Krispy Kreme fundraising has been helping schools, youth sports groups, and churches raise money since 1937. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are a great fundraiser. Raise money by selling fresh doughnuts. Works well for school fundraisers, churches, clubs, an

Posted on by
Reply

Krispy Kreme fundraising has three different programs:

Traditional doughnut sales Gift certificates Partnership cards

Krispy Kreme Fundraising – Traditional Doughnut Sales Perfect for the fund-raising needs of schools, clubs, churches, and other non-profit organizations. Doughnuts are made fresh and packaged by the dozen in special fund-raising boxes.

Customers buy them by the box and your profit is generally 50% or more per box. Pricing and availability will vary.

Contact your local Krispy Kreme store for fundraiser group sales pricing.

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser – Gift Certificates They are an alternative to actual product sales. Customers redeem each certificate for one dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts at any participating Krispy Kreme retail shop.

Certificates give your customers the option to help your organization and pick up their doughnuts at their convenience. Minimum order required. These work especially well for smaller groups that may not have as many volunteers to draw from to help with pick up and delivery. Consider using gift certificates to sell during another fundraising event. This is called an overlay and can increase profits without having an additional fundraiser.

Contact your local Krispy Kreme store for gift certificates for fundraisers.

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser – Partnership Cards These partnership cards allow customers to get a free dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts with the full price purchase of any dozen of their choice.

Ten punch cards allow the customer up to 10 free dozen doughnuts with the purchase of 10 dozen. (Limit of 3 free dozen per visit with the purchase of 3 dozen.)

Pricing allows for 50% profit for each card sold.

Program availability varies by market and cards may not be valid in all Krispy Kreme locations. Minimum order required.

Contact your local Krispy Kreme store to purchase your fundraiser partnership cards.

Using car donation as a tax deduction

Posted on by
Reply

Using car donation as a tax deduction

A lot of people find that with car donation they are able to get rid of some older cars, but also they are able to get a tax deduction from the donation. The best way to save your some cash is to donate the car. Keep in mind that you are donating the car for a good cause (most of the time to benefit a cause).

When it comes to giving the car away for charity, you’ll want to make sure that the car has good tires, but it doesn’t have to be a working car. You’ll want to keep in mind that when you give away a useless car, they will be able to sell the spare parts or use it for scrap metal. You’ll want to keep in mind that sometimes the smaller charities do require that you give them a decent car, however, most of the time the charities will take anything.

For those who are thinking about donating you’ll want to subtract the car expenses if you are giving it to charity. You’ll need to apply for t donation option, but all you need to do is file a 503-c3 or a donation form and then you’ll be able to get a tax break from the simple act of generosity.

The reason why many charities will take on this role is because they are able to give back to the local community with the fund. You’ll want to keep in mind that once they sell the car, they will let you know what the price is. You’ll need to make sure that you do everything that you can to keep close ties with the car donation charity. This way you’ll be able to get the proper amount of tax deductions that you deserve.

When donating a car have your title with you

Posted on by
Reply

When donating a car have your title with you

For those who wish to donate their car, you’ll need to bring your title with you so that they can prove that you truly do own the car. This is very important, because if the charity does not ask for proof of possession then they may not be a legitimate organization.

Truly, no charity will take the risk of being caught with a stolen car, so it is very important that you have a copy of the title with you when turning the car in. you’ll need to make sure that all the financial responsibilities have been met, so that the DMV will be able to transfer ownership. You’ll want to make sure that there isn’t a lien against the car, because you’ll need to pay for the lien before you transfer ownership. You’ll find that when you donate a car with a lien against it practically makes the car worthless.

When it comes to donations of this type, you’ll find that it includes things like motorcycles, trailers, boats, trucks, vans, cars, and so on. You’ll be able to sell some of the items that you do not want anymore, including some that don’t even run anymore. Most of the time, they will sell the item for parts or scrap metal. You’ll also want to consider that the organization has a right to deny you, as well. You’ll want to make sure that you offer then a title with the donation so that they can use the donation and find a value. Then you’ll be able to receive a tax break.

