How to Add a Product Fundraiser to Your Existing Campaign

In 2023, individual giving decreased by 2.4% when adjusted for inflation. To combat this decline, nonprofits, universities, and other charitable organizations need to optimize the fundraising experience and offer a multitude of engaging giving opportunities.

While many nonprofits are expanding their donation options by incorporating recurring giving, legacy giving, matching gifts, and non-cash donations into their fundraising strategies, you can also fortify your existing campaigns or initiatives by adding a product fundraiser.

A product fundraiser involves selling a product to your supporters in exchange for donations. As your organization generates more revenue, your donors get something in return for their contributions, resulting in a win-win opportunity for all. Explore how you can unlock these benefits by adding a product fundraiser to your existing campaign.

There are so many options for products you can sell to supporters. Narrow down your options by selecting a product that aligns with your:

• Audience. First and foremost, ensure your audience members will actually want to buy the product you select. Start by scouring your donor data to identify target audience members. Then, segment them into relevant groups to help you decide on an appropriate product. For example, if you’re hosting a 5K, you may find that the majority of your attendees have children and choose a product like lollipops that kids will enjoy.

• Campaign. What does your campaign look like, and which products would fit best with this initiative? For example, ABC Fundraising explains that you can run a discount card fundraiser in tandem with an event to engage as many community members as possible. On the other hand, if you’re running an online fundraising campaign, you may opt for something easy to sell online and ship, such as branded merchandise.
• Organization. Consider whether any products explicitly align with your mission or services. For instance, an animal shelter running an auction might sell dog treats at the event, or an environmental organization hosting a fun run may sell flower bulbs.

If you’re struggling to choose a product for your fundraiser, reach out to your audience to gather their feedback directly. Present them with your top options, and have them vote so you can select a product they’re motivated to purchase.

A product fundraising provider can streamline the process by sourcing products for you. Then, all you have to do is promote your fundraiser and watch the extra donations roll in!

Before deciding on a provider, investigate your options by:

• Browsing their products. Whether you’re looking to host a popcorn fundraiser, sell candles, or anything in between, look through each provider’s product offerings to ensure they have the products you want to sell. You may even gain inspiration from this exercise and find a product you hadn’t considered before.

• Looking for additional tools or support they offer. For instance, some product fundraising providers will set up an online fundraising store for you or include order forms you can use to collect orders in person.
• Comparing their online reviews. Look for reviews from organizations similar to yours or regarding the product you plan to sell to find commentary relevant to your nonprofit.

After completing these steps, make the final decision with your team and contact your selected provider to begin the product fundraising process.

Maximize participation in your product fundraiser by promoting it alongside your existing campaign. When marketing your product fundraiser, make sure to:

• Highlight the product. Include a description and image of the product so supporters know exactly what they can purchase.

• Clarify how supporters can purchase it. Let supporters know whether you’ll sell your product on your website, in person, or both.

• Explain how you’ll use the funds. Motivate donors to participate by showing them how their donations will make an impact. For example, you may tell donors that you’ll use their contributions to restock your school’s library so students can have more options for books at their reading level, allowing you to teach better reading comprehension skills and instill a lifelong love of reading.

• Demonstrate how the product fits into your overarching campaign. Let’s say you’re running your product fundraiser in conjunction with a silent auction. You may explain that although not every attendee will have the opportunity to take home a silent auction item, they can still contribute and come home with a treat by participating in your product fundraiser.
• Recruit volunteers to run the fundraiser. Your product fundraising promotional materials can double as volunteer recruitment ads, helping you staff your product fundraiser. Getting Attention’s volunteer recruitment guide recommends noting the time commitment, duties, and associated benefits of becoming a volunteer so supporters are well-informed before signing up.

Use a variety of marketing channels, such as social media, your newsletter, your website, email, and SMS marketing, to promote your product fundraiser and reach as many supporters as possible.

Assess the results of your fundraiser to determine what went well and where you could improve. Start by consolidating all of your fundraising data in your CRM so that it’s easy to analyze and report on. Review metrics like total funds raised from your product fundraiser, funds raised from your overarching campaign, and the number of people who participated in both initiatives.

Then, survey your fundraising participants (volunteers, event attendees, and those who purchased your products) to gain qualitative feedback on your fundraiser. Ask questions like:

• How did you find out about our fundraiser?
• Was it clear how to participate in our product fundraiser? Why or why not?
• Did you enjoy the product we sold? Why or why not?
• Are there any products you would like to see us sell in the future?
• Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

Consider attaching this survey to your thank-you messages so you can show your appreciation for donors and gather their feedback at the same time.

Hosting two fundraisers in one allows you to offer multiple ways to give, engage participants, and raise even more for your cause. Experiment with different campaign and product fundraiser combinations over time to find which pairs work best for your audience and organization.