Ask a Pro: About Transition Planning - Spring 2011
Ask a Pro: About Partnering with Your Fundraising Company - Fall 2007
Ask a Pro: About Recruiting Teachers - Fall 2006
Ask a Pro: About Transition Planning - Spring 2006
Ask A Pro: About keeping the momentum - Fall 2005
Ask A Pro: About Making The Sale - Spring 2005
Ask A Pro: About Participation Levels – Fall 2004
Ask A Pro: About the "Pride Factor" in Fundraising – Spring 2004
Ask A Pro: About Bounced Checks – Fall 2003
Ask A Pro: About the School Principal’s Role in Fundraising – Spring 2003
Ask A Pro: About Child Safety in Fundraising – Fall 2002
Ask a Pro: Finding a Reputable Fundraising Company – Spring 2002
Ask a Pro: About Holiday Shops – Fall 2001
Ask A Pro: About Back-Orders and Substitutions – Spring 2001
Ask a Pro: About Return Policies – Fall 2000
Ask a Pro: About Percentage of Profits – Spring 2000
Ask a Pro: About Fundraising Fatigue – Spring 1999
Ask a Pro: About Delivery – Fall 1998
Ask a Pro: About Interviewing Fundraising Companies – Spring 1998
Ask a Pro: About Kick Offs – Fall 1997
Ask a Pro: About Prize Programs – Spring 1997
| Ask a Pro: About Transition Planning | Spring 2011 |
As the outgoing Fundraising Chairperson, it’s important to get your successor up to speed. The Fundraising Edge asked several seasoned fundraising professionals for suggestions on how to successfully turn fundraising responsibilities over to new leadership.
“The best case scenario is that the person running the current fundraising sale uses next year’s chairperson as their lieutenant, so they get to go through it at least once. What I’ve found over the years is that the successor looks forward to doing his or her first fundraiser, but there is a lot of anxiety if they don’t know what to expect. So a dry run is a good way to prepare them for their upcoming role. If that is not possible, we have an outline that we give the chairperson that details what’s coming up and what needs to be done. It really helps walk them through the process from beginning to end.”
— Roger Coutu, Pine Meadow, CT
“Most companies provide a written guide outlining each step of the fundraising process from beginning to end. This is important, but just as important is communicating with the past fundraising chairperson. This person has been there and done it, and her experience can be drawn upon throughout the sale. It is surprising how many parent groups fail to talk to the past people that headed up the previous fundraising projects. Even if this person is no longer part of the present PTO, it would behoove the new fundraising chair to stay in contact. Ask them about problems they might have had with money collection, delivery day or after the sale concerns. Experience counts!”
— Steve Kirk, Phoenix, AZ
“Continuity from year to year is an important element in fundraising sponsor management. The new fundraising chairperson should be invited to attend the wrap-up meeting for the current fundraising campaign. This opportunity can be used to discuss the successes and issues in the concluding sale along with any improvements or new ideas for the upcoming year.”
— JC Smith, Port Washington, WI
| Ask a Pro: About Partnering with Your Fundraising Company | Spring 2007 |
Hiring a professional fundraising company allows your group access to services (i.e. packing, computer tallying, assemblies, delivery, brochures, parent letters, etc.) vital to achieving fundraising success. But a professional fundraiser can also provide valuable “intangibles” – such as advice and tips based on years of experience working with groups just like yours. They’re also likely to know what other groups are doing and where. The Fundraising Edge asked two professional fundraisers for their thoughts on the importance of partnering with your fundraising company.
“Fundraising companies provide schools and youth groups with the services they need to achieve success, particularly as the number of available volunteers continues to decrease. Plus, top fundraising professionals know how to choose the right products for your community and the best prize program to motivate your students.”
Jamie Silver, Fundraising Professional, Miami, FL
“The personal relationship between the organizer and the company is critical. Because the organization’s reputation is at stake, fundraising coordinators must be able to completely trust the company and know that it will operate with integrity and high ethical standards. Many professional fundraising companies have been in business for decades, and can provide terrific advice based on those years of experience. Professionals know what works and what doesn’t work. We’re just as eager as you to see the fundraiser succeed.”
Kurt Koehler, Fundraising Professional, Fleetwood, PA
| Ask a Pro: About Recruiting Teachers | Spring 2006 |
To pull off a successful fundraiser, you need the full support of the entire school community – including busy teachers. Teachers arguably have more on their plates today than ever before, so it’s up to you to get those overworked educators on board, while not asking for a lot of their time. The Fundraising Edge asked two fundraising professionals for suggestions on how to recruit teachers.