When having a youth fundraiser, you need to keep the word youth in mind. Try to make it fun for them, as they will be doing most of the work. A youth fundraiser can be very profitable if done properly. You can get the funds you are looking for and pr

Posted on by
Reply

If you can find someone to donate the space, then a carnival would be a wonderful youth fundraiser to have. A fundraising auction would also be a big hit. Both fundraisers would cost very little to get together, although you will need a lot of hands on help from the kids and the parents. You will have to organize carefully for either one of these fundraisers to go off smoothly and successfully. Make sure each person knows what is expected of him/her and what needs to be done. Then you’re on your way to lots of fun and big profits with your fundraiser for youth.

A youth fundraiser carnival can be put together without much cost. You could have a fortune teller which would only take a glass ball, a table, and someone sitting there in a long dress and a scarf tied around the head. Have a ring toss table, where people can try to toss a ring around empty bottles and have small prizes for the ones that are successful. The youth will really get involved with this type of fundraiser as they enjoy acting and playing the games.

Get large cardboard boxes and tape them together for a house of fun for the little ones or have a dartboard with safety tipped darts. Try a fish tank with magnetic fish in the tank and have a fishing contest, borrow a outdoor play set or a few of them and have this as rides for the kids, sell hot dogs hamburgers and drinks at your youth fundraiser these will surely be a hit with everyone.

Fundraising auctions are also a neat way to have a youth fundraiser. Have the kids go through the community and collect items that people don’t need anymore. Get the youth themselves to donate any games or items that they don’t need. When you accumulate enough items you can start your fundraising auction. Set your items up in a large area and have a set time for viewing. Once the prospective buyers have seen all you have to offer, you can start your bidding.

At a youth fundraising auction it is best to have a set price to start with and anything that is bought above this price is like icing on the cake. It will make it more than profitable for the amount of donations you need. These are not the only choices you have for a youth fundraiser. Have a brainstorming session and you will be surprised at the ideas the youths will come up with.

Youth fundraisers can be a lot of fun.

I am a great believer in volunteer work and dedicating time and effort to the greater good. Corporate responsibility embodies this spirit on the business side. In our modern cities and developed nations we often don’t realize how lucky we are and tha

Posted on by
Reply

One organization that is very aware of the conditions of people around the world is G.A.P Adventures, Canada’s largest adventure travel company. With hundreds of adventure travel offerings to continents like Latin America, Asia and Africa, the people at G.A.P are very informed about the situation of communities in many countries. G.A.P Adventures’ founder, Bruce Poon Tip, went as far as setting up a special non-profit organization, Planeterra, to address some of these needs and make a difference in the lives of people and communities around the world.

Today Planeterra operates community projects in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Belize, Honduras, Ecuador, Chile and Cuba. These projects include indigenous learning centres, literacy and computer training programs, weaving projects to teach indigenous women valuable marketable skills, homes for abandoned children and many more. G.A.P Adventures pays all administration fees for these projects and has made a commitment to matching all donations dollar-for-dollar, so all funds are going to these important causes and the money donated is in fact doubled.

G.A.P uses all sorts of creative ways to generate funds for these humanitarian projects and just this past May I had a chance to attend a very entertaining fundraising event: “Ignite the Night”, an evening full of astounding performances and acrobatics. The performers from Zero Gravity Circus put on a magnificent spectacle for an enthusiastic crowd of almost 500 people. In total about $20,000 were raised in this one event alone.

Well, the creativity of the fundraisers at Planeterra is virtually unlimited and this past Saturday, July 8, they held a rather interesting event to raise money: the 3rd Annual Skydive Event. 40 people who collected pledges in excess of $250 got to experience skydiving and G.A.P Adventures paid for the jump fees. A barbecue and bonfire were also included.

This was an event I wanted to see, so I drove out into the country town of Dundas, about 45 minutes west of Toronto. By the time I got there mid-morning the skydiving activities were in full swing. I was really curious about what skydiving is like so I approached one of the skydivers to tell me about their experience. Fresh off the landing area I caught up with Andy Zimmerman, who is in charge of promotions and marketing at Y108, Hamilton’s country music radio station.

