3. What Are Your Resources?
How are you going to get the word out about your fundraiser? Do you have enough members in your group to reach the goal and, if not, can you solicit more volunteers?

Promoting your fundraiser is often the most overlooked aspect and can be the most devastating. Consider the best ways to get the word out about your fundraiser. There are many ways to do this, including getting it placed in the church bulletin, asking your minister, reverend or priest to mention it during the announcements during the church service, and placing posters and flyers around your church. It is best to start promoting your fundraiser at least 2 weeks before your launch date. Remember to ask permission from the appropriate people prior to advertising. Besides being appropriate and responsible, this will ensure that you receive the best acceptance possible from the people who frequently are the ones that can make your fundraiser the most successful.

Now that you have the word out, you need to be sure to provide the members of your church and community with a properly staffed fundraiser. It is always better to have a large crew of members and volunteers to handle the demand. Think of it in terms of your customers. If you were to go to the food court at your local mall craving a certain dish from your favorite restaurant, only to find that the line to order is 15 people long and the restaurant seems to be short staffed, how long would you be willing to wait before going somewhere else? Most of us would walk away before even getting in line. The same is true with your fundraiser. If you set up display tables after service you will have access to many people that could easily become customers. However, those people are typically in a rush to get home, and, although they may want to help your organization, are likely to pass up your table if it looks like they might spend even 10 minutes waiting in line.

4. Planning Your Fundraiser
It's now time to recall your answer to the question in Step 1 regarding your organization's financial need. You will use this information to set and monitor individual and group goals. To determine the number of items your group needs to sell to reach its goal, simply divide the goal amount by the profit per item your organization has chosen. For example, if your group goal is to raise $1000 to offset costs for mission expenses and the profit margin chosen is $5 per item, your group needs to sell a total of 200 shirts and hoodies. Assuming your organization has 20 members and they each accept an equal portion of the goal, each member needs to sell just 10 items to reach the $1000 in profits. For a group similar in size and with similar goals as to our example, we suggest that you run the fundraiser for 2 - 3 weeks. This allows ample opportunity for the members of your church and community to visit your fundraising area, but it is also short enough to keep the enthusiasm of your group high and their minds' set on the goal.