  Work as a team to brainstorm products your students would be excited about receiving.  These may be things like an extra/new dance class, some cool dancewear, spirit wear, dance shoes, or a magazine subscription?   Narrow down your list and determine which vendors you would want to approach.

 Next, prepare for the ask.  The old adage is “you have to give to receive”. This is often the most overlooked part of fundraising, but is the most important, as it could make fundraising down the road much easier.  What do you have to offer the vendor?  The answer is simple. CUSTOMERS!  You can use your enthusiasm for their product to drive additional business to their store, which will make the ask for the donation easy. 

 Fundraising with profit sharing:  This option is great for special events.  We see a lot of this at holiday time with our children selling popcorn or candy, or going to a local restaurant.  Additional options specific to dance schools could be:

•  Hosting a trusted vendor in exchange for a rebate or profit sharing.  Do you have a favorite wig or shoe vendor?  Invite them to come into your studio, but make sure you will have engagement when they get there.
• Partnering with a vendor on a product such as a fun shirt, sweatshirt, etc. to sell.  If the school logo is to be used, please provide the permission of the logo owner (likely the school owner) so there are no commercial concerns.

 In either case, volume is what will determine how much the vendor will donate or rebate back to the Booster Club or School.  Volume expectations should be shared up front so the vendor can outline the right price points and help determine what level of profit sharing they can provide.  Of course, the higher the volume the better the profit will be for the school!

 Now that you know what you want to do, the HOW is so important.  Below is a good checklist for what to include with your request to the vendor:

• Full name and address of your organization, with info on your key contact
• If you are non-profit, please share the non-profit number and official name/address etc. so the vendor can track it as a non-profit donation.
• Be clear on what the request is: Gift card, value of item, etc.  While vendors may have typical items they donate, it is always helpful to set the expectation.  They will offer something different if they cannot accommodate.
• Try to make the request as early as possible.  We would recommend 8 weeks in advance of an event.
• What is your offer in return? How will you drive business back to them?  These days social media is a popular way to do this.   We would recommend 3 posts- cross posted to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok if you can:

1. A Promotion of your event highlighting the supplier and donated product
2. A picture of the individual who won being excited about the product
3. A final thank you after the fact tagging the product/ supplier

 If successful, the vendor should see a pick-up in sales that they can attribute to the donation and be more than happy to contribute in the future.