Andy shared with me that training for his tandem jump started at 8 am. All the students had to watch a training video and then to practice exiting the plane in a mock-up of a plane cabin where the exit procedure was rehearsed. He commented that as he left the plane strapped on to his instructor Ahmed a thought was flashing through his mind: “What am I doing here?” That thought was quickly replaced by exhilaration as he experienced about 45 seconds of free falling which he describes as an awesome, surreal experience. He said the plane took about 20 minutes to reach 10,000 feet and you could even see Buffalo, New York, from the air! He said he would do it again, any time, it was just a fantastic experience.

Next I caught up with a female jumper, Britt Buchalle, who indicated that this was her first jump ever and that she was quite calm during the experience although she felt a little light-headed towards the end. She had never been on a small airplane and the ride was actually better than expected. Once in the air she really enjoyed the scenery and the feeling of weightlessness. Britt also mentioned that she is originally from Germany and has only been in Toronto for a short while. She really loves the city and its multicultural flair. Britt actually works for G.A.P Adventures in their Global Connections subsidiary which provides airline tickets for individual travelers and G.A.P tour participants at greatly discounted prices.

Since I wanted to find out what is new at G.A.P Adventures I connected with Kira Zack who handles marketing and communications for G.A.P. She informed me that Bruce Poon Tip is currently in Quito, Ecuador, where he has been participating at the inaugural United Nations World Tourism Organization Seminar on Ethics in Tourism in Quito, Ecuador. Buce had been invited to participate as a guest of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders’ Forum, founded in 1990 by Prince Charles to generate long-term awareness about corporate responsibility and sustainability. Conference participants included representatives from national and local governments, industry and tourism associations and various NGOs.

Just recently, G.A.P Adventures received the 2006 Global Traders Market Expansion Award, which honours the most innovative and successful small and medium-sized Ontario business leaders and exporters. Kira also pointed out that G.A.P Adventures is sponsoring the Toronto International Circus Festival which will be held from July 14 to 16 at Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Admission at the festival will be free of charge, but attendees will have a chance to make a donation to Planeterra.

I also caught up with Elinor Schwob, the fundraising coordinator at Planeterra. Elinor had also done a skydive earlier this morning, actually she was the first jumper out of the plane! She admitted she also asked herself “What am I doing?” Elinor mentioned that during the free fall it is actually quite hard to breathe since the air whizzes by so quickly and she describes the free fall as more of a floating feeling than a dropping feeling. She also indicated that Planeterra’s goal was to raise about $10,000 with this skydiving charity event, but from initial tallies the total funds raised would be much closer to $15,000. As far as future fundraising projects are concerned, she mentioned the “Night of 100 Adventures”, a gala dinner to be held in October of 2006 that will feature entertainment and food from all over the world. 50 trips will be given away by G.A.P Adventures.

Of course I also wanted to know more about skydiving itself, so I asked to meet an expert on this high-adrenaline activity. Tony Cooke, a sales supervisor with G.A.P Adventures, has been on the Board of Directors of SWOOP, which is a non-profit member-owned skydiving club. At present there are about 60 to 70 members, and all funds generated from non-members are rolled back into the club to cover operating expenses and equipment maintenance.

SWOOP is the closest drop zone to Toronto and is one of the oldest member-run skydiving club in all of Canada. Tony explained that SWOOP offers three different types of first jump experiences:

- P.F.F.: the “Progressive Free Fall” is a training intensive jump and the first jump is actually level 1 of a Seven Level freefall training program, leading to a full license as a skydiver. – I.A.D. is the traditional way of making a first jump which involves 5 hours of ground training and a solo jump from 3500 feet. – Tandem jumps are some of the most popular ways of jumping for the first time. Ground training only takes about 30 minutes, and students jump with a highly skilled and certified Jumpmaster. The jump starts at 10,500 feet and includes 35 seconds of freefall at speeds of more than 120 miles per hour.

