The other day I was getting a meal at a local resturant and there was a church putting on some kind of fundraiser. I say “some kind” because there was no visible information or “call to action”. In fact so much was wrong in what they did that I wouldn’t give money to a group that couldn’t get their act together. So here’s a list of some top Do’s and Don’ts

DO have a Call To Action

Pick a cause (Headline Grabber) and make an action statement like:
Save the Whales! Feed Hungry Children! Promote Sports-Get Kids off the Streets.
Have this visible with the call to action next like – Donate Here!

Don’t make signs people can’t or won’t Read!

A person walking by a sign has about 3 seconds to decide it they want to invest any time in reading what you have written. Use Large Letters, Make Sure they stand out from the paper (ie White letters on Black paper or Red letters on Yellow paper .)
Keep it to the Headline and Action Statement

Have your table inviting with minimum fuss with your Attention Grabber and Call to Action visible. Have some literature about your organization and cause handy.

Don’t block walkways! People trying to walk around things are tied up in survival mode. Survival mode does not like giving away money!

Have a giveaway even if it’s just a bookmark with your info on it.

Free balloons to kids is a great item as the kids drag their parents to the table to get one.

Always have a smile on your face and greet people as they walk by.

Sitting at your table only talking to fellow church/volunteer members attracts me how?

These are just some basics. What else would you suggest as do’s and don’ts for fundraisers?