Fundraising Guide 101

Fundraisers are a great way to increase sales, plus help organizationsraise needed funds. This guide is simply that, a guide for you to use filled with ideas and suggestions for organizing successful and profitable fundraisers.

Consider the following:

  • Think of the amount of people who will be exposed to Scentsy, in a short time, plus have your contact information as their Consultant.
  • How many people are going to need to re-order candle bars, add a new warmer, and etc.? REPEAT business!
  • Depending on how you work your fundraiser, in lieu of getting a big commission, opt to take the hostess credits and 1/2 price items for your time and to cover expenses. You can then resell those earning 50% to 100%. Or incorporate the hostess credits into your customers order to make more money, which you can keep for yourself or give more to your fundraiser.
  • Monthly sales over $2000 earn Consultants an additional 5%. So if you offer 25 percent, to the organization, you can still re-coop your expenses (catalogs,order forms etc) with the additional commission. (For Fundraisers totaling $2000 or more).
  • Potential to find new recruits and/or hostesses.
  • It is all about exposure and sharing the Scentsy products.
  • The percentage you donate is tax deductible along with any supplies or awards you provide.

Important Notes…

Policies and Procedures - If you sell to a tax-exempt entity Scentsy requires you to pay the sales taxwhen submitting the order, and then send a copy of the order and the sales tax exemption certification (a certificate ora copy of the tax-exempt ID card) for reimbursement to Scentsy. Requests can be faxed to 208-888-4306. The emailaddress to send your request for reimbursement (and the attached images required for documentation) is .

Fundraisers for non-profits would not be tax exempt. The School/church/etc is not the customer- the people ordering the products are. Therefore you need to charge sales tax. The only time you would not charge sales tax would be if a non-profit entity was purchasing the products to use in their business and not for resale to supporters.

Please keep in mind that the following pages are simply suggestions only. There are so many options and ways to calculate a fundraiser, that the possibilities are endless.

It will take time and work to figure the most profitable way to enter and close a fundraiser. A lot will depend on the products ordered, quantity, and etc.

Who Needs a Fundraiser?

Many organizations are looking for ways to raise funds. Below are a few suggested starting points…

  • Afterschool Clubs/Groups
  • Animal Rescue and Shelters
  • Band Clubs
  • Booster Clubs
  • Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts
  • Catholic Schools
  • Charities/Non-Profit Organizations
  • Cheerleaders
  • Church groups
  • College Fundraisers
  • Dance/Drill teams
  • Daycares
  • Elementary Schools
  • Family with high of Medical bills
  • High Schools
  • Library
  • Medical awareness groups
  • Middle Schools
  • Pre-schools
  • Private Schools
  • Prom Clubs
  • PTA/PTO
  • Sorority/Fraternity Groups
  • Sports Teams
  • Student Alumni
  • Youth Groups

If your goal is to focus on fundraisers, lay the foundation now with organizations. Many plan and select their fundraising events months/seasons in advance.

Scentsy Fundraising Materials

Scentsy provides several marketing materials for fundraisers:

  • 1 Sheet Product Flyer
  • 1 Sheet Insert
  • Fundraising Envelopes
  • Order Form Sheet (2 to a Sheet)

These can be ordered as a business supply. Some Consultants use the full catalog as opposed to the product flyer. The choice is yours.

When to Start a Fundraiser…

It has been suggested to begin your fundraiser the first week of the month. Give them till the end of the 3rd week to collect their orders/money.

Once collected, tally and enter the show before the end of the month. If everything falls into place your order should arrive about the time you are paid commissions. This is a win, win situation for the organization and you. This is the most ideal situation.

Tag, bag and deliver the products along with their check!

The organization will be more likely to hold another Scentsy fundraiser if they aren’t waiting weeks for their money.

Open Book Fundraising Idea
(25% Initial Commission Structure Donation)

Consultant will provide (2) catalogs, plus necessary paper work for each participant. Customers order any item(s), of their choice, from the Scentsy catalog.

This is probably the most popular fundraiser. You can also use the fundraising packet, provided by Scentsy, however it limits the items available for purchase to those listed in the brochure.

Let’s say the group sells $5000 in Scentsy products. Consultants will earn a minimum of 30% for sales over $2000.

Pricing Example…

Scentsy System - $43.00 average with tax

Plug – In = $21.00 average with tax
Plug – In + Candle Bar = $27.00 average with tax

Room Freshener = $8.65 average with tax

Tax could be more or less depending on your tax base. I would give them a rounded figure on your order form. It will make it easier for everyone.