“Every teacher has a student that’s a character or a class clown in their classroom. Well, every school also has a teacher who is a character. Maybe it’s a coach who’s willing to shave his head if the school reaches its fundraising goal. Or maybe you could recruit a well-known teacher who agrees to wear his clothes inside out if students raise enough funds. As fundraising chair, you need to recruit that person to support your program. Of course, the majority of teachers are extremely busy and may not be able to devote a lot of time to promoting the fundraiser. If you can convince teachers to mention the fundraiser to their students at least once during the school day, it will make a positive difference.”
– Russ Colombo, Houston, TX
“Teachers are with their students all day, so they have a lot of influence. If PTAs and PTOs do a good job of making teachers feel positive about the fundraiser, then the fundraiser will be a success. Some parent-teacher groups I work with also give teachers incentives by offering the top selling class a check to purchase classroom supplies. Because of new educational initiatives (such as the No Child Left Behind Act), teachers can’t afford to give up much of their classroom time to promote the fundraiser. Ask them to help in any way they can. Show them how you’re going to make it easy for them to help. But most importantly, explain to them why you’re raising the money and how their students will benefit.”
– Dave Mattice, Telford, PA
| Ask a Pro: About Transition Planning | Spring 2006 |
As outgoing PTO President it’s important to get your successor up to speed. The Fundraising Edge asked two fundraising professionals for suggestions on how to successfully turn fundraising responsibilities over to new leadership.
“When it comes to fundraising, I can’t stress enough the importance of succession planning. Groups who have qualified volunteers ready to step up to the plate have more success and a better overall experience. When chairing a fundraising project, it’s important to keep good records. Share with the new committee what worked and what didn’t work. This will help the successor get an early jump on planning next year's project and will help minimize the possibility of making the same mistakes.”
—Jim Pike, Lakewood, NJ
“Putting everything in writing is critical. I like to include a timeline and a schedule when I meet with a school to set up the fundraiser. Future fundraising chairs can use these as a resource. It’s also important to identify a successor as soon as possible and open a dialogue with that person. I occasionally like to go to lunch with the old and new fundraising chairs. We can talk about the history of the school’s fundraising activities, and how our company’s program works, so that the new chair gets up to speed. It’s good if the principal can come along too. He or she provides continuity and special insight into the fundraising process.”
— Dan Doerfling, Tampa, FL
| Ask A Pro: About keeping the momentum | Fall 2005 |
After an exciting sales kick-off, that initial enthusiasm can lag as other matters vie for participants’ attention. The Fundraising Edge asked two fundraising pros for ideas about how to keep the momentum going.
"To keep kids interested, we leave taped messages at the school to be played during the daily announcements. Or we might leave a particular song associated with the fundraiser kickoff so it can be splashed on during the announcements for ten seconds to get kids to remember the sale. A lot of groups this year are using pig races for motivation, and we’re using the CD ‘Who Let the Pigs Out?’ (a take-off on the popular song ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’). To keep parents aware of the sale, some groups use special signs placed in front of the school so when parents go by the school they remember that a fundraiser is going on. A sign like this needs to be something that’s not always there. These days, it’s more important than ever for organizations to keep promoting their sales, because elementary schools are deluged with fundraising requests, everything from tsunami relief to gathering funds to replace a police department dog who died."
—Michael Freeman, Fundraising Professional, Indianapolis, IN
"It’s important to do something at the halfway point to jumpstart the excitement. Many times fundraising leaders will throw in something new midway through the sale to arouse new interest. They might offer a party with pizza, donuts or ice cream for the topselling class. Or some teachers are willing to embarrass themselves if the class reaches its goal, inspiring kids to work harder at sales for the chance to see their teacher coming to school dressed with her clothes on inside out or singing in the cafeteria or taking a whipped cream pie in the face."
— Elisabeth Jonas, Fundraising Professional, Duluth, GA
| Ask A Pro: About Making The Sale | Spring 2005 |
As we spring into another fundraising season where warm weather competes for your attention, Fundraising Edge went forward and got answers that can help your school raise more funds at the next drive.
We asked two fundraising pros how they coach their groups to succeed.