Tony explained that every parachute has a pilot chute which acts as a deployment system for the parachute and drags out the main canopy. SWOOP uses fully steerable canopies that actually resemble semi-rigid aircrafts. The club has three small airplanes to take jumpers up to the right altitude and it has one of the best safety records in the world. As a matter of fact, Tony emphasized that safety is number one at SWOOP, evidenced by the fact that the club has never had a fatality. Its mandate is to promote the sport of skydiving, all the while giving top priority to safety.

My next conversation partner was Danielle Weiss, who is in charge of the Planeterra Foundation. She said that these days she focuses mostly on Planeterra and on planning new volunteer tours. In addition to two existing volunteer tours to Peru and Guatemala, ten additional destinations will be available in the upcoming year, including volunteer trips to Patagonia, Costa Rica and Zambia. In several of these tours the participants will pay for their own tour and fundraise $1000 for Planeterra. After the trekking experience the tour participants will visit an actual Planeterra project to see first-hand where some of their funds are going.

Danielle is also currently working on a partnership with Habitat for Humanity which may have G.A.P staff participate in a day-long charity build in Toronto while G.A.P travellers may have the opportunity to help build homes for needy families in international destinations. Recently Danielle came back from a month-long trip to South America including Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. For the first part of the trip she led a volunteer tour in Guatemala where they were working on a well drilling project to supply water to the local community. The G.A.P travelers also helped build and paint a school. The travel group included a medical team which provided a two-day health clinic to local residents.

Danielle is now assisted by Elinor, who handles fundraising, and a new team member: Liz Manning is the sustainable tourism assistant. I had a brief chat with Liz and as a graduate of the International Development Program at Dalhousie University, Liz herself has a great interest in community development. She has travelled with her parents since she was a child and participated in the General Assembly of the United Nations as part of the 1991 World Children’s Committee. Liz has also volunteered on the island of Nevis and spent an intense summer program at the University of Havana, studying Cuba’s history, culture and socio-political system. In Malawi in South-East Africa Liz studied community based orphan care.

Since starting with G.A.P Adventures Liz’ responsibilities include greening the office, i.e. sourcing environmentally friendly products including natural hand and dish soaps, as well as finding ways of reducing paper consumption around the office. This has meant moving away as much as possible from faxes to email. In addition, G.A.P is now buying its electricity from Bullfrog Power, Ontario’s first green energy company. Bullfrog customers pay more money in order to purchase electricity from green sources. Staff will also be educated with regard to green power and environmentally sustainable decision making.

Marine tourism is another one of Liz’ responsibilities. She works with the crew of the Explorer cruise ship on an environmental education program. This includes an open house at departure time as well as fair trade products in G.A.P’s on-ship store. Many of the products for sale are made by members of the community programs that G.A.P supports through its Planeterra non-profit organization.

I left the SWOOP skydiving location at about 1 pm to head back to Toronto. Skydiving was in full swing and everyone was having a ton of fun.Burgers were sizzling on the grill, puppies were playing in the grass, and later on there would be a big barbecue and a campfire for the folks that would be staying overnight in tents. This is a great example of combining charity work with having fun for organizers, volunteers and participants alike. That’s how a fundraising event becomes a win-win situation for everyone involved.

1- Have a written project plan

Posted on by
Reply

1- Have a written project plan

Run your fundraiser like a small business. Have a written project plan that spells out all roles and responsibilities. Slot motivated individuals into those roles and equip them with everything they need to do a great job.

2- Use your website If you don’t have one, get one. Use it to communicate goals, thank your sponsors, highlight periodic offerings, recognize successes, honor individual contributors, etc. Promote your web site on all your materials.

3- Review previous records See what’s been successful before. Look for ways to improve upon the past. What items sold best? Get more of them. Has your gift-wrap sale lost its luster with declining revenues? Jazz it up with newer offerings.

