All of the products on gogo-fund are effective and reputable as they have been reviewed and shown to have a proven track record in the fundraising community. However, depending on the specific situation, some items are better suited than others. Smaller groups with high monetary objective will look for products that offer a high return on investment while organizations utilizing their concession stands, for example, will gravitate toward products that can be ordered in low minimum required quantities, can be re-ordered rapidly, have a lower retail value, and often do not require refrigeration or a lot of storage space. These are typically products that appeal to a very large number of people but often offering a lower cash profit per item sold. Lollipops, smencils, chocolate bars, and candies are common items in this category.

So, what factors contribute to a successful fundraising product? Generally, the best products will attempt to answer positively to five criteria:

1. Popularity:

It’s all about the numbers. These are products that will appeal to the majority of your community’s residents. While these items may overlook some specific demographic variations, they will help reach the greatest number of possible supporters. Some of the most popular products will entice customers to buy more than one. Chocolate, sweets, cookies, and popcorn are just a few examples.

2. High profitability:

At the end of the day, this is a fundraising event, and the goal is to raise money. Profits from fundraising products can range from $0.25 to $15 per item sold.

3. Not widely available in big-box retailers.

You generally don’t want to be competing with a big-box store. Offering goods through a fundraiser will entice consumers to buy because they know the products will be unavailable to them once the fundraising effort ends. This produces a sense of urgency, which will aid in increasing your revenues.

4. Low upfront cost.

The lower your initial investment, the lower your risk. With an even profit per item sold and a similar appeal, most people would opt for a lower investment cost, and for good reason. However, this is rarely the case.

5. Low maintenance.

Some products necessitate the participation of more people, require additional planning, organization, and logistic. Direct sellers, such as chocolate bars, require less planning than order taker fundraisers, for example.

Each product has advantages and disadvantages, but based on the five factors listed above, here are two products worth considering: Katydids in the chocolate category, and $2 Main Street Gummies, in the candies section.

Katydids has been around for almost a century and has undeniably broad appeal. Most groups sell each tin for $15, with a profit of either $6.75 or $7.50 per tin depending on the amount of cases ordered.

Some organizations prefer to sell each tin for $20, boosting their profit by and additional $5.00 ($11.75 to $12.50 per tin). This product is not available in big-box stores, creating a sense of urgency to purchase it when its available. There are two drawbacks to this: first, it may need to be refrigerated during the hot months, and second, Katydids chocolate has a higher upfront cost than traditional chocolate bars. If you find the initial investment too expensive but you like the product, consider running this program as a brochure or looking at the $2 Pecan Caramel Clusters Gigglejigs carrier.

The $2 Main Street Gummies are another intriguing product that deserves special mention. This product has appeal… who doesn’t like candies? The profit per sale can be as high as $1.20, and given that each bag sells for only $2, that is a 60% profit and a terrific return on investment. The initial investment could be as low as $0.80 per bag, but this will demand a larger inventory (20+ cases).

This is a low-maintenance product because it has a prolonged shelf life and does not require refrigeration. The two disadvantages of this product are that there are similar readily available options and that, while it offers one of the best profits at this price point, there are numerous possibilities with a larger profit per item sold.