School Fundraising: Measuring the Big-Picture Goals

Measuring goals isn’t always like measuring flour for a recipe. Some goals are based around improving skills, for example. It is still very important to have a system to determine your child’s progress. This article will be devoted to helping you find the ways you will be able to measure these goals so you can enjoy the reward of completing them.

When’s the last time you thought about doing good for others? Some people consciously make an effort and many help without giving it a thought. If your child is struggling in this area, you may have made a goal in dear hopes that your child will gain compassion through this school fundraiser. Is this a silly goal? Certainly not. Interacting with people under specific plans-of-action can get your child in the habit of doing good for others. It may also enlighten your child to the intrinsic value of selling, a reward that goes beyond any material goods.

So how do we measure this thing called compassion?

Begin by giving your child time to at least make three presentations. After these presentations, you will evaluate your child based on the following questions:

• Is your child beginning to talk to customers easier?
• Does your child use key words that signify compassion for the customers and not just the product?
• Does your child share stories about selling experiences?

Even if the stories your child shares are comical or poke fun at the customers, that does not mean your child is not compassionate. This may be your child’s way of showing care through awkward life stages. Listen to the true story being told. Does your child mention personality traits of the customers? If so, this means that your child is really taking interest in them. This will definitely be a gradual process, but keep evaluating every presentation after the third one. If you cannot be there for the sales delivery, ask your child about the experience. And remember, you have the opportunity to direct the conversation. Asking your child about these experiences may create a-ha moments for the both of you.

My child has all the compassion in the world but is shy during the delivery.

If this is a statement that resonates with you, one of your child’s goals may be to become more comfortable with the presentation. This goal is another long-term goal (like being more compassionate) and should also come with short-term goals. It will be easier for your child to measure the progress if there are steps.

For example, a few short-term goals might be:

• Laugh five times through my presentation. This will keep your child on track, having strategically placed where these laughs will be throughout the presentation. It will also lighten the mood; who can stay tense while laughing. Relaxation is half the battle to accomplishing an effective presentation.
• Take control of the conversation from the beginning when faced with elders. It is very tough for children to ‘take control’ of a conversation because they are often taught to be quiet around adults. It is very important to listen during the conversation, but your child can work on taking control by asking the customer a specific question when they first meet. The customer will answer, which will give your child leverage to comment and move into the presentation.
• After my customers make a comment, I will make one comment and then ask one question. This will keep the presentation moving fluidly. For example, if a customer says, “I like the floral print of this paper,” your child might say, “Yes; it is beautiful; there are two other floral prints as well. Do you have a garden; or have you just always admired flowers?” These questions will show your customers you care and will give you an idea about their lifestyles. Maybe your customer does have a garden and you have gardening shovels and gloves in another fundraiser. This will give your child a selling point.

Now that you have developed these short-term goals, you will be able to make a checklist of how often your child is completing them. Soon they will be part of a confident presentation, and you can leave your checklist at home!

If you have any specific goals you need help with, don’t hesitate to ask. Cheers to a beautiful (and windy) day!

"School Fundraising for Mommies" is under development through MommiesLine.com. The book covers how mommies can help their children master the art of sales through their school fundraising experiences by developing planning, selling, and networking skills.

School Fundraising: Memory Jogger for Kids

This is an activity to help your child think of connections. It is very important to then divide the people you know into groups relative to your fundraiser. For example, if you are selling crafty materials, you may have people from categories such as “mom’s friends” and “doctor” joined into a group you title “likes painting.” Your child could then focus attention selling to this group.

Copy and paste the below titles into another document and format it with enough space so your child can write names. Feel free to create your own categories or write names by using the alphabet as a second strategy.

Have fun! The number of people in your market will sure to grow.

