How to Hold a Fundraiser for a Small Non-Profit

Most non-profits are small – they have no full-time staff, raise five (not six or seven) figures per year, and are volunteer-driven. Because these schools, churches, and smaller charities have no professional staff, they must rely on their supporters and volunteers to do their fundraising for them.

If you’re helping a small non-profit hold a fundraiser, here are 5 tips to ensure a successful effort:

1. Put Together a Committee Holding a fundraiser takes lots of work. Put together a group of people who are committed to the non-profit and are willing to raise money as part of your fundraising effort. Remember: you’ll want your host committee to reach into their own networks to the fundraiser for this event, so be sure the people you choose are willing to make calls and aren’t just interested in choosing the catering menu.

2. Have a Plan Every fundraiser – no matter how small or large – should have a written plan. What are the logistics? How much with the fundraiser cost? Who is responsible for set up? For clean up? Who will we invite? Who will sponsor the event? How much should we charge? What will our profit be?

3. Keep Your Costs Down The less money you spend on your fundraiser, the more money will go to support the non-profit you are working with. Keep a close eye on fundraising event costs, and be sure to resist the urge to overspend, particularly if this is a small event.

4. Maximize Your Profit Are you taking advantage of all of the possible ways to raise additional money around your fundraiser? Does your event have sponsors who write larger checks in return for marketing and public relations opportunities? Did you see if you could get event materials donated or at a reduced cost? Should you add a silent auction, a candy sale, a raffle, or another revenue stream to your fundraiser?

5. Communicate With Your Supporters Once your fundraiser is over, be sure to stay in touch with your donors and attendees. They have shown that they care about your non-profit… keep them informed and updated, and you’ll be able to go back to them for another donation in the near future!

— Joe Garecht is the founder of The Fundraising Authority (http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com/), which offers hundreds of free articles on how to raise money for small and mid-sized non-profits.

Yummy Lix Round Lollipops Fundraising

Yummy Lix Round Lollipops are our #1 selling lollipop. They come in an assortment of all your favorite flavors. Yummy Lix Round Lollipops are packaged in cases of 640 pops. Inside the case are 8 packages. Each package contains  80 lollipops. You will make 50% profit selling just one case. Shipping is free!

What You Should Know

Yummy Lix Round  Lollipops offer the same profit regardless of the number of cases that you purchase. Sell the lollipops for two times the cost. Meaning, you double your investment no matter how many cases you purchase. Here is a quick profit chart for you to review:

Profit and Cost

  • In hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cases Bought Cost Per Case Profit %
1 min $320.00 50%
One Dollar Chocolate Candy Bars Fundraiser

The Original One Dollar Chocolate Candy Bars come in two different variety packs. These are our best selling candy bar fundraisers. They offer the largest one dollar fundraising candy bar that is manufactured in a peanut-free facility.

What You Should Know

Candy fundraising profits are determined based on the number of cases of candy that you sell. The more cases you purchase the lower your cost per case.  For more details, take a look at profit charts for each of the available variety packs:

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cases Bought % Profit Cost Per Case
49 or more 48% $124.80
25 -49 45% $132.00
10 – 24 43% $136.80
1 – 9 40% $144.00

If you are looking for a holiday season fundraiser, our Home for the Holidays Candle Fundraiser is it.  With their cheery labels and seasonal scents, these candles make a fantastic gift. There’s no upfront cost, so this fundraiser works for any type of group.  We provide everything you need to get started and there’s no obligation.

What You Should Know

Candle fundraising is different than other fundraising programs. Easy Fundraising Ideas gives you a 50% profit on each candle you sell. The only additional charge you may incur is a $65 shipping fee if your group sells less than 150 candles.

Each candle sells for only $20 each.

Profit and Cost

  • No upfront cost
  • Free brochures for your participants
  • Free shipping (orders of 150 items or more)
  • Start in under a minute
Items Bought % Profit Free Shipping
150 plus 50% YES
1 to 149 50% No

Sports Lollipops Show Profit

Lollipop Fundraisers

Get your team revved up and ready to lick the competition with Sports Lollipops. Put other boring fundraisers on the bench. Throw these products into your fundraising line-up and score sweet savings. If we do not have your particular sport check out our selection of other fundraiser suckers that are great pinch hitters.

