1. SET YOUR GOAL

Setting objectives is a vital part of fundraising. Objectives provide structure and clarity of expectation for the members, coaches, teachers, and others. They serve as a link between what you are attempting to accomplish and the individual’s efforts and contributions. Make your objective precise (avoid ambiguous statement), for example, “We are raising funds to cover the hotel costs of 12 participants for our regional competition in Florida this July.” It will also provide credibility towards people supporting you if they know how their money will be spent. Well crafted objectives are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-framed. They provide clarity and they are specific about what will be achieved as a result of your fundraising effort, allowing others to know what you are working towards. Since they are so important in shaping the direction of your fundraiser, it pays to set your objective.

2. RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS:

You’re ready to attract volunteers now that you’ve established a clear goal. Who will assist in organizing and selling products to achieve this goal? Typically, organizations attract volunteers through a combination of word-of-mouth and in-person and online outreach initiatives. Reach out to your members, family, and friends and present your goal to them. Be direct, ask for their participation, and be prepared to explain how their participation will help contribute to a successful fundraiser.

3. DO THE MATH

Now that your goal is set and the number of volunteers has been determined, you can calculate how much each volunteer must raise in order to meet the goal. Here’s a quick way to figure out what the number is:

FINANCIAL GOAL ÷ VOLUNTEERS = GOAL PER VOLUNTEER

Example: if your baseball team is looking to raise $1000 with 20 volunteers, each volunteer will need to raise $50 to meet the team’s goal ($1000 ÷ 20 = $50 PER VOLUNTEER).

4. SELECT A PRODUCT

It is now time to select a product. To help choose the right product or program, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it a product that will appeal the majority of people in your immediate community?
• How much money will you make with each sale?
• How many of this product will each volunteer need to sell to meet the goal?
• Do you have enough time?
• Is there an upfront cost and can you pay it?

Continuing with the previous example:

• Baseball team as a group.
• The goal is $1000, and the number of volunteers is 20.
• Timetable: The cash must be raised within 6 weeks.

If your team decided to run a lollipop fundraiser, with a retail price of under $1, the product may have widespread appeal in your immediate town, and lollipops would most certainly be available within the specified time frame. However, with each sale only raising $0.50, each volunteer would need to sell 100 lollipops. That is a tall order.

In this example, using lollipops as your primary fundraiser may prove difficult to raise $1000 with only 20 volunteers but may certainly be used as a secondary program, such as a concession stand.

In contrast, if the same baseball team were to sell Katydids chocolates, they would only need to sell a total of 132 pieces, or around 7 products per volunteer.