Address book
Across the street
Parents
Mom’s friends
Dad’s friends
People who come to my house
People I like to visit
Bus Driver
Car Repair People
Window cleaner
Teachers
School helpers
Coaches
Friends
Dance instructor
Dentist
Doctor
Landlord
Funny people
Church members
Eye care
High voice
Owns a truck
Soccer
Basketball
Tennis
Football
Hockey
Volleyball
Softball
Cheerleading
Track
Cross Country
Swimming
Band
Choir
Bowling
Gymnastics
Other sports
Photography
Just had a baby
Pregnant
Aunts
Uncles
Brothers
Sisters
Grandparents
Cousins
Favorite restaurant workers
Travelers
Healthy people
Grocer
Stores I shop
Farmers
Firemen
Librarian
Babysitters
Crafters
Business owners
Organizations or clubs

School Fundraising: Setting Goals

Children and parents alike are so conditioned to the regular notion of fundraising that they start dialing the phone or dropping off order forms before knowing what they are working toward. Setting goals is an essential step for all parties involved.

The school has a list of established goals for the students to accomplish; and most of them are based off of materialistic rewards. School fundraising can be an educational experience if you, as the parent, set your own goals and guide your child to make individual goals that will lead to a successful outcome.

As my previous articles have discussed, treating school fundraising as a sales experience will help your child immensely when making presentations for school projects, applying for colleges or grants, and entering the job force. There are several tangible and intrinsic outcomes to work toward—and the hard part is really honing in on three main goals for each fundraising event. Limiting your goals to three will help you go deeper on each one.

Below are brainstorming activities to help both of you narrow your goals.

What do you want your child to accomplish?
-Begin by thinking short term. If there is one quality your child improves on through this process, it is a success. Does your child need more self-confidence? Does your child need to work on presentation? Or doing things for the good of the cause?
-There will be plenty of more fundraisers and activities to continue honing in on these attributes. Settle on one. Write it down. And write why.
-List specific examples of why your child needs to work on this skill. Is it a reasonable goal? How will it serve your child in the future?

What is something tangible your child would like to obtain?
-Have your child look through the list of rewards offered for this fundraiser. Is there a toy your child really wants? Is your child working to raise money toward a trip or event? Find the main tangible your child is working toward and write it down.
-Have your child write how this reward will be a benefit. Will the toy be fun to play with? Is there a reward that can be donated to a local charity? Will your child have to do fewer chores to make it to a travel experience or event?
-Help your child decide how much money or how large of toy sounds reasonable and yet is a high enough goal.

What is something intangible that your child would like to accomplish?
-Begin by reading my article “Fundraising: Focus to Help Others.” This explains the importance of altruism.
-Help your child think of one way this fundraiser can help someone else. Who or what is this going to help? Why is this important to me?
-Form this thought into a goal, making sure it is reasonable to accomplish.

Congratulations! You have a great start to making this fundraiser a successful learning experience. Write your three goals down and keep it with the fundraising materials. Make notes along the way so you can track how you are accomplishing these goals. If you find any of them to be out of reach, take notes on why; this will help you form clearer direction in the future.

Fundraising is really an extension of education at home. I will continue to share insights on how to make this experience profitable in many ways for you and your children. Eventually you will have an interactive resource that will help guide you in much more detail on this subject.

"School Fundraising for Mommies" is under development through MommiesLine.com. The book covers how mommies can help their children master the art of sales through their school fundraising experiences by developing planning, selling, and networking skills.

Good luck creating your three goals for fundraising!

Imagine what would happen if we set three goals for ourselves each day.
…and accomplished them!

School FUNdraising: Fun at Home

It seems with all the rigmarole of school fundraising that families have forgotten how it can really bring them together. It exposes your child to the concept of “working together” and it reminds you of the joy of childhood. Girl Scout cookies would just be cookies unless our hearts didn’t melt from seeing the girls and parents stand out in the cold and still hold a smile.