"If your group presents a quality product line to the community, to which the buyers respond favorably, your profit will stay consistent and grow through the years. Parents, friends and relatives actually look forward to your annual sale, increasing their order from year to year, telling their friends how good the products are. Oftentimes a school changes fundraising companies annually, thinking that another company or program might work better. However, if the quality of products is inconsistent or service provided is inferior, community trust is broken. The buyer loses confidence in the product sold and, therefore, credibility of the school or school group suffers. People are less likely to support the sale next time. It takes years to build community loyalty and support! If something works for you, stay with it!"
- Elisabeth Jonas, Fundraising Professional, Duluth, GA
My focus is on what will cause the kids to get the program materials out of their backpacks and out of their football or cheerleading gear bags. The chance for something to happen is great if they get the catalog out of their bags and into the hands of mom or dad. Once in the right hands, the program has to cover a wide variety of interests, appealing to singles, moms, dads, older adults, teenagers, adolescents, and children. Then the program has to cover categories of interest, whether it is food, seasonal and holiday items, kitchen gadgets, accessories, and more. More variety means more selling tools on the front line. But it still all comes back to motivating the kid to take the brochure out of the backpack. Strong incentives and a good product mix work well with my groups."
- Gary Ulrich, Fundraising Professional, Carlisle, PA
| Ask A Pro: About Participation Levels | Fall 2004 |
There is a strong correlation between the number of volunteers a fundraising organization can tap and the amount of money they can expect to raise on a given fundraiser. How important is it that you have 50% or better of families supporting your product fundraising sale? We asked a couple of fundraising professionals to share their perspectives.
“Participation is everything. Our average level of participation runs between 50% and 60%—it is very important to the success of the program. One problem with waning participation is that many sales reps don't spend enough time helping volunteers understand what it takes to run a successful fundraiser. As fundraising specialists, our job is to help them stay focused on the goal throughout the drive. I talk about the goal in real terms in kick-offs and how individual efforts add up. I use goal charts with each class to measure their participation. Our average sale is somewhere between $80 and $90 per student... Increased support for the sale comes from having a good goal, good products that are reasonably priced, good service, and great promotion to staff, parents and students.”
—Cindy Nicholson, Fundraising Professional, Portland, OR
“The retail sales per student, based on enrollment, is the key number for us; if it is on the rise, then that offsets any short-falls in participation. For ten years, sales per student leveled at $60. We've added school-wide mega-parties to our incentive program and sales per student have bumped up between $80 and $100. If we can keep the retail sales per student at $100, then I'm happy.”
—Jim Pollock, Fundraising Professional, Piney Flats, TN
| Ask A Pro: About the "Pride Factor" in Fundraising | Spring 2004 |
Many principals and parent volunteers look at fundraising as a “necessary evil,” dismissing the very real (and tangible) benefits that fundraising provides. We asked a couple of fundraising professionals to share their thoughts on why taking pride in fundraising can make all the difference.
“Principals and parent group volunteers who are committed to reaching their goal will devote resources of time and energy to lead the charge; communicate expectations; and serve as cheerleaders. Their enthusiasm combined with the resources of a professional fundraising company will have a synergistic effect-turning just another fundraising drive into a community project. And when a community project is successful, everyone takes pride in the results.
I find that groups who look at fundraising as a “necessary evil” rather than an opportunity to make something happen as a school community aren't as successful. They tend to be satisfied with a turnkey fundraising sale relying too much on the company's resources, and not enough on their own. This “fundraising-in-a-box” attitude underestimates the power of community and overestimates the ability of an outsider to make a difference. It has to be a team effort to evoke pride.”
— Pat Bieneman, Fundraising Professional, Lynnwood, WA
“I think some people see fundraising as a 'necessary evil' because they wish their school didn’t have to raise money in the first place. Yet, they very much want the benefits that come from fundraising projects. I take a great deal of pride in the fact that I can provide them with easy, effective solutions. It's also my job to work with the volunteers to bring everyone "on board,” focus on those benefits, and pull together to reach their goal. That's the kind of teamwork that builds success and, ultimately, pride.
— Jim Pike, Fundraising Professional, Lakewood, NJ
| Ask A Pro: About Bounced Checks | Fall 2003 |
It happens. We don't like it when it happens. And it's usually a simple oversight. But how you handle the situation can make or break how you and your organization's fundraising efforts fare - now and in the future. We asked a couple of fund-raising veterans to tell us how they counsel non-profit groups faced with the dilemma of a bounced check.
