Challenges with Fundraisers

You have a cause (either for fundraisers or charity) – and need to earn money. But what kind of fundraisers should you choose? There are two types: Short and Long-Term.

1. Short-term Fundraisers

Most folks are familiar with short-term “seasonal” fundraisers like poinsettia sales during Christmas, Girl Scout cookies in January, or a few weeks in spring (mulch). Some require begging & selling stuff many wouldn’t buy otherwise (“Pity Buys”).

Many fundraisers, like a Mulch project, require a massive organization and a BIG effort:

Start with a small army of door-to-door student salespeople, door flyers, email campaigns
Throw in 25 parents, 20 cars and trucks, dozens of rakes and shovels
Add broken nails, SWEAT, filthy clothes, and liability insurance.

Short-Fall = Debt

Unfortunately, with short-term fundraisers, there is usually a shortfall. Most projects don’t fund everything, so parents take out a loan (credit card) to pay the difference (and kids get “chore debt” to help)–all so their kids don’t feel left out and deprived.

2. Long-Term – Forever Funding™

There are also long-term fundraisers. They often augment the short-term projects–a form of GAP insurance. These bring in money gradually throughout the year.

A wise strategy often starts with a short-term, high-touch fundraiser combined with long-term funding to augment and reduce shortfalls. Eventually, like the tortoise vs the hare, “steady wins the race,” your long-term fundraising often starts to replace your short-term efforts.

The Big Question

So, how do you find a “constant” fundraiser, that doe NOT require begging, arm-twisting, or an army of volunteers and a business plan to execute? How about a product or service folks already use? What meets these criteria?