Spreading the Word

Spreading the Word

Advertising your fundraiser is probably the single most important thing you can do to make it successful. You can't just simply sit back, do zero advertising and hope for the best. If people don’t know you are selling chocolate in the back of the church, they will just head for the door to go home after Mass.

Your advertising plan doesn't need to be complex, and you can delegate many of the tasks to your group members.  Try to get everyone in your group involved, so that no one feels left out.

The type of advertising you do will depend on the type of fundraiser you are holding. The two most common types of fundraisers are: Table Display Sales, and Brochure Sales.

DISPLAY TABLE SALES

When you hold a sale in the church vestibule or social center after Mass, there are a few things that you simply MUST do:

Make your Mission Known
People are more likely to help if they know the reason for your fundraiser. Whether that cause is to feed the hungry, or to help pay for a trip for a youth group, people want to know what you plan to do with the funds.

Flyers

Make flyers and hand them out to everybody after Mass. Cover all the doors, windows, and escape hatches and make sure that nobody leaves unless they have a flyer in their hand. Assign this task to the "social butterflies" of your group do this, since they will probably enjoy it the most, thus giving your group a positive image. Flyers can be as small as a quarter sheet of paper!

Church Bulletin Inserts
Ask your Pastor for permission  to place a single page insert in the Bulletin a week before your fundraiser. That way everybody knows about your fundraiser in advance.

Display your Products Creatively
If, for example, you are holding a T-shirt fundraiser, buy some extra shirts from that supplier for the group members that are working at the table during the fundraiser so people can see them wearing them and how good they look.

Balloons and Decorations
Nothing says “HERE WE ARE – CHECK US OUT!” like balloons at your fundraising table. They are a simple and inexpensive way to draw attention to your sale. Just make sure they don't overwhelm your display.

Banners
Have some of the more creative members of your group make some posters to hang that on the front of your table, behind your table, or both. Advertising posters can also be placed at other strategic locations (with the permission of your pastor.

Announcements on your Parish Website
Many people visit parish websites often for information. Make sure that your fundraiser information makes it to the front page (and any relevant page) on that website. You should consult with your pastor about this at least a month prior to your sale.


BROCHURE SALES


Holding a brochure fundraiser can be extremely profitable  if it is done right, and if your group members are motivated.  (See our “RALLYING THE TROOPS” section for motivating ideas.)

Brochure sales can be advertised using some of the methods described above. You could even let your group come up with some ideas of their own!