4- Set a specific timeline Make sure that your start date and end date are both firm. The best selling period is 17 days, including 3 weekends. Any longer and the drive runs out of gas; any shorter and you limit your prospects. Avoid any scheduling conflicts. Plan ahead to avoid overlapping other important community events, holidays, etc.

5- Actively recruit volunteers Get more and better volunteers by going after them. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Use a calling tree to root out prospects. Ask for dads, older siblings, and grandparents to get involved. Advertise for specific help via newsletters and word of mouth.

6- Identify needs and define roles Do it ahead of time and match your group’s needs to each volunteer’s skills and availability by including it in each position’s description.

7- Use different people Double up, particularly for key positions. Fill organizational roles well ahead of time with different people than on the last fundraiser, unless there is a good reason not to switch.

8- Start early to broaden participation Put the word out early and often about what volunteers you need. Get plenty of them so no one feels overworked. Offer a volunteer sign-up sheet for different events at every meeting.

9- Have a master sergeant

Use a strong communicator to help group and assign volunteers. Some people are a natural for this key role.

10- Set small group goals Break overall goal down into what’s needed from each sub-group. Set up each unit with their own goal and translate that into what’s in it for them. Reward each sub-group based on their own success. That will reinforce the correlation between funds raised and their own efforts.

How do you maximize your fundraising sales? Here are some fundraising sales tips from my book,

Posted on by
Reply

How do you maximize your fundraising sales? Here are some fundraising sales tips from my book,

Fundraising Success!

1- Emphasize setting a personal challenge goal Have sellers make a commitment to be their group or sub-group’s best salesperson. Structure their sales efforts to emphasize achievement, not failure.

2- Have sellers state their solo goal out loud By publicly stating what you’ll accomplish to your peer group, you’ve reinforced the commitment. Who wants to say publicly that they’ll fail to achieve?

3- Make a prospect list All sellers should make a list of prospective customers before they start. Review it and make sure they have at least ten targets.

4- Define your best customers Stick to the people you know – friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. Don’t forget co-workers and out-of-town contacts for your major fundraisers.

5- Rehearse the sales pitch Have everyone practice your group’s sales pitch at home. Fine tune your two-sentence value proposition and make sure that every seller uses it. Be armed and dangerous

6- Be prepared Sellers should carry their order form and sales materials wherever they go. You never know when a good prospect will emerge!

7- Smile and introduce yourself Remind all your sellers to smile and introduce themselves before launching into their two-sentence pitch. Use the power of the word need when stating the group’s goal and your first request for help. It’s an extremely potent trigger word. We need your help because our band needs new uniforms.

8- Ask for the order Always include a direct request for an order in your sales script after the because statement. Can you help us meet our goal?

9- Personalize by picking favorites Tell each seller to find one or two items that they like and then promote those enthusiastically.These green ones are great.

10- Ask for more business After the initial order is placed, offer supplemental items for more revenue or ask for referrals, etc. Ask these questions: Can I show you another program we’re offering because it’s a great deal too? Can you think of anyone else I should contact?

11- Make it easy to buy Do everything you can to make buying your offering easier. Offer to fill out the form yourself. Remind the prospect that a certain item makes a good gift or that it’s all for a good cause.

Follow these fundraising sales tips and you’ll maximize your fundraising sales success.

Here are four keys to better nonprofit fundraising results.

Posted on by
Reply

Here are four keys to better nonprofit fundraising results.

Non-profit fundraising is all about multiple streams of income, so how do you make more money for your organization?

Simple. When you put together your annual plan, you need to include as many ways to raise money as possible.

So, you’re probably thinking: ‘That’s easy for you to say, but how exactly do I go about it?’ Easy! You just have to be “smart” about it, with a well thought-out plan that doesn’t make too many demands on any one facet of your organization.

Every fundraiser that you conduct places various demands on your volunteers, your supporters, and your leadership. Those demands can be time consuming, expensive, and stressful.

The more large-scale fundraisers you conduct in one year’s time, the greater the load you place on the people you depend on.

You need to be ‘smart’ in how you go about your fundraising.

