Fundraising for Small Groups Newsletter

Understand and Follow Your Workplace Rules

• Many companies have established rules pertaining to the sales of merchandise by employees in their workplace. These rules apply to fundraising product sales too and not just Mary Kay or True Romance products. Violating your company's established policies may just get you more than a slap on the wrist.
  
  
• Some companies have no rules or guidelines and you are left to determine what is right (and wrong). Always take the high road and error on the side good taste (no $2 candy bar fundraising pun intended).
  
  
• Email to your co-workers about fundraising should be held to the same standards as any business email communications. If you don't have a previous relationship (i.e. fundraising sale or an expressed interest) with a particular co-worker then your email is nothing more than spam.
  
  
• Going desk to desk hawking your child's fundraising product is a waste of your co-workers time and yours. If your employer doesn't have a policy against this then they should.
  
  
• If it is allowed, approach your co-workers during your break times and lunch period. Keep your pitch low key. Most times a poster or brochure posted on an employee bulletin board or left on a break room table is perfectly acceptable. Sign up sheets and self serve boxes of candy bars are good too. Stress what the money earned will provide (i.e. soccer equipment, computer lab, etc).
  
  
• No matter how hard you try, anyone below you on the corporate ladder will feel pressure to buy from you. Don't abuse your position. Corporate politics are tough enough without throwing resentment over fundraising sales into the mix.

• Nothing is more important than a thank you. No matter if you give your co-worker a pat on the back and a heart felt thank you or a hand written note from your child (or both!), don't forget to say thank you to all who participated in your child's fundraising sale.
  
  
• And don't forget to smile and say "Sure, I'll buy some" when you're on the receiving end of the fundraising pitch next time. What goes around comes around!