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!