Four Keys to Non-Profit Fundraising:

Think Smart Plan Smart Work Smart Be Smart

Non-Profit Fundraising – THINK SMART Thinking smart means taking the time to review past results and strategizing about how to do better this year.

If you don’t spend some time brainstorming some new and creative ideas to increase your bottom line, how are you going to rise above last year’s results?

Define your three best income streams. Now, daydream a little about what changes or enhancements you can make that will add additional volume to those streams.

Non-profit fund-raising is all about reaching more people with a compelling message that inspires them to take immediate action to assist your organization.

How can you reach more people? By exploiting two things – personal networks and personal motivators.

Your non-profit fund-raising has to be structured to achieve maximum leverage of everyone’s self interest by providing sufficient incentives for giving time or money to your cause.

How can you make your message more compelling? By giving it ‘story-like’ visual imagery that speaks to your supporters emotions.

Decisions are made on an emotional level, not a logical one. A ‘story’ allows people to visualize their contribution having a positive impact on what they’ve visualized.

How can you inspire a higher percentage to immediate action? By combining your story with a call to action.

A call to action leverages the immediacy of the emotional reaction to your story with a request to help now BECAUSE their contribution will have a positive impact.

Everyone wants to help. They just have to be properly coached about your situation and motivated to act now.

Non-Profit Fundraising – PLAN SMART Planning smart means taking concrete action to put your ideas into an annual business plan. Yes, I did say ‘business plan.’

No self-respecting, non-profit fund-raising organization should be without a written business plan to guide their fundraising efforts.

Your plan should spell out roles and goals along with detailed instructions on how you’ll get there. It should be grounded in the past and targeted at the future.

Each non-profit fund-raising activity should be broken down into the necessary action steps that will produce the highest level of results with the most cost-effective effort.

Everyone should know exactly what’s expected of them. A well-organized team where everyone understands their role is able to execute their mission flawlessly.

Everyone should know and be able to state your group’s value proposition.

If they can’t articulate, in two sentences or less, a convincing reason why you are raising funds, then you need a plan that helps communicate your message more effectively.

Non-Profit Fundraising – WORK SMART Working smart means taking your plan and putting it into action with an eye towards getting the most bottom line results from every facet of your organization.

You’ll get the best long-term results if you stay focused on not overburdening your volunteers, your supporters, and your leadership. Overworking volunteers will ensure that many will not be around to help next year.

Too many demands for small donations will alienate your group’s supporters. Structure your non-profit fund-raising requests to two or three campaigns in a year’s time, no more.

Size those non-profit fund-raising campaigns to get the most from each time your supporters are asked to make a contribution.

Continuous fundraising will wear out your leadership as well. Your key personnel will be spending most of their time on organizing and conducting campaigns.

You want to keep everyone fresh and motivated. Do that by having a well thought out plan that maximizes the value of everyone’s time, energy, and contributions.

Non-Profit Fundraising – BE SMART Being smart means taking the time NOW to begin a ‘Get Smart’ effort about your non-profit fund-raising efforts.

Start the brainstorming process now.

Get a small journal and start recording any and all ideas you have, day or night, about improving your fundraising. Some of them will be duds, but others will be gems.

Sure, the gems will be rough and will need polishing, but you won’t have any gems at all if you don’t let your creative juices run wild.

Just write them down as they occur to you and keep adding to the ones that make the most sense in the light of day.

Hey, if it worked for Edison and Einstein, it can work for you.

Start writing down all the ways that you can think of to create multiple streams of income for your organization.

Get your non-profit fund-raising planned and organized, then watch the money flow in.

Looking for some tips on improving your youth sports fundraising? Every youth sports league must fundraise to cover expenses and keep fees low. So, how do you raise more funds? Focus on these seven factors and you can easily double your results.

Posted on by
Reply

#1 – Product Selection In youth sports fundraising, it’s so important to select the right products to sell. The right selection is one that has mass appeal, an above average price point, and good profit margins.

Don’t sell what’s always been sold every year. Consider choosing items that meet the criteria below.