I researched online some of the best activities for families to do together at home. If you can incorporate these into the “art” of fundraising…voila! You’ve accomplished far more than the parent who hands over the fundraiser ‘bail-out’ cash. Now get ready for the next one ☺

#1 Read with your child
Sure, every child loves a good book. From watching babies to grownups, I see the favorites are the ones asking you to join in. Get a book (or create one!) that talks about the purpose of fundraising. You can even use my other articles to develop the body of the book. Have your child read the instructions and then finish the page. For example, you can have him or her “write names of family in the picture of the house” and “write names of neighbors in the picture of the circle.” This will help your child think of people to contact for the fundraiser. You can then ask your child about the symbolism of the circle: it is a circle because neighbors and friends establish a community that is important and reliable.

#2 Do arts and crafts
Of course! This is one of the best ways to use your creative energy and destroy the house. And it’s worth every last glue smudge. Get out those crayons, markers, paintbrushes, and poster board—this is time to create some publicity. You can create posters, little brochures, and even thank-you cards. I don’t remember the last time I saw a thank-you card for a fundraiser. We start to expect that friends, family, and neighbors will participate because they always have. Reinvent an old tradition. They will remember you.

#3 Cook. Make snacks.
We just wouldn’t be human if food wasn’t involved in our fun activities. Eating brings people together; and it can be a very healthy and fulfilling time. You can block of a period of an hour or so just for your child and promise him or her that it is “your” time together. You could make a special snack and then work on the next step of your fundraiser. Remember, fundraising is teaching your child the steps of selling. Your child will have to prepare, present, and network time and time again. What a great time to begin learning how fun it can be—right in the home.

#4 Outdoor bug hunt
I’m sure you can find a way to tie this one in…

Cheers to a fresh day!

School Fundraising: Selling with Purpose

Helping others and teaching altruism to your child is one of the healthiest ways to help your child understand the purpose of fundraising. It’s also very important to teach your child about making the sale. It’s not a secret—it’s exciting! Don’t think you have the credentials to teach on this subject? Haven’t been a car salesperson or a QVC model? The reality of it is, you sell every day. You go to the store and demand discounts on imperfect clothes; you sell your personality to strangers to make new friends; you even sell yourself on certain ideas. Now it’s time to pay attention to those strategies and put them to use.

Coming from Michigan, I know what it’s like to fundraise in a down economy. I see students and parents afraid to bring their fundraising materials door-to-door because they know their neighbors are having a tough time to make ends meet. The best thing to do is sell, sell, sell. When your neighbors are having a hard time, so is your school. You will appreciate that band equipment, the free uniforms, or the enriching play outing. Cookies may be your neighbor’s favorite snack…or he might have a long-time connection with the school band. You never know.

Explaining the economy and necessary organizational growth to our children can be difficult—and is encouraged. But in case you get stumped, here are three reasons you can give them that express why making the sale is important:

1. Money is coming in.
More money coming in is less that your child or child’s organization needs to come up with. Explain it to your child like this: You have ten friends. You get a dollar a week, and you have $3 saved up. You want a pizza that costs $10, but you only have $3. If you share the cost with your ten friends, you only have to pay $1, and you get your pizza and have $2 left. Fundraising can really help spread out the cost of large purchases. If your close networks alone contributed a single dollar to your important cause, think of what a difference that would make.

2. Work is necessary to gain the reward.
You can tell them it’s like getting a job. They are getting paid for their time. They don’t necessarily have to work more hours—but they have to work smart to gain the outcomes they are looking for. They have to plan appropriately and follow the steps to fundraising, including the preparation, selling strategies, and follow-through.

3. You will meet new people.
Some people sell solely because of the connections they make. Fundraising is a great way to get involved in the community. Your child’s attitude will spread to her or his potential customers; if you are used to thinking of fundraising in a negative light, that is because you are giving in to the negative energy. Dare to make fundraising cool again! Dare to make it an exciting activity to be shared with family and friends. You will find that people love fundraising just as much as Halloween—it’s just an excuse to invite the children inside to share stories and hot cocoa.

