Hey kids, I’ve picked out a great fundraiser for us this year!

Pause.

<Collective groan>

If this is the scenario playing out in your dreams prior to announcing this year’s fundraiser with your music students, let’s step back for a moment.

For most, if not all of your students, this isn’t their first fundraiser. Which means they may be coming in with certain expectations. Some may have put in great efforts in the past to be rewarded with some cheap candy or amusements that could have been pulled out of a gumball machine. Some may have had the wrong orders delivered to them and had to deal with customer service for products…no easy feat for anyone at any age.

Instead of starting with the daunting “fundraiser” announcement, start by telling them that you’ve found a way for them to earn prizes like Beats Headphones, Under Armour gear, Mastercard gift cards, and tons of accessories for their electronics. Woohoo! Swag. Now you have their attention.

The best part is that it’s the truth – not just another figment of your dream world. Your students, for the hard work they put into the fundraiser, will genuinely earn some great prizes that you can be proud of offering. (And they won’t feel like you picked them up at the dollar store.) Now, let’s get them excited.

Kickoff with a big rally!

Our Kickoff Presentation prepares and energizes students for order-taking. Every student receives a personalized Plan of Action that guides them through the sales process. Additionally, we’ll provide a Parent Letter that reinforces why you’re doing it and explains how the program works – including what they can earn.

Sell more items = earn some great swag.

We’ve developed our fundraising program to be fun for students. Keep that kickoff motivation high by continuing to talk to your students about why you’re fundraising and the awesome awards that they can earn. There’s even a drone. A drone!

Keep the orders managed (easier than it sounds).

Students will get everything they need to stay organized, which in turn will keep you organized. Product brochures, order envelopes, our entire process is designed to be both easy and effective. At the end of the sale, just collect the order forms and send them back in the provided prepaid envelope. That’s it! Any customer service issues will be handled directly through Century Resources – not through you, and not through your students.

Distribute awards!

Congratulate your students on their efforts, recognize their contributions toward the group’s goals, and distribute their awards! Remind them there’s always another chance next year to do even more. Maybe you can let them pull out their phones this day for all those cool accessories they earned…?

So ditch the fundraising nightmares and start dreaming about listening to your students’ rehearsals through a pair of Coby earbuds, or taking a bird’s eye view shot of your happy students with the camera-equipped drone!

Ready to start your next fundraiser? Sign up today!

School fundraising has changed over the years. Let’s be honest – how people communicate, how they comparison shop, and how they spend money has changed, too. Somehow lugging around a box full of samples isn’t cutting it anymore.

Just like any other products for sale, the fundraising program you choose should make the most of the current ways people buy through digital channels, both using them to promote and offer purchasing options which make it easier to take orders from family and friends that aren’t nearby.

People are writing fewer checks and are processing more payments online. Consumers prefer that only about 9% of all their transactions be made in cash. Many fundraising groups, like Century Resources, offer tools like those listed below to help parents and students get the word out to friends and family, and accommodate orders in more ways.

Provide a clear pitch and tools to market for your students.

• Clearly identify the reason why you are fundraising for students and parents. When students identify a clear need for their group, they have a greater degree of success when they ask for orders. Quick and to the point allows supporters to know what and why.
• Use an email automator. It’s easier than it sounds. Century Resources, for example, simply has students and parents enter the names and email addresses of friends and family that might be willing to help. They’ll receive a personalized email about your group’s fundraiser and a link to shop through your customized web store.
• Leverage social media. Sharing information about your fundraiser via social media makes it easy to reach large groups at once. Century Resources provides a suggested post and link for your students, groups, schools, or even parents’ Facebook or Twitter pages.

Encourage online order placement.

• Set up a customized web store. Whether orders are placed in person or online, the group receives the same profit, and students still earn credit toward awards. Products are shipped directly to those placing online orders, so that reduces the delivery burden, too. Your Century Resources web store stays open for a year after your program ends, so family and friends can buy more of the products they love—and you’ll continue to earn profits.
• Paying via smartphone. Customers without cash? No problem. Buyers just simply scan the QR code on the student’s order form with their smartphone, and they’ll be directed to a secure mobile site to easily pay for orders with their credit card.

While digital channels for both outreach and purchasing have evolved, it’s always best to remind students that a phone call or an in-person visit really helps to seal the personal connection and commitment. A smile still goes a long way!

“We appreciate all that Century Resources does for our music program. Our students made over $4,000 profit for their student accounts. We love your company and we really appreciate [our representative] for all that she does to make sure things are going smoothly.” – Linda Hartweg, IWHS Band

Ready to start your next fundraiser? Sign up today!

It would be simple to have a successful fundraiser if you sold what people were looking to buy. With that said, there are a wide range of companies and products to choose from. How do you choose what’s best for your group to sell?

First, remember that some fundraising companies actually do research products to see which make sense for their business model. Think about it. It does them no good to offer items that aren’t popular or won’t get orders. So while you may not be a cookie dough fan, there’s a reason that it shows up time and time again…people like it!

With that said – it’s not a “no-brainer”. It’s worth taking a few minutes to really think about what works for your community, and choose the right products to make your group more profitable in the long run:

Pick Proven Winners.

A good fundraising company updates their product selections on a regular basis. For example, every year, Century Resources sees what works – and we mean, what works well. What sold? What didn’t sell? If people didn’t order it, it’s out. We listen to feedback from our representatives, and look at order history and frequency to figure out what’s effective. You need the products to do the heavy lifting so your students don’t have to.

Don’t sell…junk.

Look, asking students and parents to pitch in isn’t easy. Not everyone can sell and ask for orders, and no one likes the feeling that they’re asking someone to buy something that just isn’t quite up to scratch. Products made in the USA, carry quality ingredients, and 100% satisfactory guaranteed makes it that much easier to gain orders. When you’re confident about the product, you’re more confident selling it.

Look for a Product Guarantee -that you don’t have to manage.

At Century Resources, we guarantee our products are the best quality, and 100% of our food products are made in the USA. Each product is stamped with our toll-free customer service number, so if a customer isn’t happy, simply call us. Groups keeps the profit, the student still gets credit for the sale, and customer satisfaction with product is not your responsibility. Ta-da!

Lastly, sell what the kids want to sell.

Once you’ve picked a partner company, ask the students for some input. Maybe they’ve sold just a little too much chocolate in their short lives already. Maybe they want to pick the pizza packages to go along with the Italian song that you’re working on this year. Give students a reason to be excited to sell! Once the kids are excited about what they are taking orders for, you’ll see better participation and more units sold toward total profit.

“The products from Century Resources are excellent. It is one of our best fundraisers for our school music department.” – Nancy D., East Richland HS Music Department, Olney, IL

Ready to start your next fundraiser? Sign up today!