#2 – Product Price Point Your product offering should be at an attractive price point. This means it should be neither high nor low, but rather right in the comfort zone that encourages people to open their wallets.

If you’re selling a low-priced product, you are at a disadvantage because you aren’t maximizing your revenue from each prospect. In this situation, try bundling a small quantity together and ask for more dollars.

For example, if candy bars are being sold for $1 each, put together variety three-packs or a family ten-pack. Get your prospect thinking bigger numbers. Many of them will step up to the bundle.

#3 – Product Profitability It’s important that your fundraising product has a high profit margin. Ideally, you’d like to make 80% or more if you can. This would be products like discount cards for two-for-one deals at fast food places.

Many standard items have a profit margin of 50% and that’s OK. It just means that you’ll have to pump up the volume to make the same net that you would with higher profit items.

If the product chosen is one with a lower profit range of say 40%, then it needs to either be a higher-priced item or it needs to be likely to inspire quantity orders from each prospect. For example, cookie dough is often in this range, but price points are $10 & up. Many families will buy two or three units.

#4 – Sales Script Don’t send your sellers out unprepared. Part of youth sports is teaching and helping kids with their sales skills goes a long way toward building self confidence.

Here’s what to tell them:

1 – Make eye contact, smile and introduce yourself. 2 – Say one sentence about why you are raising funds. 3 – Say second sentence that asks for their help. 4 – Make sure that sentence includes the word “because”. 5 – Extend sample item, catalog, or order sheet. 6 – Suggest a personal favorite item or bundle. 7 – Always ask for the order.

#5 – Prospect, Prospect, Prospect Now that your kids know what to say, they have to have prospects for their sales pitch. You can’t set sales records without having a large supply of prospective customers.

Have everyone make a list of their potential customers. Have them do it as a team exercise and make sure they write them down. It’s very important to do this and to have each seller commit publicly to doing their part.

Have each seller stand up in front of their teammates and state how many prospects they have. Then have them make a commitment to raising a certain financial amount. Set minimum amounts and encourage competition by offering prizes for various achievement levels.

#6 – Location, Location, Location Another way to boost your youth sports fundraising is by going where the prospects are. Your group can reach incredible numbers of people just by setting up fundraiser sales tables at entrances to high-traffic retail locations.

Grocery stores, home improvement stores, and mass merchandisers are all places where hundreds of prospects are available. Get permission well in advance from the store manager.

Set up a small table to display your fundraising product items. Staff your spot with two adults and two kids for each 90-minute shift.

Decorate the area with league banners and large-lettered signs explaining your offer. Your signs must inform them well in advance of reaching your display and sales table. That way, those interested in helping your sports team will be primed to stop and will be more receptive to hearing each youth’s sales pitch.

Example: “New Uniform Fundraiser” “Tasty 3 lb. Cookie Dough – $10″

Imagine how many potential prospects there are at those locations who are completely outside your normal range of contacts. Now, go out there and sell them something!

#7 – Have Fun Always make raising funds fun for the kids. Their emotions are subconsciously communicated to each potential prospect.

If they are smiling while cheerfully communicating your team’s need and asking for help, then chances are good they’ll get a favorable response.

If they’re looking down and mumbling some garbled sales spiel, then chances are more people will pass on the offer. The way to get them involved is to have some competition going, have some fun activities built around the process, and have some rewards waiting for success.

For example, post a list at each team practice of the top sellers. Everybody loves to be recognized!

Do a fun activity just for those who help out by working the retail location sales table. Take the participants bowling or to a batting cage or a golf driving range. It’ll bond fathers and sons and encourage increased participation.

Have a rewards party after the fundraiser wraps up. A simple pizza party or group picnic is sufficient. Just make sure that everyone gets recognized for pitching in.

Allow the kids time to run around and enjoy themselves. After all, isn’t youth sports all about having fun?

Follow these seven tips and your youth sports fundraising effort will be a big success.