Run the check through the bank a second time. If it bounces again, place a courtesy phone call to the person who wrote the check. Some call the bank first before making the second deposit attempt. If the check-writer is non-responsive, send a certified letter stating the check was returned and for what reason (e.g., insufficient funds) and that the party has 10 days to provide a cashier's check or money order for the appropriate amount. Act fast, the longer you wait, the tougher it is to collect.
— Judy Monroe, Former Treasurer, Texas State PTA
Our programs are all pre-paid. Before product is ordered, groups have the money in-hand. If a check bounces, the product won't be released until payment is received. Many groups still prefer payment on delivery - or post-pay - but the opportunity for bad debt increases along with the potential for profits. Some groups tackle the problem by asking the parents of the enrolled student to have supporters write personal checks made out to them. The parent then writes one check to the school PTA or PTO to cover all the orders their family has collected. It's easier for the parents to follow-up with friends, neighbors and co-workers and it cuts in half the time spent on collections.
— David Crede, Fundraising Professional, Lincoln, Delaware
| Ask A Pro: About the School Principal’s Role in Fundraising | Spring 2003 |
Too often, today’s busy school principals leave fundraising responsibilities totally to their parent groups and booster clubs. We talked to a couple of principals about this trend and how they view their own role in fundraising.
“Ultimately, I’m responsible for everything that happens in and around this facility, including fundraising. I delegate as much as I can, but fundraising is just too important. I never let go completely. When it has this school’s name attached to it, I have to know what’s going on – what products we sell, what vendors we use – because when someone has a question, they call me. If I don’t know what’s going on, I can’t respond.”
— James Hodge, Elementary School Principal, Bridgeport, CT
“I serve on the executive board for both the parent organization and the athletic association – the two main fundraising organizations in our school. These groups make significant contributions to our schools and I have a hand in everything that happens, including setting goals and how we reach those goals. I also bring a little history to the table and know what – and who – has worked well for us in the past. And for me accountability is a top priority. After every fundraiser, a written report must be filed and eventually shared with everyone in the school. The reports show how much money was spent and how much money was earned and where it all went. This step protects the organization and the volunteers in charge.”
— Sister Nadine, Private Catholic School Principal, Hazlet, NJ
| Ask A Pro: About Child Safety in Fundraising | Fall 2002 |
Schools, non-profit groups and companies have worked together for decades to make the safety of children involved in fundraising a number one priority. We asked a couple of professionals in the business of fundraising to tell us how they address the issue when working with young volunteers.
"We stress adult supervision in a letter to parents and again on our brochure. Safety is a primary message at every kick-off assembly. Even if we only have five minutes, we tell the students "no door-to-door sales" and "have your parents sell to family and friends." If the sponsor has asked for a prize program, we take a low-key approach. This is not negotiable. We never want to work kids into a frenzy so that they disregard the rules."
- Russ Rice, Lancaster, CA
"Reward programs are important but tricky. They help motivate kids who wouldn't ordinarily participate in a fundraising sale. It's incumbent upon us to make sure volunteers fully understand the rules. Our company makes these rules clear through presentations, on our prize brochures, and with a full safety program. They know the three rules because they see them every day. 1) Always sell with a parent or guardian; 2) No door to door selling at homes you don't know; and 3) Always sell before dark. Some of our groups will even disqualify a student from prizes if they are discovered going door-to-door without Mom or Dad."
- Cindy Nicholson, Portland, OR
| Ask a Pro: Finding a Reputable Fundraising Company | Spring 2002 |
Every year there seems to be more and more fundraising companies, programs and products to choose from. It's time now to make a decision and you're looking for some telltale signs that a firm will be fair and responsive to your needs. We asked a couple of professional fundraising companies for advice on how to look beyond the sales pitch.
Selecting a fundraising company is just the same as making a major purchase. Ask for references…trust your instincts. If you're dealing with somebody that makes you uncomfortable, there's a reason. When you call the references, find out how long they've worked with the company? What was the profit - not the percentage? Ask how they handled problems that came up? And, if they tell you there were no problems, it's probably not a solid reference. You just can't do a fundraiser with 400 families and not have any problems.
- Stu Nickell, Englewood, CO
Look for quality. It's so easy to be side-tracked by the glitz. You might go with the wrong company for the wrong reason. On paper your fundraiser may even do well…but if the products and services you actually receive are substandard, it won't matter how well you did. Your group's reputation is on the line and it will dictate how you do next year.
- Cindy Nicholson, Portland, OR
| Ask a Pro: About Holiday Shops | Fall 2001 |
A holiday shop is a seasonal "store" at school where students can make holiday purchases, selecting from an assortment of inexpensive gift items sold on consignment by the sponsoring parent group.
