Contactless Curbside Pickup for School Fundraising
Fundraising the Safe Way
The fundraising landscape has shifted, and the industry is adapting to the times. With the impact of COVID-19, many schools, groups, and organizations are trying to figure out the new “norm” for fundraising. The terms “contactless” and “curbside” are becoming the new normal.
What do past fundraisers look like?
Normally, schools would rally and organize a large kickoff party to build the excitement for the school-wide fundraiser. Fundraising companies would come in and host a rally to show the product, offer incentives and prizes for the top-sellers and give details on how to sell, where to sell, when to sell and what to sell. This was usually a school-wide event or club-wide event that would gather everyone together all at the same time.
The fundraising path looks a little different now. Schools still need to raise funds, but how? Contactless sales are growing rapidly. To keep up with the current unprecedented times, typical in-hand confectionery fundraisers are having to adapt. But what if schools still want to sell the candy items? Is it still possible? Yes, most definitely!
Hybrid fundraisers with contactless curbside pickup are the future. In these times, people are more adaptable and flexible with how things are getting accomplished. Here is a breakdown of how a contactless, curbside school-wide fundraiser would work.
- Plan, schedule and order the product. How many participants do you have? One carrier per participant is usually what is recommended for chocolate candy items. Are you having a school-wide sale, are you raising funds for the marching band or do you need to raise funds for your scholarship program? This is when you plan which products to sell, quantities needed, delivery dates and deadlines.
- Hold a virtual kick-off to get kids and parents excited. Provide online launch videos, share social media graphics to promote the sale and provide email templates to help launch the fundraiser.
- Product delivers to your school or home. The fundraising sponsor or principal will need to accept shipment. Once delivered, be sure to store product in a cool dry place until scheduled participant pickup day.
- Schedule date and pickup time. The coordinator will communicate the scheduled pickup time and procedures with parents. Explain how the drive-thru process will work, and ensure everyone of the safety protocols in curbside pickup. Make sure the pickup window is large enough to accommodate the size of group. This should be scheduled at a convenient time for working parents. Recruit volunteers to help with distribution day.
- Distribute product to parents/guardians. Volunteers should be equipped with masks, printed participant list and quantities to be distributed to each person. Parents should remain in their vehicles when possible. Volunteers will load product into the trunk or backseat as parents arrive in the drive-thru lane. If a drive-thru lane is not an option, please practice physical distancing from others and wear a face mask. Parents should be reminded that product cannot sit in hot cars.
- Participants sell the product. Most people sell directly to family members, coworkers, or friends that they are in direct contact with. This has not changed. Children should never be allowed to sell door-to-door unless directly supervised by a responsible adult. Please allow 1-2 weeks for the students to sell the product. Set a date to collect the money. This can be done the same way as distribution was handled… contactless curbside dropoff or collect money remotely.
An increasingly popular option is to collect money remotely at the end of the sale. Payment apps such as Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal are becoming more widespread and common. Sponsors can use these apps to collect the money that students raise from selling their product. For more information on these apps, click the links to learn more. Venmo. Cash.App. PayPal.
Typical sales transactions can still happen as they always have. The steps to a successful fundraiser may need to be adjusted slightly, but you can have a profitable fundraiser even if the school is operating remotely. We hope you continue to plan school fundraisers to reach your goals; and with a few adjustments, it will be as easy as ever. Happy fundraising.
Please consider Van Wyk Confections for your fundraising efforts. Our chocolate bars, pretzel rods/twists, fortune cookies, gummies and popcorn are the top fundraising items for schools, groups and organizations. All our confectionery items provide top quality, fresh product that sells quickly and easily!
Contact us today and we will have a Van Wyk Confections sales representative reach out to discuss pricing, profit percentages, recommended quantities needed, minimums and other helpful tools. Thanks for your interest!
