Who doesn’t love a popcorn fundraiser? At uBack, we love a good snack, and we love helping out great organizations. It’s hard to say no to cute kids asking for needed funds. The problem with these fundraisers is you are often left snagging cash during check out because you have none on you. You may not even want the popcorn and would rather give the group cash. Or, you are trying to find your checkbook (that you never use) to give $20 for the popcorn. The problem is you really want to help the child’s organization, but the actual fundraiser leaves you frustrated and less likely to give.
There’s a better way.
Here are five things to know before you launch your popcorn fundraiser.
- 1. Consider the Return on Investment
Make sure you have a solid grasp of the percentage that comes back to your organization, as well as the effort involved in coordinating the fundraiser. Programs that raise money through selling items can be fun and engaging, but as the organizer, make sure you are focused on the purpose of the fundraiser. If your margins aren’t high enough, the fundraiser may not be worth the effort – no matter how good (or yummy!) the product is.
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2. Make it Easy on Donors to Give
Whether it’s a popcorn fundraiser or any charitable request, it’s important to approach your fundraiser with your donor in mind.
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What can you do to make it easy for your donor to give? Will you require cash or do you have a way for donors to use debit/credit cards? Can they give without being navigated to paper/pencil or a website?
Given most donors carry their phone with them at all times, enabling donors to give through a mobile app makes it easy. Your donors will have a hard time saying no if they can give by snapping a picture and tapping a few screens.
3. Promote the Cause
Your organization is important to you. If you want people to support it, they need to understand the impact it creates and why it is so important. Putting some thought behind how you can promote actual donations or fundraising benchmarks can drive urgency and further engagement with your efforts. Consider “hashtagging” your fundraising campaign, as well as enabling your donors to share their own support with their personal social networks.
- 4. Make Tax Documentation Easy
If you repeatedly get hit up to support local organizations through popcorn, wrapping paper, coffee, or Krispy Kreme fundraisers, it can be cumbersome to keep up with all the receipts for your tax documentation at the end of the year. Make it easy for your donors to report their donations with electronic receipts. -
5. Go Beyond the Popcorn
We love supporting organizations that make a difference. It’s not that we don’t want to help the kids and their schools or organizations. It’s just that selling things for a cause doesn’t always seem to be the best way to use time and resources. Sometimes it would be easier for us to make a simple donation. We’re betting a lot of the people who you’ll ask to support those fundraisers feel the same way.
It’s not about the popcorn. It’s about supporting the kids and the organization that makes an impact in their lives. That support should happen year-round, not just during one fundraiser. When considering a popcorn fundraiser or any sales-based fundraiser, think about the big picture. How can we enable our community to easily support our organization any time throughout the year? A little effort on the front end may yield big returns where it counts – in your organization’s bank account.
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