Thinking of planning fundraisers to help fund your adoption? Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind while planning.Assign Point People
The key to having successful fundraisers is finding point people you can trust.
Don't try to take on all fundraisers by yourself.
Make use of your friends and family and have them help you organize and run each event. Usually, when family and friends hear how you are trying to raise money, they will be more than willing to donate their time and energy helping out. Advertise
I can't stress enough how important it is to advertise your event.
Contact local television stations, newspapers and radio stations with the dates and times of your events.
Mail out flyers to businesses and local churches as well.
Put cardboard signs all over town with the dates and times of events taking place. Organize
If you are having a rummage, craft or bake sale, organize all merchandise into neat piles. No one likes to hunt through mounds and mounds of clothing to find their size.
Have several tables set up with different clothing sizes and styles. (ex. Summer, large and x-large on one table, small and medium on the next table).
Arrange all items that are similar together so the shoppers can locate them easier. (ex. All kitchen items, all items for your wall, all bedroom items, all children's clothing). Clean
Make sure all items put out for rummage sales are clean.
Items will sell faster if they look nicer. No one wants to buy a set of cloth placemats with food left over from the last time they were used.
Contact friends and family and see if they would be willing to help you clean the items before the sale Prices
Have all prices for items being sold clearly marked.
If the price tag falls off, chances are you're not going to sell that item.
Try not to overprice items in the rummage sale. If you mark your items too high, many people will leave without looking around at the rest of your merchandise. Signs
Make all signs advertising your sales neat, big and easy to read.
Check over signs for misspellings before putting them around town as well.
Make sure all signs list the times of the event, the place of the event and what exactly the event is for.
If the event is for a raffle, make sure you have the date of the raffle drawing on the sign as well. Donated Items
Ask around your community for items people would like to donate for your adoption fundraisers. You'll be surprised at the turnout you will receive!
Assign a point person to field all phone calls and email messages regarding donations.
Set pick up/drop off times for donations as well.
Contact local businesses or churches to see if they would be willing to be a drop off center for donations for a certain day. This would make those who are worried about giving their home address out feel safer.
Do you know of more tips that others planning fundraisers should be aware of? If so, please contact us and we'll be sure to add your tips to the list.
