How to Choose a Trusted, Reliable Fundraising Company: 4 Key Tips

When it comes to choosing a fundraising company for your school, nonprofit, or community group, where should you start?

First, it’s helpful to consider your organization’s needs. But we don't just mean financial needs—we’re also talking about fundraising needs like convenience, earning potential, and effort.

These needs apply to your benefactors as well. What are they looking for, and how can you provide it as easily as possible?

Read on to learn four tips on how to choose a fundraising company that best appeals to the needs of your organization, as well as your donors and supporters.

Know your true earning potential

One of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing a fundraising company is your earning potential and whether there are obstacles to meeting your financial goals. 

For instance, some fundraising companies (and even restaurants) take a chunk of your earnings, charge interest, or cap how much you can earn. Depending on the product you’re selling, you might lose a significant amount of the funds you raise. Many candle fundraiser companies, for example, take up to 55% of your earnings—so you’d have to sell a lot of candles to make a profit.

To avoid this, always read the fine print and choose a fundraising company that takes the smallest percentage of your earnings (or, better yet, no percentage at all). Some fundraising companies, such as RaiseRight (a gift card and online shopping fundraiser) offer unlimited earning potential and don't take any cuts from your group. Simply buy and use gift cards for everyday purchases, or shop online at your favorite retailers as you normally do, and receive a percentage of  Learn more about how RaiseRight works.

Recognize that convenience drives fundraising success

Convenience is often overlooked when it comes to choosing a fundraising company. For instance, fundraising ideas that involve selling cookies, candy, or sub sandwiches might require you to: 

• Find a way to take orders and track them
• Store inventory in your home or others’ homes
• Commute to pick up the inventory
• Make delivery runs or arrange for pickup
• Consider variables like food safety handling or transportation of fragile items

It’s also worth considering the time commitment. Will you have to sell products door-to-door? Will selling products require making multiple phone calls or hanging flyers in your school, church, or office? Will your fundraising efforts require you to rent a space or recruit volunteers?

Evaluate how much time you’re willing to invest in your fundraiser and whether a different method might make meeting your goals more efficient. Digital fundraising programs like RaiseRight are preferred for their convenience, as you:

• Don’t have to handle bulky goods or perishable items
• Don’t have to ask supporters to buy goods or donate money
• Can run a paper-free, inventory-free fundraising program by sticking to online and eGift card purchases
• Can keep the fundraising going 24/7, 365 days a year, as gift cards are always available and never expire. 

RaiseRight partners with hundreds of brands you know and love, so there’s something for everyone on the platform. Unmatched convenience = greater engagement with your fundraising efforts. 

Thoroughly research your options

Research might seem like an obvious step, but it’s essential to thoroughly explore the reputation and real-life experiences of others with specific fundraising companies.

Start by reading online reviews of the fundraising company you’re considering working with. See what others have to say and whether the nature of the product meets your needs in practice.

If you have friends or coworkers who have recently run fundraisers in your area, ask them what worked for them. This is an excellent way to scope out what the local demographic is interested in and to get a trusted report on how fundraising companies operate. 

Finally, try calling the customer service lines of the fundraising companies you’re considering. This way, you can “test drive” each company’s responsiveness and how they resolve issues. See whether a real person answers the phone and whether your questions are answered promptly. This will give you a good idea of how each fundraising company relates to and prioritizes its customers.

Align your fundraiser with your supporters' needs

The best way to encourage fundraiser participation is to choose a method that aligns with your donors' needs and fits into their lifestyles. 

This is why gift wrap or poinsettia sales work well around the holidays, and why selling discount cards to popular local businesses is often a hit. The same goes for gift card and shopping fundraisers like RaiseRight, as your supporters can contribute to your cause just by shopping for their everyday needs at no additional cost. 

Research shows that consumers are more likely to re-purchase a product or service they use often, so providing donors with something they’re guaranteed to use means they’re more likely to support you again.