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.

As a fundraiser, you know that there’s a trigger that drives a gift to your organization. Whether it’s a relationship with a high-powered community member, an individual who has been personally impacted by your work or someone who just feels passionately about the work you do in your community. There’s a moment of impact that you make through your marketing, your content or the personal relationships you build. Something happens that compels that person to make a donation.

If you talk to a leader at any large sales or marketing organization, they know that if they want to make their numbers at the end of the year, they need to focus on the needs of their customers and their target markets.  If they want to make their revenue goals, they need to be tightly aligned with the needs of their buyer. If they’re not, they’ll struggle quarter after quarter and they’ll fight for every deal.