What You Should Know

You will make a 50% profit when you sell our Sports Lollipops no matter how many cases you purchase. Sell the lollipops for two times the cost of the lollipops. Here is a quick profit chart for you to review:

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cases Bought Cost Per Case Profit %
1 min $320.00 50%
Jack Link's Beef Jerky Fundraiser

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is the cure to candy fundraising. While it may seem to have just snapped onto the scene and gained popularity over the last decade, humans have been eating jerky for thousands of years. Beef jerky is a handy, on-the go-option for quick hunger fixes. Plus it’s full of protein and minerals. Jack Link’s Beef Jerky sticks meet or exceed most school nutritional standards, making it a healthy fundraiser for kids.  The sticks sell for only $2 each. You can purchase as little as one case and shipping is absolutely free.

What You Should Know

Jack Link’s profits are determined based on the number of cases that you sell. See the profit chart below for more details:

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Product Cost Per Case Profit %
Beef Sticks $200.00 50%
Squatch Sticks $120.00 50%
School Fundraiser

School Fundraising Made Easy

If you feel that selecting the best school fundraising idea is a daunting task, don’t worry! Since it seems the gap between school budgets and funding required for extracurricular programs is getting larger every year, the need for profitable school fundraisers is growing.

Sports Fundaising Ideas

Sports Fundraising Ideas That Win

Sports fundraising goes hand-in-hand with playing sports. Whether you are a basketball, football, soccer, or cheerleading organization, we have fundraisers that will score big money for your team.

Church Fundraisers

Church Fundraisers Move the Spirit

Top Church Fundraisers by Group

Non-profit fundraisers

Non-Profit Fundraising for Charity

Top Non-Profit Fundraising Ideas by Group

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Unique Fundraising Ideas – Are There Any?

direct and pre-sell fundraisers

We’ve helped with people fundraisers for more than 10 years now and it’s truly amazing how many people start out their thought process so sure they need unique fundraising ideas if they are going to raise money. There will be none of those same old fundraisers for them.

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adoption

Parents of young children learn about fundraising very quickly as their kids enter elementary school. It does not take long before your student comes home with fundraising information. What you do with that information is more important than you think. Unfortunately, many parents simply take the fundraising packet and toss it in the trash. Other Read More »

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goals

The one thing many people fail to do in their fundraising effort is to inform their supporters about their efforts. We have learned that the more people know about you and what you do the more willing they will be to support your organization. Assuming, then, that you have done a good job at developing Read More »

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Start Fundraising

There are many types of fundraisers. No matter what type of fundraiser you and your group choose to start, there is one question that you must ask – how much will this cost? In fact, that is usually the most important factor when choosing a fundraiser – you need to choose a fundraiser that reflects Read More »

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Battle of the Bands Fundraiser

One of the most exciting money-making ideas is a Battle of the Bands Fundraiser. Live music is a huge draw for most people, giving you a broad audience, which translates to money for your cause. Once you have a venue and date, the most important part of a Battle of the Bands fundraiser is – Read More »

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When you are looking for the best fundraiser for your group, you need to define a couple of criteria that will greatly help you narrow down the field. First, do you want to use a brochure fundraiser that is typically free to start, or do you want to do a direct-sale where you buy inventory before the sale begins?

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Getting started

The most important tool in fundraising is to choose the right fundraiser. While you and your group look over all of your options there are a few things to keep in mind before deciding which fundraiser will bring the most success. First, make sure that your fundraiser not only complements the experience of the seller, Read More »

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Fundraising should be fun, right? Well, why is it that people would rather have teeth pulled than participate in another fundraiser? What the world needs are more silly fundraisers to make fundraising fun again. So how do you hold silly fundraisers? The best silly fundraiser we can think of is an amateur comedy night at Read More »

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Fire Extinguisher Fundraising

One of the crucial issues for several families in the United States is home safety. While many think about different ways to tackle something, others try to apply it to fundraising. Can you consider a fire extinguisher fundraising? The answer for this is a ‘yes’ as well as a ‘no.’ If fire extinguisher fundraising sounds Read More »

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fried turkey fundraiser

Are you bored with the same fundraising ideas? We have a unique idea for you – a fried turkey fundraiser. Don’t worry if you have not considered this before.  Here are some crucial things you need to bear in mind, as well as various ways in which this fundraiser can be offered. First,  select the Read More »

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Gourmet Cookie Dough Tub Fundraiser

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Earth Candle Fundraiser

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Earth Candle Fundraiser

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Earth Candle Fundraiser

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Earth Candle Fundraiser

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Journey of Faith Candle Fundraiser

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All Sport Scratch Cards

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Custom Discount Fundraising Cards

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Yummy Lix Round Lollipops

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Popcorn Fundraisers make Profits Pop!

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Journey of Faith Candle Fundraiser

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