Posted on 04/09/2009--Doesn’t require an up-front cost. Middle school students do not usually have tons of money, so finding a fundraising program that is free to start is ideal.
--Easy to explain. If you are considering different fundraising programs, choose the one with the easiest explanation. “We’re selling cookie dough,” is a lot easier than, “First you scratch off these two dots, then see what amount it adds up to….” Although the scratch card fundraiser may offer a higher profit on average, you must consider the fact that if they cannot explain it, they cannot sell it. Choose something that they understand so that they will be able to explain the process to customers.
--Non-complicated pricing. While middle school students are leaps and bounds ahead of elementary students as far as math is concerned, it is still better to find a fundraising idea that has only one, or a few, easy-to-add prices. The $10 cookie dough tub fundraiser, or the coffee fundraiser are both great examples – one simple price.
--Reasonable expectations. Make sure that the individual goal is practical. If you choose a fundraiser with such a high minimum that would require each child to sell 27 products, you may have just killed your middle School Fundraiser before you started. Find a respectable number of items for each child to sell to help the group reach the goal you are aiming for; anywhere from 5-10 items is a good average.
The most important requirement for successful middle school fundraisers though, is up to you. The biggest influence on a middle school fundraiser is the encouragement. Middle school students are still persuaded most by parents and adults at this point in their lives…which is soon to change as peers and friends take the lead in that role. So be a motivator and an encouragement – mix that with a great fundraising program and your group will raise the money you need in no time!