Though parent groups are free to mark up the items, most run the program as a service to students and families - not to raise funds. Many fundraising companies offer, in addition to their regular programs, a turn-key holiday shop package which typically includes tips for a successful event, promotional materials, bags, tablecloths, signage and, of course, the merchandise itself. We asked a couple of these companies for suggestions on what else parent groups should look for in a holiday shop.
Look for a variety of products. Is there something for kids? Men? Ladies? Pets? Are you able to select the items yourself? How many items will be sent and on what basis? Find out what the company's policy is on restocking. Can items be restocked overnight?
- Dave Mattice, Telford, PA
Holiday shops are designed to provide a positive experience for ALL children of ALL income levels. There should be four of five items in each price range - from .50 cents up to $10 or $15, with most of the items costing less than $3.
- Dan Doerfling, Tampa, FL
| Ask A Pro: About Back-Orders and Substitutions | Spring 2001 |
Because so many fundraising programs involve imported products, supply problems resulting from tight delivery deadlines can trickle down to fundraising sponsors. We asked a few fundraising professionals for advice on how best to prepare for this occasional challenge involving product sales.
"When interviewing fundraising companies upfront, ask about their policy should an item be back-ordered. Will they let you know as soon as they know there is a problem? And what happens if an item simply isn't available? Will they make a substitution automatically or will they offer options? What measures will they take to make the process relatively painless for you and your customers?"
Stu Nickell, Englewood, CO
"As a fundraising distributor, I have formed a strategic alliance with my customer and my supplier. It's critical for me to maintain credibility with both partners… that we all communicate early and honestly with each other so that all of us succeed."
Michael Keyes, Frankenmuth, MI
"Look for signs of good communication and customer service. There's nothing worse than not being able to find your sales representative when you have problem. Find out who will provide that support if it's not the sales rep. Look for companies with a plan and policy in place for trouble shooting and good record-keeping procedures to track orders."
John Kukta, Akron, OH
| Ask a Pro: About Return Policies | Fall 2000 |
Sponsors can learn too late that the fundraising company they've contracted with has a different return policy than what they've experienced in the past. Some companies have a strict return policy, while others may be more lenient. We asked a few professionals for their advice on how to avoid surprises at the end of a product sale.
"Sometimes the finer points of a contract are lost in the fervor of making the sale, so we attach to every contract a one-page summary of important points - including the return policy. Typically, we accept returns only if the cases are unopened. When products are delivered, I tell our customers AND our drivers to make sure they count everything before they sign a document accepting the delivery."
Paul Muscat, San Diego, CA
"The best way to deal with returns is to avoid them in the first place. Unrealistic expectations create the most problems. A sponsor may order product based on how much money they want to make vs. how much they can realistically sell. We try to guide our customers to order responsibly - by listening to their history, goals and number of volunteers. Then we must be prepared to ship reorders as quickly as possible if the group needs more product."
Jim Pike, Lakewood, NJ
| Ask a Pro: About Percentage of Profits | Spring 2000 |
Too often percent of profit becomes the decisive factor for choosing one fundraising program or company over another. Some groups flat out refuse to do business with companies who offer percentages beneath a certain level. Is this a wise practice? We asked a couple of product fundraising professionals just how important percentage is when making sound fundraising decisions.
I do not engage in bidding wars over percentage. As a result, my customers know my prices are fair and the services are worth it. If a company is offering a higher percentage, find out why. It usually means product quality or service is less than you expect or the retail price is higher than it needs to be -- all of which will ultimately hurt sales.
Jamie Silver, Miami, FL
"You can't put % in the bank." It may sound trite but it's true. Percent of profits is important but it's not going to make or break a fundraising project. Product quality, service and delivery are more important especially now that there are fewer volunteers with less time to invest. It's naïve to think that you're not losing something when you gain even a few percentage points.
Kurt Koehler, Kutztown, PA
| Ask a Pro: About Fundraising Fatigue | Spring 1999 |
"We didn't meet our fall fundraising goal and parents are complaining that there's too much fundraising. What do we do now?" We posed this dilemma to a couple of professionals in the business of fundraising to see how they would advise this organization.
"I've been in fundraising for 30 years, the first ten as a school principal. We used to have one or two fundraisers with 80 to 90% of the kids participating. Now you'll see a school doing one fundraiser after another with only 30-35% participation. It's easy to see why they're losing steam. I tell groups: limit the number of fundraisers you do and avoid competing with others in the community. And before you overburden parents, consider backing-off your original goal. It's more important that you keep your long-term credibility intact."