Last year during Christmas season I started to enter a store that I had shopped at regularly for years. I stopped at the store entrance because I felt that something was wrong. Then I realized that there was no bell ringing and no Salvation Army volu

Posted on by
Reply

Every year I know it’s the Christmas season when I see the Salvation Army volunteers ringing their bells and standing next to their red donation kettles or buckets. Every time I see one of those red buckets I put $5, $10 or $20 in the bucket and thank the volunteer for being there and allowing me to make the donation. I thank them because I believe that they are doing me a favor by allowing me to help people through the Salvation Army. They are the ones that have to stand for hours ringing their bell while all I have to do is put money in the bucket. They don’t get paid for doing this they just do it out of love for their fellow humans. I not only donate at Christmas time, I also send in anonymous donations (For my own ideological reasons most of my donations to most entities are made anonymously.) at other times of the year and when there are various disasters.

I am not connected in any way with the Salvation Army nor have I ever recieved aid from them. The Salvation Army is a christian religious organization and although I am a Christian I am a Catholic. Some people ask me why I give to the Salvation Army instead of the Catholic Church. I tell them that I do give to the Church, but I also give to the Salvation Army. As far as I am concerned the Salvation Army is one of the finest charities around. They try to help any and every person regardless of race, nationality, color, sexual preference or religious beliefs. They have never tried to convert anyone I know of and they never seem to engage in any type of politicking. The only thing I have ever seen them do is help people. They have their beliefs but as far as I have seen they do not try to force those beliefs on others.

The Salvation Army is a religious organization, they do have ministries, they do have members, and they do preach the gospel of Christ to people, however, as far as I know they do not preach to people that do not want to hear them and they never require people that they are helping to join them. When I was young, I knew a girl whose family belonged to the Salvation Army. Not once did they ever try to “convert” me, not once did they ever try to talk me into going to services with them and not once did they ever try to do anything other that to be nice to me. At that time I was an Agnostic and they knew this but they never tried to change my mind and they never judged me.

According the Salvation Army, “83 cents of every dollar collected by the Army goes directly to client service”, this is one the highest percentages of any non-profit in the world. Among the services that they provide are disaster relief services, day care centers, summer camps, holiday assistance, services for the aging, AIDS education and residential services, medical facilities, shelters for battered women and children, family and career counseling, vocational training, correction services, and substance abuse rehabilitation. More than 30 million people a year are aided in some form by services provided by The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is actively involved in fighting the international crime of human and sexual trafficking. The battle is fought on two fronts: shaping public policy in Washington, DC, as well as providing basic services and advocacy for victims. They run 120 adult rehabilitation centers across the nation, these centers focus solely on defeating substance abuse. Individuals with identifiable and treatable needs go to these centers for help when they no longer are able to cope with their addictions. They receive housing, nourishing meals, and necessary medical care, and they engage in work therapy. The Salvation Army also operates 18 locations across the United States, which provide a comprehensive treatment program for men and women struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Clients are primarily homeless, with limited or no access to other treatment or social service programs. Educational assistance along with classes such as relapse prevention and anger management prepare graduates for independence and me aningful employment. Each year, thousands of older adults are served by The Salvation Army through a myriad of programs. At Salvation Army community centers, seniors may find educational classes, adult day care, hot-lunch programs, and the “league of mercy,” a community care ministry that sends volunteers to hospitals, nursing homes, and directly to the homebound to provide a listening ear, a caring heart and a helping hand.

They provide needy families with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, gifts for children, coats and shoes for kids with none to wear, and visitation to the elderly and imprisoned who have no one to care for them. Families who are in desperate need of basics such as food, clothing and household items during the holidays are placed in the care of the Army’s Adopt a Family program. Each family creates a wish list of items and is matched with a volunteer donor team. Businesses, families and school groups adopt families in this program, generously meeting the family’s needs and instilling hope in those who have none.

The Salvation Army may be a religious organization but their main function seems to be to help those in need. As such they are a charity worth donating to. A charity that deserves your donations, not just at Christmas time but year round. Help them help others. You don’t have to be a Christian to give to them, you don’t even have to believe in God. All you have to believe in is helping other people.