Let’s admit it, fundraisers aren’t something we all jump to take part in. But they are certainly a necessity for many schools and nonprofits. A FairTrade Caravans fair trade fundraiser is a win-win-win. Your school makes more money, you help artisans and farmers around the world, and your students learn to be stewards for a global cause.
We’ve all be there. Your child comes home with a booklet of overpriced wrapping paper designs, popcorn varieties that will end up being stale, a discount card good at a select few local spots, or a lottery drawing with slim chances to win. You know it’s your duty to sell these things so that your child and their friends can enjoy the benefits but the whole experience leaves you feeling a bit frenzied and burdensome as you ask family and friends to contribute.
School fundraisers are vital to supporting enrichment programs for students around the country. They pay for cultural programs, extracurricular activities, upgraded school supplies, and much more.
According to NP Source, traditional product fundraising accounts for roughly 80% of the dollars that school groups use to provide “extras” for their schools. School groups raise more than $1.5 billion every year selling various products. And 71% of parents said they’ve sold fundraising products to family, friends, and co-workers.
While parents understand the inevitability of fundraising, less than half actually buy products and an even lesser amount help to sell them. The real work is often handled by a small group of volunteers or even just one person. That burden is stressful, to say the least, but it’s a role many parents take on because they see the value of these events.
The responsibility of hosting a school fundraiser can be daunting. From choosing what to sell and finding a fundraising supplier, to calculating margins and goals, to encouraging students and their families to sell the items, this is an arduous task. Complicating matters can be the frequent turnover of volunteers on the fundraiser committee. Needless to say, it can be a chore to send kids home with a fundraiser packet and expect to make money from the whole ordeal.
But with the tools of the digital age, school fundraisers can be easier and successful. NP source reports that 54% of donors worldwide prefer to give online. More than half of the parents say they want fundraisers to be online. It makes sense, right? With the power of email, social media, and texting, door-knocking can be kicked to the curb.
However, it’s still hard to sell products no one wants. These mass-produced, cheaply made items aren’t a draw except to help a child’s school. Even worse, some of these goods being sold to help schools are made by children themselves in faraway countries who are not able to go to school.
Enter, FairTrade Caravans with a solution to both of these problems. We use the power of the Internet and social media to help schools sell goods purchased directly from artisans and farmers all around the world. This means children and their parents don’t have to waste time walking around their neighborhood or relying on officemates to be guilted into buying something they probably don’t want.
FairTrade Caravans makes it easy to sign up for fundraisers, offers a curated list of unique and handmade fair trade products, and tracks its success all online. Even better, the products are all sold by FairTrade Caravans come from the artisans and farmers, who take home the profits to give their families and communities better lives. Participants can sell Kantha — hand-sewn dishcloths made from recycled cotton saris — or olive wood bowls crafted in Kenya of sustainably sourced olive wood and cruelty-free bone. These are more valuable items than wrapping paper or cookie dough.
But the fundraiser coordinator’s job is to make it even easier for families to sell. FairTrade Caravans makes it easy for these volunteers to motivate and educate their schools. Their online dashboard has a streamlined way to access marketing materials and track sales. These marketing tools include email templates and social media posts and images. Each fundraising organization has a custom landing page that lists their goals and a link to the online product catelog/shop.
Alongside the benefits to the fundraising schools and students, FairTrade Caravans makes a world of difference beyond those communities. Each product sold is made or grown by real people, and the profits go back to them. The fair trade movement ensures better living conditions for people in all countries by giving them a fair wage and ensuring no child labor is used.
A FairTrade Caravans fundraiser is also a learning experience for the school kids who participate. Each child can learn about the core principles of the fair trade movement and to be a steward of the world. On its new website, the company shares stories about artisans and farmers, the cultural history of each product, and how this vital industry is dedicated to making the world a more fair, ethical, and sustainable place. This teaches children how things are made and, how some of their favorite things could be made in a better way,
Altogether, FairTrade Caravans offers an improved school fundraising experience for organizers and participants. This includes an easier way to raise money, selling better-quality items that do good for the people who made them, and kids learning about cultures and people beyond their communities. You can make a world of difference with a fair trade fundraiser this school year!
