Should Your School Fundraiser Only Offer One Product?

Your goal with your next school fundraiser is to offer a product or product line that will make you the most money. Deciding which one is not so easy. Should you choose a single fundraising product that is so special and unique that it is bound to sell itself just because it is so different or exclusive? Or should you perhaps play it safe and ‘cover your bases’ by perhaps offering your buyers a big shopper brochure that has a large variety of items that may be more ordinary?

An argument can be made for selling an unusual item that is so different it will immediately grab people’s attention or even fulfill a specific need. It would most likely have to be a product that hasn’t been sold recently like a custom sports mug brochure or even a discount card fundraiser which saves people money over time that you can sell at your school’s sporting events. Some people find that selling wreaths or turkeys just before Christmas is effective because a lot of people may be looking for those types of things. Most people decide to explore other alternatives if they have found that people are tired of selling or buying the same type of merchandise year after year. Another option is to offer a brochure that has multiple variations of the same product like jewelry or a candle fundraiser.

On the other hand, a lot of schools like the variety shopper for several reasons, like familiarity and selection. The big brochure shopper has been used for a long time and schools have gone with it year after year. It is by far the most often used school fundraising brochure in the country because it offers a large selection of merchandise that most people can afford to buy. People may feel uncomfortable putting all of their eggs in one basket by selling a single unique item. It is therefore seen as a safe choice. The most popular types of large shoppers are the seasonal shoppers; however, variety frozen food shoppers have become more popular in recent years.

Ultimately, what a school needs to consider when choosing a product to sell are the following:

• Are the majority of the items priced so that the majority of your customers can purchase one or more items without too much trouble?
• What has sold well in your area in the past and what hasn’t?
• Has your school offered the same type of brochure for the past few years and thus your community may be ready for something different? Perhaps this is where a unique item may provide a refreshing change and therefore increase your sales
• What have you heard from other people? What have people been telling you? It is never a bad idea to ask people what they may be interested in purchasing or even sending out a survey

So, do you feel that you can gamble with a single school fundraising item that will instantly grab peoples attention or do you think that you may need to play it save and provide something more ordinary with a lot of choices for people to buy? Or, perhaps you may want to offer both!