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.

School Fundraising Tips: Market Selection

As a Pampered Chef consultant, I thought moving to Philadelphia was the key to my success. There were people everywhere, and I would be the #1 seller in the world! Reality check, Jennifer: There are people everywhere...and there are also restaurants everywhere. My landlord told me I was the only tenant who had ever used the stove! None of them needed my cooking supplies because they didn't cook.

Don't worry, you won't have to move across the country to help your child succeed at his or her fundraiser; if the product is being sold in your community, it is probably being used in your community. There are three important questions to remember when deciding who your child will market the fundraiser to:

1. What segments of people do I know?
2. Who could most use this product?
3. What products could I offer to the other segments?

What segments of people do I know?
These segments can be divided by age, location, or interest. Have your child think of 5 main segments. You will be able to narrow them later. He first might say, "old people," "aunts," "uncles." These are good starts. You could add, "just married" or "women" to the list. I will try to do another post on brainstorming for this activity.

Who could most use this product?
When having your child think of who could use he product, they will probably name every person they know; it is only natural to want to sell to everyone. Defining a target market (age, location) will help them think about the bigger picture. There will be other fundraisers (probably next week), and your child will establish more credibility and likeness if he or she asks help from people who could really use the product. Your child's customers will establish a special connection with your child and the particular product. Year after year, they will expect to get that same product from your son or daughter.

What products could I offer to the other segments?
This will get your child thinking ahead and excited for the next fundraiser. For example, if you are selling wrapping paper, that would be a great product for couples "just married." They may not have the holiday essentials yet. You could also get your child to start noticing birthday and Christmas presents. Who spends a lot of time on wrapping? Your child could add those people to his fundraising list for next time. Or, if you have more than one child, have them market to different segments. Your children can also make agreements to do this with friends that share networks.

School Fundraising: An Introduction to a New Perspective

I first began truly appreciating fundraising when I was in college and had the time to reflect on the process of my elementary days and the impact it had on my perceived ability to succeed in a sales society. Growing up, I would bring the magazine home like every other kid--waving it in front of my mom's eyes and begging her to buy a couple things "if she wanted." I was more concerned that she show my magazine to every relative, neighbor, and breathing being on the planet. I despised the tension in the air when I would visit a distant relative once a year and have to ask if they wanted chocolate-covered Ju Ju Beans to go with my smile. It took years to realize that these events were so tough for me because:

1. I had no goals.

2. I expected my mom to do the work.

3. I started from square one with each sale.

I became passionate about fundraising when I needed to raise money for trips. In the past, I had sold things I didn't really care about. It was nice to have a Garlic Bread in the freezer once in a while--but it wasn't flying me around the world with it's magic garlic salt. So when I completely paid for my trip four years in a row to a national conference on drug education, I valued the networks I created through those elementary fundraising events. I sold my little heart out for our annual P.R.I.D.E Chicken BBQ, and then I worked at the BBQ to make sure it was a success. My team kept logs of individuals and organizations that donated in the past. This helped define our market and develop new sources.

After High School I continued my fundraising ventures. I became an avid Box Tops for Education collector because I knew that with every box top, a school would get ten cents towards school supplies. My friends' parents started collecting them for me, and I would walk through the college dorms to collect as many as I could. I took over $200 worth one time to a school I volunteered at in Philadelphia for an Alternative Spring Break. The kids in that class were never so excited.

I also have fundraised for larger organizations such as World Vision, Operation Christmas Child, Operation Rice Bowl, and Make a Wish Foundation. When it came time to fund my study on the Holocaust in Poland, I resorted to this resource I had used to help so many others in the past.

I read many disgruntled mother bloggers who are fed up with fundraising for their children. Through this blog, I hope to bring you a new perspective. If we stop fundraising for our children, we can start developing their communicative skills to goal-set, present, and network. Fundraising is experiential education for our children in a sales-dominated world.