Fund Raising Merchandise
Fund raising is many positive things. It brings about community,spirit, team building and most of all fun. All this for a good cause! It is with little wonder that almost every few days brings around a new event and new merchandise products to raise funds. One thing about fund raising merchandise though which needs to be mentioned though is above all else the aim is to raise money. Lots and lots of it for your cause in order to accomplish community and global aid objectives.
Over the years we have developed a good feel for fund raising merchandise as to what works well and what doesn’t. You most definitely would want your products to be popular as it means you would have maximised your revenue and minimised excess product waste that do not sell. So with that in mind here are some top tips to keep your fund raising merchandise humming and buzzing along with success:
Tip #1 Fund Raising Merchandise Visual Colour Appeal
The first thing to consider about products for fund raising is definitely colour. Primary colours are usually the easiest and safest way of selecting. Afterall who does not like Blues, Reds, Yellows and Greens. However if you had a theme colour or a specific branding guideline that you must adhere to then this may not be an option. If this is the case then make the colour that you are working with BOLD. For example if it is purple then make everything purple. Purple team member tee shirts, purple products and purple banners, purple promotional frisbees and purple everything to really colour your event and shine!
Tips #2: Fund Raising Products Product Appeal
If you want to sell out of your branded products make sure they appeal! Go for products that you know are popular based on combining what has worked well in the past as well as some brand new options to give your recipients a fresh idea to select from. It is good to stick with a handful of products year in and year out as it stands to make them Iconic. For example: Red Nose on Red Nose Day or a stressball star for the Starlight foundation. Use this staple product and build ideas around it and change them year in and year out. Also when selecting products make sure that you have items that will appeal to all different age groups. The easiest way to judge if a product will appeal is to ask yourself if you would buy the product and why. Follow this up by friends and team members of both genders and different age groups and backgrounds to really help confirm if your product is appealing.
Tips #3: Fund Raising Items – Premium & Budget Items
Raising money in public means you have a diversity of people from those with deep pockets to those who are just plain generous. Make sure your merchandise mix is flexible enough to offer a product that will be appropriate to all. This means it is a good idea to have merchandise that is low in cost for those small donations as well as premium corporate gifts for those large donors.
Tip #4: Fund Raising Products Stock Number Requirements
The easiest way to measure how many products you may need is to go off a previous campaigns results. If this is not possible or if your event is in the first year then why not call up the organiser of a similar sized event to yours and see what their experience is? They may not give you precise numbers but just a quick chat will at least give you some tips and ideas as well as a feeling on what is required.
Tip # 5: Fund Raising Bulk Buying Products & Leftovers
No one likes to have leftovers. It means potential funds not received and costs incurred in buying the products incurred. Therefore it is good to go for products that can last in storage until your event swings around again. So try and stay away from items that are perishable. If you did need perishables such as candy and chocolate then ensure only moderate amounts are ordered so they will be used up. Lasly remember that buying in bulk always gives you heaps of savings. So bulk buy your fund raising products but make sure they can last for next time!
Finally make sure that all your volunteers, team members and staff are all prepped and ready. Make sure that your uniform all looks smart and that it is appropriate for the weather. Simply handing out tee shirts in the middle of winter probably will not sit well with most staff so get a custom branded jacket for them too! If there is one aspect that can make your event a roaring success then that would be enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will make your event buzz along and everyone will have fun along the way whilst raising valuable money!
