How to Host a
Successful
School Fund-Raiser
by Gina Flower, Tupperware Brands, Inc.

The success of any school fund-raiser is directly related to the organization and planning set in place from the beginning. Organization and communication are key to any fund-raising effort. No matter how wonderful the product, your fund-raiser will not be successful without these two key ingredients.

Once you select your program, meet with the fund-raising representative(s) in person or by phone to discuss key dates and specific details as well as to set goals. Some goals you might want to discuss include:

· Decide your profit goal - How much do you want to make this year?

· Determine where the funds will be used - Be specific and share information with parents. Parents are more likely to support the fund-raiser when they can visualize how their money will benefit their children.

· Set firm deadlines - Set a start and end date for your fund-raiser and make sure you stick to it. When a program drags on too long, participants will lose interest. Schedule your sale so that it spans at least two weekends, preferably three, starting on a Thursday or Friday and concluding on a Monday or Tuesday.

· Keep awareness up - Send home flyers and include fund-raiser info in newsletters, bulletin board displays, and a reminder on your school website.

Once you have set your goals, put all pertinent information in writing. Include this in the packets that are going home to the parents. For example: who do the parents make the checks payable to? when is the deadline for orders? what are the arrangements for order pickup? who do the parents call with questions?

Whenever possible, work with your fund-raising company to offer incentives for Top Sellers. Incentives are an excellent tool for motivating your fund-raising participants. Consider one student incentive and one parent incentive.

Follow up with your parents and students after the fund-raiser has ended. Thank everyone for their participation and hard work. Don't forget to let the parents know how much was raised and how the money is going to be put to use. Put a thank you in the school newsletter if possible.

Take notes of what went well and what didn't. This will help the incoming committee to be able to work smarter instead of harder next year!

Article provided by Gina Flower, Fund-Raising Director for Tupperware.
You can contact Ms. Flower at 1-800-903-0933
or visit the Tupperware fundraising website at Plastic For Profit