Practical Fundraising - Fundraising

10. Fundraising: Bought Products

There are some companies that exist solely to make their money through fundraising. These fundraising sales companies offer the products to be sold, also the catalogues and in some cases sales training. The non-profit group supplies the labor for selling and the manpower to do this. Both parties get some of the money raised. The advantages of this type of fundraising are that the companies often provide most of what you need to fundraise. The products are often professionally made and so are typically of a higher quality than home made crafts, and this appeals to the buyers.

On the down side, the fundraising company does take some of the profit, and rightly so since they do provide the products and advertising flyers etc. Sometimes, initial start up costs or the cost of paying for unsold items are quite high, as these businesses vary in thier policies, quality and trustworthiness. If you decide to follow this route in fundraising, be sure to investigate carefully any company you choose to work with, and check on their policies about unsold items. There are many reputable companies out there, and if you choose wisely, you can have a great fundraising experience, as these companies take away a lot of the hassle of organizing your fundraiser.

There are many items that these companies will sell to you to resell at a profit, and these include:

Art supplies

Books

Buttons or stickers

Candles

Chocolates, cookies, donuts, or other foods

Cosmetics

Crafts

Gift items

Kitchen items

Learning Tools (flash cards, etc.)Magnets

Magazine subscriptions

Paper products (stationary, wrapping paper)

Pet supplies (leashes, bowls, sweaters)

Posters

School supplies

T-shirts, sweat suits or other items of clothing

Toys, games, or puzzles

Useful resources

10. Fundraising: Bought Products

Practical Fundraising Ebook - Table Of Contents