Fundraising: Focus to Help Others

Teaching altruism to a child can seem like a double-sided obligation. After all, altruism is the focus of wanting to help others and do good without being recognized or rewarded. The whole motivation behind many fundraisers is to get a certain amount of money or get the desired prize. However, when focusing on doing good for others, often time the materialistic rewards do come—but your child will be less concerned about them.

You might be thinking, “Oh right…doing good for others. My mother sure does need that ten pounds of chocolate rotting in her basement that she bought from us last year!” There can be more to fundraising though. Much more.

Think about why Pampered Chef and Mary Kay are so successful. It’s not really about the products. It’s about how the people and products make you feel. I first became a Pampered Chef consultant because I called to find a party to get a discount on an apple wedger I wanted. The woman was so positive and encouraging that the next thing I new I was ordering my consultant kit. I wanted to be part of the fun she had.

Fundraisers can be the same way. Getting your child focused on doing good will leave him or her much more satisfied with the results. There will be some people who buy because they want the product and don’t care who is selling it; but the majority of people buy on emotion. That is why I was able to sell mortgages when I knew very little about the actual mortgage business: I knew a lot about the people and personality business.

Do Good For Others: Host a Fundraising Party
Don’t reinvent the wheel. It’s worked for Pampered Chef. It’s worked for Mary Kay. People like to have a good time. Help your child organize a fundraising party. Below are three big reasons why this will be a success.

1. Happy People Buy.
People like social events. They like networking, meeting new people, and catching up with old friends. Bring them under one roof and their shopping talents will shine. They will think of the uses they have with your products. Maybe they will host a party of their own and buy a tower of chocolate for h’orderves. Or maybe they will just like returning the favor for helping them have such a good night.

2. Guests Recommend Products.
Any time I had the option of cooking at a Pampered Chef event or doing a magazine sale, I always chose the first. People do the selling for you when they are sitting around in a room together. One person will say that they liked the texture of a certain wrapping paper or the flavor of a certain candy, and pretty soon the entire room will have it on their order forms. Your guests will do the selling for you.

3. People Will Remember You
Not too many students will be hosting their own fundraising parties. This will give you the chance to establish your own identity—maybe even your own brand. People will remember you, and they will talk about you. My sister moved to an entirely new town and had a “rock-star birthday party” for my niece. She had multiple cakes and outfits for the kids. She was instantly remembered and talked about throughout the community. Her focus was to help the kids have a good time. Help your kid focus on letting the adults have a good time, and these same rewards will come.