Fundraiser Success

Participating in a live plant fundraiser is a great way to generate profits for your group! Our most successful Fundraisers utilize the same organizational strategies to ensure success. Following the simple guidelines below will make your fundraiser enjoyable for everyone and a special event your community looks forward to year after year!

1. Establish your goal

How much do you need to earn? Our experience is that most fundraisers are able to double their money on most items! On the more costlier items we offer, a return of 50% profit might result in selling more pots, thus more profit. As opposed to selling fewer pots at a higher margin. Learning how much you can make is especially a good learning opportunity for kids in school organizations doing a fundraiser. Can your kids who are selling these items determine if they can make more money selling more pots at a smaller profit per pot or make more money selling fewer pots at a higher margin?

Some groups sell at lower prices due to their perceived market. Keep in mind that most people view purchasing a poinsettia from your group or organization as a donation and not a purchase. They will give (pay) more money than they normally would if they were purchasing the same item from a box store or garden center.

Our suggested selling price is double what you pay for the items (Bulb Bowls, Geraniums, Mums or Poinsettias), but again as stated above you might want to sell at 150% what you pay to be able to sell all that were booked. It may be better to sell all of them at less margin that to sell part of them at the higher margin. That is something your organization will need to determine. 

Also, be mindful of other organizations or schools in your area that might be doing the same fundraiser. A town or area that successfully supports one fundraiser may not support two fundraisers.

2. Determine your time frame

Most live plant fundraisers can be completed in approximately two to three weeks with planning. However, we recommend that your part of the selling be done far enough in advance for us to be able to fill your order. Delays can cause us to be sold out of product. 

We prefer to have your booking several months in advance in order for us to accurately schedule, plant and grow the products. Your organization should allow for a minimum of 2-3 weeks to sell but we recommend 3-4 weeks of selling plus booking your fundraiser 3-6 months in advance. In some cases, in order to take part in a fundraiser you may need to order more than 6 months in advance due to use selling out quickly. You can discuss this with one of our sales representatives. 

Please take notice of your local community calendar when planning your sale.  Do any scheduled events conflict with your fundraiser?

Contact your sales representative at Plants For Profits to discuss what time frame would work best for your team.

2. Name a Coordinator

Choose a reliable person with great organizational skills and a passion for your initiative. Make this person responsible for communicating with your sales team, for collecting fundraiser proceeds and for communicating with us.

Having a well organized person in charge of the fundraiser will eliminate a lot of headaches for both your organization and ours.

3. Assemble your sales team

Teams with at least 15-20 members work best for new fundraisers doing a minimum order.

Collect sales team home and alternative phone numbers and email addresses. You will need these to Set Your Sales Goals (#7 below)!

4. Strategize your selling

Brainstorm with your sales team about their individual sales opportunities such as contacts at local businesses like a bank with multiple locations. Other selling strategies include social media and selling at athletic events.

Assign members of your sales team to specific target areas and organizations.

5. Place Your Order with Plants For Profits (Parks Brothers Farm, Inc.)

6. Download Order Forms and SELL!

The link to our forms is in the Fundraisers menu above and under Helpful Forms in the menu on the right.

Print the appropriate order form and supporting documents for your fundraiser, then distribute the forms to your team.

7. Set Your Sales Goals (Again)

This step is so important that we mention it twice.

Once you have your overall sales goal, be sure to set sales goals for each individual. You can even go as far as setting weekly or even daily sales goals per team member.

Clear and attainable sales goals for each individual help motivate sales. Where a sales goal of 1000 plants might seem overwhelming, a goal of 25 pots per team member per week for a 20 person team over a two week period is an attainable goal (25 pots per week x 2 weeks x 20 members = 1,000 sold).

Incentivize your team and remind them of what your goals are with the money you raise.  

8. COMMUNICATE

This is critical for fundraiser success!  Make sure the sales team is communicating with the coordinator regularly.  Regular email updates to your group keeps everyone on the same page and can actually fan the competitive flames within your organization!

Great communication will ensure you do not oversell or undersell your allotted product and will also help you to identify any potential problems on reaching your sales goals.

Communicate with Plants For Profits regularly regarding the status of your fundraiser.

9. Delivery to Your Shipping Address

We ask that you select a delivery week which will allow us to better schedule our trucks. Specific days will be set prior to the delivery week. We apologize for not being able to set a day or hit your target day in advance. Managing scores of fundraisers and being able to deliver on set days is always a challenge and nearly impossible.

We will do our best to hit your target delivery date. Deliveries are determined by the fundraising groups in your region and shipments are scheduled based on the most efficient delivery schedule. Any changes to your delivery date will be communicated in advance.

A firm shipping address and delivery date need to be determined at least two weeks prior to delivery.  Please select a delivery location that is accessible with a large bob truck or semi-trailer on a main road to help with delivery.

We cannot deliver to residential areas due to narrow roads, tight turns, low power lines, trees and other obstacles that can be damaged by a large truck or can damage the truck. 

Coordinate with your sales team to assist in unloading and storing the plants.

10. Plant Storage & Care

Geranium and Mum care is straightforward. They do best in full sun and be sure to water them daily. They are big plants and need a lot of water even in cool weather. They can be stored inside for short periods of time but will need sunlight to stay looking great.

We have a downloadable Poinsettia Care Sheet on our Poinsettia Fundraiser Forms page. Please make sure you follow the directions. Poinsettias are very susceptible to cold temperatures and also need to be watered regularly. Letting them dry out or get cold will stress the plants.

11. Distribute the Live Plants to Your Customers

It’s a great idea to give a care document to your customers when you deliver the plants!

We recommend that your plants be distributed to your buyers the day of delivery if possible and no later than the next day or 48 hours after delivery to ensure your buyers get the freshest plants possible. 

When unboxing poinsettias be sure to grasp the top of the sleeve to keep from damaging the poinsettias. If you have to store poinsettias, do so in a location that can maintain a temperature of at least 60-68 degrees. If for any reason you have your poinsettias for more than 24-48 hours, you will need to give them a little water to tide them over until they get to their new homes. A cup or two of water should be sufficient. Also if kept for more than 24-48 hours before distribution, we recommend you unbox and lower the sleeves down to around the pot to help the poinsettias maintain their plant shape. 

12. CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER!

Celebrate with the whole team. Reward the people who sell the most.

Sales Strategies

Don’t hesitate to call us with any questions or suggestions you may have. Your success is our success!

Call us toll free at 1-479-474-1125 or Contact Us today!