The $100,000 Dollar Fundraiser

Energize your fundraising efforts with this program. It’s fun. It’s easy. It’s self-promoting. There’s no product delivery, no order taking and no inventory, and it’s all done online. Plus, it promotes school spirit with unique, customized products. It’s everything a good fundraiser needs to be.

You can run this fundraiser year-round, year after year. There’s no risk whatsoever, so you can’t lose.

How it works

Café Press sells over 80 different products including t-shirts, sweatshirts, undergarments, books, calendars, music, CDs and more…even postage stamps and pet apparel. You can customize each one with any image or slogan you desire.*

Sign up here and get a FREE online shop where you can showcase any of the items you choose. You don’t pay for anything and you make money on every item that sells.

There’s no inventory or pre-ordering and your customers can order one at a time or in bulk. Your shop even shows the products as they will look, adorned with the images you create, so your supporters can see exactly what they’re buying in advance.

Plus, Café Press handles the whole transaction starting with the secure checkout and credit card payment processing all the way through shipping the items and sending your check to you. You don’t have to do anything except send people to your online shop through the special link assigned to you.

You set the price

Café Press charges a base price for all merchandise and you set your own selling price above that amount. The difference is your profit.

Ideas

Use it as an “atta-boy” for a job well done by giving gift certificates to students, who can then redeem them for merchandise from your store.
Hold a contest for best logo creation and vote for the winners.
Create a different logo for different school teams or clubs, such as for the football team, drama club, etc.
Email existing and former students with updates whenever there’s a new product available or a special sale.
Send home regular reminders or promote in the school newspaper, newsletter or website to maintain awareness.

Pros

High quality products. This is not the stuff you see in dime stores.
All products are made to order. Supporters can buy one or a bunch.
No inventory or storage, so you’ll save money and won’t collect unpopular products.
No product delivery. Unlike other fundraisers, you won’t hop in your car to deliver anything.
Transactions handled all online. You don’t have to mess with collecting money.
No costs of any kind to shop owners. (Except for Premium shops, which start at only $5 per month)
Raise lots of money. According to Café Press, “Some of our shopkeepers earn over $100,000 a year.”

Cons

Limited color selection on clothing
Shipping charges added to the cost, but these are standard and charged to the purchaser.

What do you have to lose? Nothing. Even if you already have a school store, you can still open an online shop to supplement your existing sales. After all, it’s FREE.