You’ve decided on a fundraising program and product to sell that you know, with just a little effort by participants, will meet financial goals. Now you need to motivate and ensure participation occurs across the board. Incentive programs that reward sellers for a job well done are crucial.
How do you come up with great reward ideas, so the fundraising doesn’t lose any steam?
Focus on participation and reward all who participate
Reach for the stars, flashy, exciting, trendy prizes are indeed attention grabbers but may not be the answer to motivation. Hard to reach goals can sometimes demotivate and have the opposite effect you were wanting.
More and more programs focus on “lower-level” prizes. You know, the ones deemed “silly and useless.” These types of prizes are used to encourage participation instead of reaching for what seems for many, unobtainable goals. The more people that sell 1-5 items or more, the more successful the fundraising will be.
Event-based incentives
Industry studies by AFRDS show a 15 to 25 percent increase for schools that use “spirit” based programs with prizes. The fundraising rep can provide rewards, but the parent group should be encouraging spirit. Perhaps offering participants a pizza party, ice cream social, BMX show, DJ dance, bounce house, video game bus, etc., will boost participation. You can build other prizes around the event depending on the number of items sold. For example: offering VIP seats to the BMX show if you sell ten items, a meet and greet after the show if you sell 15 and so on.
Keep Costs Down
Motivate and increase participation while keeping cost down. Take advantage of any built-in program your fundraising consultant is offering, ask for donations from local businesses and supporters, provide a drawing of a gift card if you sell x number of items. Use school incentives like an extra recess session, one-time homework exemption, lunch with the Principal or have a staff member agree to do something crazy like wear a costume for the day. There are unlimited ways to keep cost down with a little brainstorming and a lot of creativity.
Figuring out which prizes to give your students may seem a bit complicated, but it doesn’t have to be! For any advice, contact Effective Fundraising Solutions at (855)-888-4337 and see what we can do for you today!
