Successful charity fundraising involves using a variety of income sources. Organizations have to do more than just accept donations to discover untapped revenue markets. Many charities are discovering that selling products allows them to significantly boost the organization’s income.

Benefits of Offering Merchandise

The warm glow of helping others may be enough reward for some contributors but not for others. When people spend money, they like to have something tangible to show for it. Charity fundraising organizers have learned this lesson and typically offer token rewards for donations above certain amounts.

This concept can be taken a step further by offering merchandise for sale rather than as a reward for donation. Well-stocked nonprofit stores are sources of significant income for the charities that manage them. Donors who might never get around to making outright donations can often be convinced to spend money buying from these shops.

Products have another benefit to charity fundraising: ongoing advertising. Utilitarian items like tote bags or t-shirts spread your charity’s message without any cost to you.

What Products Should You Offer?

For the best charity fundraising results, merchandise offered should be chosen carefully. Simply slapping the charity’s logo on any item is not going to be effective. The items should be things people want, things they would buy at a typical retail store. The goal is to get them to buy from the charity instead.

Products should be practical. Every time your merchandise is used, it reinforces your organization’s message. When the purchaser thinks of giving to a charity, yours is the first one to pop into mind. When other people see the item, they ask about it and your message is spread to a whole new audience.

Unique items with distinctive designs are the most effective. Consider how Susan G. Komen has associated a certain shade of pink with breast cancer research. Their products are easy to spot and have strong associations for many people.

Selling Online

The internet has contributed to the popularity of using stores for charity fundraising. The ability to reach customers all over the world substantially increases potential revenues from these operations. Advances in online financial technology make it easy for organizations to accept credit cards and make the transaction as easy as possible for contributors.

It is possible to create your own internet store, but it requires a great deal of knowledge of subjects such as online encryption, financial transactions and website construction. With the widespread availability of inexpensive, turnkey online fundraising software available there is no reason to design your own. Online stores designed specifically for charity fundraising allow you to set up shop in a fraction of the time it would take to do it yourself.

A well-run online store is a valuable part of a funding network that includes private donations, small business sponsorships and grants. The more sources of revenue an organization has, the more stable its financial future.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Charity Fundraising, visit http://clickandpledge.com/.

[tags]Charity Fundraising[/tags]