In part one of this series we looked at creating and organizing your school fundraising campaign by creating the game plan and keeping focused on your objectives. After the fundraising has been completed what steps are needed to collect your money and wrap it up? Ordering Your Product Once your students and parents have finished selling, it's time to place your order. Some companies provide a master order form that simply needs to be filled out and be submitted by fax or email. Some companies are set up so that your order can be submitted online. Others require that copies of each student's order form be mailed directly to the company or a packing house. Make sure you understand in advance how your order will need to be placed so that you don't waste time trying to figure it out once you have all the forms and money in hand! Paperwork Double check your order before you submit it and after you receive any paperwork back from your fundraising company. A few extra minutes going over everything can save a lot of headaches later. Keep copies of everything in file in case you need to refer to them at a later date. State Sales Tax Each state has specific rules regarding fundraising. Make sure you are up to date on your responsibilities as to what you have to declare on federal, state and local tax returns. You can consult your professional fundraising company for guidance with this. Delivery of Your Fundraising Product Many fundraising companies can give you an estimate regarding delivery time once your order is placed. Try to find out this information and pass it on to your students and their parents. Specific dates and times for deliveries are also usually provided in advance by phone or email. Find out how your fundraising company will communicate this information to you and then advertise the details regarding when students and parents can pick up their items to hand out to supporters. Make sure to work in enough time that you can check the orders before passing them out, however, so that the process is smooth and no one comes to you saying the items are missing! A fundraising campaign that delivers promptly looks good to your donors. In the future getting additional funds from them will be easier since your reputation is already established. Volunteer Appreciation During the course of the fundraiser you may want to put a program together to motivate your students. A combination of team and individual awards tends to work very well. Why not offer a pizza party to the class with the most sales or a gift certificate to a popular store for the top seller in the group? Students and parents are always appreciative if their hard work is recognized! And don't forget about your parent volunteers. A tub of cookie dough or even a public thank you can go a long way in helping you to earn repeat help for your next fundraiser. Missing Items or Other Issues Make sure you are aware in advance of how your fundraising company will handle missing or damaged items. Will a replacement or refund be provided? Do you need to fill out specific paperwork or simply call to let the company know that there is a problem? How quickly will the situation be corrected? Having the details in advance will allow you to deal with any issues that arise and allow you to answer questions posed by your students, parents or their donors. If your school's fundraising campaign is run smoothly, everyone will be happy, your profits will add up and people will be more likely to work with you again in the future.
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