This will break down as follows, assuming your organization sold $5000…

1)Split the sales into (12) shows of at least $400 to earn (36) ½ price options.

2)Approximately $750 in free products.

3)Cash would result in $1500 (25% commission).

The organization can sell the ½ price and free Host Awards to earn additional dollars. Doing so would increase their percentage, for example…

(36) ½ price Scentsy Systems (Normally $40) - $720 profit

With the $720 from ½ price items (50% profit), added with the $750 in free product, plus the $1250 in commissions, the organization will actually earn 55%.

Note: Some Consultants elect to give the full 30% and keep all the host awards or part of them for their work and expenses. The choice is yours.

Also, Consultants could figure the best way to enter this so that the organization can take as many ½ options and free product credits with their current sales. This will reduce the actual fundraising total, however could still net them a higher percentage.

**The above example is assuming the organization purchased the Scentsy System with their ½ price Host Awards option.

Award Suggestions…

There are many things you could do for awards. Below are some suggestions shared by other Consultants.

Idea 1…

The top 3 sellers of the organization and each participant will earn a free Car Candle, along with…

  • Seller #1: Scentsy System
  • Seller #2: Scentsy Mid-Size Warmer and Scentsy Bar
  • Seller #3: Scentsy Plug-In Pack
  • Bonus *** Any Seller who sells over $500.00 will be entered into a drawing for a $50.00 Visa Card.

Other ideas…

  • Find inexpensive items at your local school supply or toy store.
  • Theme park passes.
  • Movie passes.
  • Pizza party.
  • Miniature golf passes.

Themes

Having a theme will strengthen your organization’s letter and build the case for the reader to support the fundraiser. When you combine the type of letter (annual appeal, new playground, project, etc.) with a theme the letter becomes even more powerful. Here are three ideas for a theme:

1)Time of Year

Help your organization with a theme idea for their fundraiser. Many theme ideas, based on the time of year, have been used in successful appeals.

Organizations serving kids might center a fundraising letter around a “back-to-school” premise in August and September.

A homeless shelter might say the “holidays are a lonely time” appeal during November or December.

A few other examples are:

  • January - “Cheers! Start the New Year off by supporting your Cheerleading Squad”
  • February - “Winter is cold – your support will help feed the hungry.”
  • March- “Spring is here – help us protect the beauty of the environment.”
  • April - “Easter is a time of rebirth – help give single moms a second chance.”
  • May - “School is almost out – help us prepare for summer programs.”
  • July/August- “Summer heat is in full force. Your support ensures the elderly will be protected.”
  • October/Nov. - “Holidays are approaching – help provide a happy holiday for all.”
  • December- “Help us make next year better for those living with cancer.”

2)Project

Another option is to choose a theme based on a specific project that your organization is working on or a particular programming area. When an appeal focuses on a specific project the supporter can easily understand the impact their gift will have. Keep in mind that when you ask for support/donations for a specific project, all funds received will be considered restricted to that project.

Bright Idea: The Christo Rey High School, in Sacramento, chose the need for textbooks for their 2008 annual fundraiser.

Their letter wasa short and to-the-point appeal letter. It is aimed at people who already know something about Christo Rey High School Sacramento and probably have supported it in the past.

Included in Christo Rey’s letter;

  1. Their first paragraph dives right in to the need with this powerful sentence: “Unfortunately, our students leave school each day deprived of one critical tool for their success: textbooks.” Readers may have an emotional reaction to this fact, even being incensed that students don’t have textbooks.
  2. Two student testimonials in the letter further build the case for the need for textbooks. Setting them in italics helps draw the reader’s eye to them.
  3. They emphasize the various support levels along with the number of books that will be purchased.

3) Story

Choose a theme based upon a story of one of their clients, etc. Service agencies can show how the lives of their clients have been transformed by their services. Educational institutions can show how the power of education enriches the lives of the audience. You get the idea.

Write a Compelling Support Letter

Help your organization! Assist them in writing a compelling offer or provide an example. Some may already have a great letter to share with parents, members, and etc., while others may not have any idea of how to express their need for participation.

As you write the actual fundraising letter, you have one goal: move the reader to action. So make sure you do everything possible to achieve that goal. Make the letter easy for people to read. Make it easy for your reader to understand what you are requesting. And, make it easy for them to support the cause.

If theletter is not clear, with just one focused message, it is likely to confuse the reader. If they are not clear about what you are asking, they will likely set the letter aside or throw it away. People are busy and won’t take the time to figure out what you want from them.