Mike Purvis, Atlanta, GA
"We encourage groups to keep fundraisers down to two per year and to try avoid being talked into too many ancillary activities. Incrementally, the more fundraisers you do, the less your return. The community can only support so many and eventually volunteers burnout. Everybody loses. If another fundraiser in the spring is the only way to go, we'd include a note in the parent letter that says we want to keep fundraising to a minimum but in order to meet your goal of . . . . Be very specific."
Steve Wienkers, Grafton, WI
| Ask a Pro: About Delivery | Fall 1998 |
No one likes surprises at delivery time. We asked professionals in the business of fundraising to identify the most critical questions an organization should ask their fundraising company upfront to avoid surprises and be best prepared for delivery day.
"Get an approximate time for delivery and find out if the products are coming by company trucks or common carrier. Sometimes common carriers are less flexible about inside deliveries and unable to pre-arrange exact delivery times. Either way, you need to have an idea of what to expect so you’ll have enough volunteers on hand and avoid the logistical nightmare of unloading product as school buses arrive."
Susan Canal, Indianapolis, IN
"Make sure you know who is paying for the freight on all deliveries, including items that have to be returned. In fact, it’s a good idea to know the return policy and procedure for packaging discrepancies when you reach an agreement with a company upfront."
Michael Freeman, Indianapolis, IN
| Ask a Pro: About Interviewing Fundraising Companies | Spring 1998 |
Often, fundraising representatives are asked to introduce and sell their company's products and services to a committee in fifteen minutes or less. We asked professionals in the business of fundraising what they thought of this practice and how sponsors might suffer from it:
If they can only spend 10-minutes with each company, I recommend sending a list of questions to each company in advance so the companies can spend the 10-minutes addressing the sponsors most important issues. Some good “challenge” questions might be: How long have you been in business? Where are the products shipped from and where are they packed? What's the most difficult problem you've encountered and how did you solve it?
David Procter, Buckley, WA
In my opinion, it is not possible to make a sound business decision worth thousands of dollars in 10-minutes. If I choose to participate in this kind of selection process, I will focus my comments on the sponsors' needs and our company's ability to meet those needs. I will not get into the details of our program. When hiring a fundraising professional, sponsors should focus on product quality, service and fair profit. Frankly, they need to spend more time with fundraising companies to resolve these questions.
Warren Ackerman, Indianapolis, IN
| Ask a Pro: About Kick Offs | Fall 1997 |
Student assemblies to kick-off fundraising drives are sometimes the subject of debate among fundraising organizations. We asked professionals in the business of fundraising to give us their perspectives on kick-offs.
“Some schools resist assemblies because it takes too long to get all the kids together and interrupts classroom time. But we find that in those schools that allow kick-offs, the students have a more unified sense of purpose and participation increases 30 to 50 percent. We like to get the principal and teachers involved so they can tell the kids what the fundraiser is for, and we can tell them who they should and shouldn't approach. While, we put a lot of tie and energy into printed materials, most kids and their parents just aren't motivated to read it."
Toni Licocci, Lake Forrest, IL
“In our kick-offs, we stress no door-to-door sales and we show the kids the prizes that they can win by NOT going outside the family. I'm working with two schools now who have asked for an alternative. In one school, the teachers will talk to their students and the prizes will be on display in a common area of the school. In the other school, parent volunteers will visit each classroom."
Pat Daniels, Mansfield, TX
| Ask a Pro: About Prize Programs | Spring 1997 |
Prize programs or incentives are sometimes the subject of debate among fundraising organizations. We asked professionals in the business of fundraising to give us their perspectives on prize programs.
“Kids are like adults. They perform better when there's something in it for them. Without an incentive of some type, my groups realize only half of their potential profits. In product fundraising, parents usually do much of the selling, but the kids a.) need to bring the information home and b.) must be motivated to encourage mom and dad about it. The incentive has to be age appropriate and tasteful. I really like incentive programs that reward broad participation.
Natalie Zatz, Beltsville, MD
“Rather than give everybody an inexpensive prize for selling an item, I prefer an incentive program that rewards kids with higher quality prizes they won't be disappointed in. Schools that opt not to offer an incentive make 25 - 50% less on their fundraiser than schools that use good incentives.
Gerald Averkamp, Milwaukee, WI
