Starting Up

STARTING UP

Fundraising can be fun, but it can also be a challenge. Raising money for your group takes planning and perseverance. You can choose to start from scratch and do all the work yourself (bake sale, car wash, etc.), or you can search out a company to partner with that will provide you with products & brochures, as well as expertise (Catholic T-shirts, etc), to help make your fundraiser a success.

The simplest approach would be to locate a company to partner with, and the best way to do that is through your favorite internet search engine. You can use key phrases such as “Catholic fundraising” or “Catholic T-shirt fundraiser”, etc.

Give potential companies a phone call and ask lots of questions, such as...

+  What products can we sell?

+  How much should we sell them for?

+  What will our profit be?

+  How much time will we have to sell?

+  Will you send us samples or merchandise to sell on the spot?

+  Is a deposit required?

+  How much notice do you need from us to schedule a fundraiser?

+  Do you offer sales brochures and order forms? Are they free?

+  Do you provide sales incentives (like 1 free T-shirt for every 10 sold)?

+  Do you provide price signs for our sale?

+  What marketing strategies do you recommend?

+  Who pays for shipping?

Once you have located a company you’d like to work with, get your pastor’s permission and confirm the dates for your sale. (If you will be selling with brochures, you may not need to confirm dates with him.)