We are down again this year. We switched to Midland last year and have been satisfied with product and service. I think next year we are going to do a fun run type fundraiser for our main.
We have been selling t-shirts and will add a few small fundraisers this year to meet budget. I dream of the day we exceed it big time. We need to find the right venue. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Our sales average about $11,000 but this year we were at $13,000 and $1000 more in profit than last year. We went with a new company this year, Midland Fundraising and noticed that many children got to the 24 items to be involved in their "pig" races. Not sure if that was "actually" a factor but we always have GREAT participation with the Kindergarten parents.
we actually eliminated our catalog sale this year because the past two years it has been down a little. we went with a flower bulb sale thinking it is something they actually will have later, we also pushed that you could buy some and donate it to the park or school. our bulb sales were about 1200.00 less than the catalog last year but I have a feeling it would have been down anyways. we have cut our budget this year and are looking at what we will do for spring. with the cost of gas and what they are saying about heating bills we are questioning if selling easter candy will be worth it. Especially since you start the sale in end february, so we are looking at something later like in April. It is going to be tough but we will get through it. Good Luck, I know what you are going through
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
We just finished our fall catalog fundraiser, and it looks like the numbers are almost exactly like last year's. With our catalog sales profits declining for the past three years, we selected another company in the hope that something a little different would make an increase. I think that a couple of factors figured in to this year's sales---donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief funds, and higher gas prices. Of course, donating to hurricane relief was exactly the right thing to do; it just happened to coincide exactly with the fundraiser. I feel that we would have shown an increase otherwise. At least we didn't go lower than last year! As for budget, we will still be able to cover what was planned, but maybe not a lot of extra items.
Well, we are wrapping up our fall catalog fundraiser. This is typically our main fundraiser that covers about 90% of our operating budget for the year. We have only met 40% of our goal. Is anyone else out there going through this? What are your plans to offset this? Budget cuts? Trying to raise more funds at a later date or with other programs? We had planned on doing an addition event to try to raise money for a long term improvement project but I think it will now go to the general budget and I'm not sure how well it will do.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
