4 Common Misconceptions About School Fundraising Programs
There are lots of proven school fundraising events and ideas out there. From simple activities like selling cupcakes to bigger ones like mobile fundraisers, schools have plenty of options.
While there are several strategies, common misconceptions are also misleading people. Here are four common myths about school fundraising programs.
1. Mobile Fundraising Campaigns Are Only Limited to Large Non-Profit Groups
Gone are the days when the likes of UNICEF are the only ones that can meet the strict requirements of mobile fundraising providers.
These standards often alienated smaller non-profit groups, which don’t have the resources to meet the criteria. Now, mobile fundraising providers made it possible for any individual or group to donate to their chosen beneficiary.
For example, Paul Esterhuizen’s School-Days (a fundraising program in South Africa) has an app for that. It allows anyone to raise education funds by simply shopping at the program’s partners.
Text-to-give campaigns are another example. In the past, non-profit groups received the money after 90 days. The long waiting period happened because donations were transferred only after the amount was charged to the donor’s phone bill.
Some of the new mobile fundraising providers shortened the clearing time within two business days. The faster turnaround time means that non-profit organizations can put the money to good use right away.
2. The 80/20 Rule in Fundraising Is Always Accurate
How well do you know your donors? It’s true that 80% of donations are made by 20% of donors, but the rule doesn’t always give a clear insight about your benefactors.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Fundraising Effectiveness Project believes in two other rules in fundraising:
- 88% of gifts come from 12% of donors
- 76% of gifts come from 3% of donors
In simple terms, a school fundraising program can maximize the prospect of donations by knowing major donors as much as possible.
It also pays to research the tendencies of every new donor. For instance, you might be surprised to learn that a one-time donor of $50 is actually willing to donate $500 for the right reasons.
3. If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It
Some schools think that just because a campaign has been successful in previous years, it doesn’t make sense to try new things.
You might be losing out on maximizing the potential of your fundraiser if you’re not using these strategies:
- Use social media to boost exposure before, during, and after every campaign
- Try crowdfunding platforms as a complementary approach
- Multitasking during a fundraiser (e.g. a raffle draw during a school charity event)
4. Crowdfunding (Peer-to-Peer Fundraising) Is Just for Fun Runs
This misconception is common because crowdfunding started with fun runs and 5K events. Crowdfunding platforms have evolved to raise money for:
- Advocacies such as scholarships
- Development projects like a new library; and
- Weekend fundraising campaigns
Now that you know some of the common myths, applying what you learned is the next thing to do. Armed with this knowledge, it should become easier to host a successful campaign.