While you will read the letter word for word repeatedly as you are drafting it, many of the recipients are more likely to skim it. They will read the opening sentence to see if it is something worthwhile or not. They may then skip down to the signature line and the P.S. Make these two components count!

Here are some tips for writing a convincing story that touches people’s hearts:

  1. Use a provocative first line to engage the reader in the story. “Julie stood alone in the rain, wondering who to call next” pulls the reader into the next line.
  2. Paint images with your words by describing things related to the five senses. The more the reader feels like he or she is there, the better.
  3. Don’t try to tell every little detail. Include only the information that supports the mainpoint and sharpens its impact. In fundraising letters, you want to keep the story concise so you won’t overwhelm readers with the amount of text they have to read.
  4. Keep the audience in mind as you write the story. Make sure it is interesting to the organization’s readers.
  5. Relate the story to the work the group/organization is doing.
  6. Use a photo or two that tie in directly to the story being shared.

Nonprofits are full of great stories. It’s common practice in fundraising letters to change the name of the person in a story to protect their privacy. It’s also common practice to use a composite story that is actually made up of details from several stories. This is a good way to protect the privacy of the person in the story if the details might make it obvious who it is.

Once you’ve told a compelling story, it’s time to ask for their support in your letter/handout.

Follow-Up Letter

After receiving an order, it is important to acknowledge their support. Done well, a thank you letter and successive follow ups can help build an ongoing relationship with supporters. Help your organization draft a letter. Doing so shows you care about them and have gone the extra mile to ensure they will have successful future fundraisers.

The Thank You Letter…

Ideally, you should include a thank you letter with each order. Showing sincere appreciation is critical to your organization’s future relationship with their supporters. In fact, it’s widely considered the first step in getting future support.

Relate the thank you letter to the package. If you asked supporters to give to “provide after-school care to 10 at-risk children,” then talk about the children and what they’re learning after school. This lets donors know that you are organized and that the money was well-spent. If you are sending a computer-generated letter to someone you know, tweak the text to make it more personalized. You might also add a hand-written note at the bottom of the letter. These personal touches are easy ways to show genuine appreciation.

Additionally, you can strengthen your thank-you letter by following these tips:

Use the word “you” in the first sentence.

Keep the letter short.

Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

Purposeful and well-thought out thank you letters let supporters know that you are a good steward of the funds that they contribute to your organization. Best of all, it provides you with an additional way to communicate with them. Make sure you are getting the most from your thank you letter by packing it with sincere appreciation and meaningful information.

If the thank you letter serves as a receipt, make it clear. If you have to, draw a line on the page below the thank you text and put a “Gift Receipt” that includes the actual gift information.

Remember to make the information easy for your supporters to read and understand. Consider offering a guided tour of your facility or program site (if appropriate) in the letter. You may never have anyone take you up on this, but they will remember that you offered. Among those who choose to visit you, it can also make the difference between an average gift and a major one.

Dear Friend,

I am excited that you have chosen Scentsy Wickless Candles for your upcoming fundraiser. Please rest assured that I am here to assist you in any way possible to make this a smooth, profitable and rewarding experience for your organization.

Included with this fundraising kit are several important and informational documents. I strongly encourage you to take the time to thoroughly read each one. I am confident you will gain insight that will help to make your organization's fundraiser a huge success.

Below you will find contact information to reach me with any questions you may have during your fundraiser. My preferred method of contact is email as it allows me to respond to your questions with a fully researched answer without keeping you waiting on the phone. However, I do encourage you to contact me using whichever method is most comfortable for you.

Again, thank you for choosing Scentsy Wickless Candles for your fundraising needs. It will be a pleasure assisting you and your organization.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Scentsy Independent Consultant

Contact Phone
Contact Email

Top Ten Fundraising Tips for Kids:

  1. Sell products to family members first.
  2. List your potential donors and approach them for their support.
  3. Explain to your potential donors the purpose of your fundraiser. (ex. Our group (name) is trying to raise $1,200 to host the regional track and field meet. Would you be interested in helping us reach our goal?)
  4. Be cheerful and courteous.
  5. Use the Buddy System. Get a friend to help you gather sales.
  6. Do not enter homes.
  7. Say 'Thank you' whether they buy or not.
  8. Empty your collection envelope after each fundraising effort.
  9. Turn in all money.
  10. Have Fun! A good attitude = better success.

Fundraisers - No Money Up-Front!