There are few things that are more important than location. It not only applies to real estate, but to fundraising too. Here are some tips to expand your horizons when trying to maximize your fundraising efforts.
There are few things that are more important than location. It not only
applies to land , but to fundraising too. Here are some tips to
expand your horizons when trying to maximise your fundraising efforts.
Traditionally, fundraising efforts are concentrated on:
-Friends
-Neighbors
-Relatives
-Co-workers
Besides the standard suspects, there’s an entire lot of cash in other places right under your nose.
You have to travel where the cash is. the large money in fundraising is being located where people are shopping. they’re out and about with cash or checkbooks in hand.
There’s no better time than that for offering a top quality fundraising product at these locations:
-Drugstores
-Home Improvement Stores
-Grocery Stores
-Shopping Malls
Drugstores – Nice entry-level sales spot. Generally have good sidewalk space available.
Home Improvement Stores – Big weekend traffic spots. many roll in the hay yourselfers diving in to their next project.
Grocery Stores – Prime hunting grounds for product fundraisers. A small, high-quality food item does real well here.
Shopping Malls – Hard to urge approval for outdoor space, but a location near the food court is golden.
And don’t forget the 800-pound gorilla: Wal-Mart – The grail of fundraising locations. each day spent fundraising ahead of this high-traffic retailer is like being in fundraising heaven. you will have more potential prospects than you’ll shake a stick at.
Because of the sheer volume of Wal-Mart shoppers, you’ll
need oversize signage to urge your fundraising message across quickly before
your prospects hurry on in
Casing the Joint before Time
You want the simplest location for your weekend fundraising table. Scope out the lay of the land. Check which entrance gets the foremost pedestrian traffic .
Find out who is responsible at this location. Often it is the store manager, but occasionally it’d require approval from the regional manager or
shopping center management. Don’t expect them to drop everything to talk with you. If necessary, found out a meeting to hunt permission
Be prepared with a two-minute overview of
Who – Tell them who you (and your group) are
What – Describe what your fundraiser involves
When – Have a primary date and an alternate one picked out
Where – Identify the precise spot you want to use
Why – Give the precise reason you’re raising funds
How – Summarize your proposed activities at their location
It’s a good idea to possess everything written up during a well-prepared letter. stick with the fundamentals as described above. If you’ve got group letterhead, use it!
Make sure that everything will go smoothly. invite the name of the contact person for your chosen date. Get permission, preferably in writing, just just in case the weekend manager didn’t get the memo.
Setting Up for the large Job
After you’ve cased the joint, you would like to be prepared to tug off your fundraising bank job.
Location – there’s often a separate set of entrance doors. you would like to stake your claim right there. There should even be many room for people to urge by.
Signage – search for good places to hold your signs and posters. they ought to be bright and bold with wording visible from thirty feet away. Highlight major benefits of the merchandise and make certain to spot your purpose
Table Space – you would like an outsized folding table, preferably 36×72. Place folding chairs on the side faraway from the door. Use a full-sized tablecloth to enhance presentation.
Staffing – Schedule your fundraising teams with overlapping adult/child pairs. you would like two adults and two children covering each 90-minute shift. Stagger the start/departure times by half-hour to avoid resource shortages.
Pulling It Off
To really break the bank, you’ve got to possess everything strategically . Timing and presentation are everything. you simply have 30 seconds to capture your prospects attention and convince them to prevent . Your fundraising should be thought call at these areas:
Product – confirm to settle on a high-profit, cash and carry fundraiser. nutriment discount cards are excellent. So are quality food items like cookies and gourmet treats like fudge. Sales items should be small, highly portable, and a spotlight getting into their title .
Samples – Product samples should be well-displayed and readily offered to every prospective client. within the case of food items, plates or trays of small nibble-sized morsels should be offered by the youngsters involved.
Presentation – Sell the sizzle, not the steak! Accentuate product benefits, not features. Would you rather have a juicy, mouth-watering, flame-broiled Whopper or a hamburger?
Sales Patter – Talk an honest game! Work from a loose script. Write down your best talking points as itemized bullets. Keep it short and straightforward . Tell them about your cause and make certain to invite their help
Location Wrap
As you’ve seen, an excellent location delivers many potential customers right to you. All you’ve got to try to to is stake your claim to the prime turf and choose it!
Don’t await your next fundraiser to suddenly grow wings. Plan ahead and achieve your own bank job instead. Maximize your fundraising success with location, location, location!
