How to Fundraise: Fundraising Ideas, Tips & Inspiration
Gone are the days of bake sales and catalogs stocked with overpriced junk! Spirit Gear is on hand to help you fundraise the better way, with custom-made apparel and gifts that your community will actually want to buy. Since 1999, we've been helping schools, teams and organizations of all shapes and sizes conduct successful fundraisers that engage the community and spread spirit. Use our in-depth fundraising guide to get school and team fundraising ideas and to ignite an all-new tradition: fun fundraising!
What Makes a Fundraiser Successful?
Calculating the perfect fundraising formula can be tough, especially when you have a high goal to achieve. Today, one of the most significant ways to boost fundraising sales is to choose a shopping platform that's convenient and easy-to-use. Opening an online fundraising store is a fantastic way to ensure that your potential donors are able to shop when, where and how they want. To ease the burden, choose a company (like SpiritGear.com) that takes care of shipping and fulfillment for you so that you don't have to worry about sorting, storing and pricing large quantities of items.
Another facet of a successful merchandise fundraiser is variety. Give your community the chance to choose from a wide range of products without feeling pressured by employing a custom e-store that's stocked with quality items. Members of your community feel good when they're able to buy something that benefits them but also supports a good cause. Additionally, you'll want to play the support angle. Always remind your potential donors exactly how much of their total purchase will be funneled back into the organization.
One of the most common complaints with old-fashioned catalog fundraisers is that customers aren't able to see and feel the merchandise. If possible, outfit your volunteers with samples so that potential donors can get a real feel for what they're buying. For even more advertising opportunity, get a group of volunteers to sport your custom fundraising apparel at school events, sports games and community events to garner additional interest.
Quick Tips for Fundraiser Success
Offer something your potential donors will actually want to wear or use
- Focus on offering high-quality items, including some American-made products
- Offer a range of options at various price points, from affordable mugs and patches to heavyweight jackets
- Focus on convenience and offer online shopping options so that donors can shop on their own time, free of pressure
- Use e-mail, social media and fliers to promote your fundraiser
- Create event-specific apparel and gifts to commemorate big games, dances and events
- Keep the fundraiser going year-round with an online apparel store through Spirit Gear
- Offer incentives for students, team members and volunteers who sell the most
A Few Fun Fundraising Ideas
The best school fundraisers are the ones that students remember, the ones that they talk about after school and the ones that get them excited for incentives.
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Limited Edition School Apparel: A great way to use your custom apparel for a fun, memorable fundraiser is to create a series of limited edition hoodies or T-shirts to commemorate important events throughout the year, like homecoming, prom and rival sports games.
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Have a Pep Rally: No fundraising drive is official until everyone gathers in the auditorium to get the details! If you start early in the year and design a year-round fundraiser through Spirit Gear, students will get excited off the bat. Finish the year with a final assembly to announce the results.
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Make Special Apparel: We love to see clubs and teams create custom apparel for sports parents, theater parents and more. Create a special section on your online store just for your students' biggest supporters, including parents, grandparents and siblings.
Fundraising with Spirit Gear: 11% Commission
Spirit Gear pays a 11 percent commission on all orders, which is significantly higher than most competitors. When you partner with Spirit Gear, you can create an online store complete with custom school and team apparel that has been meticulously crafted to showcase your organization's pride. Choose from thousands of high-quality goods - from comfortable American-made zip-up jackets and hoodies to custom glassware that you'll actually want to use - and then personalize them to your exact preferences. When you partner with Spirit Gear for your next big fundraiser, you can count on:
- A 11 percent commission on all sales
- No financial commitment
- No minimum orders
- Fast production times
- Shipping and tracking services
- In-house production and a professional staff
- Superior customer service
Spirit Gear's online fundraising stores are perfect for a wide range of organizations, including high schools, colleges, sports teams, clubs and more. We customize all of our items in-house in Freeburg, Ill. using cutting-edge screen-printing, embroidery, engraving, rotary and pad printing, sublimation, tackle twill production and digitizing services. Because of this, we offer an excellent assortment of high-quality items with fast service and production time. If you're ready to start fundraising online with Spirit Gear, open your online store today. We're more than happy to guide you through the process.
