Back to School Product Fundraising Benefits

 With school back in session, fundraising season is in full swing. At Ashley Farms, we strive to keep things simple and effective by offering tons of services that will save you time. Here are 5 reasons you should think Ashley Farms when you think fundraising.

1. 9 Sensational Brochures

From cheesecakes to cupcakes, pizzas to pretzels, Ashley Farms has got it all. We offer nine jam-packed packages for you to pick from, all loaded with delicious desserts and dinners.

2. Step By Step Instructions to Get You Going

If you are having trouble getting started, just take a look at our step by step instructions. We try to make your fundraising as successful as possible, and leading you in the right direction is a great first step.

3. Cheesecakes, Cheesecakes, and more Cheesecakes!

Ashley Farms’ main product is our legendary cheesecakes. We have been the number one cheesecake fundraiser in the country and for good reason. We offer tons of delicious flavors like the New York Original Banquet or the kid favorite Oreo Cheesecake.

4. Painless Pre-Packing System

All orders will be pre-packed and individually boxed with labels clearly indicating the child’s name and team. We will deliver your order on our own freezer trucks and you will have a pre-scheduled delivery appointment that is convenient to you.

5. Free Computer Tallying:

When your order is complete, Ashley Farms will tally your order and provide a complete computerized sales report showing the group sales and profit as well as individual student sales and profit. This makes results easy to read and easily accessible for any customer.

Ashley Farms strives to keep things simple for you, the customer. We offer plenty of helpful tools and resources in hopes that you will be satisfied when everything is said and done. Make this school year a memorable one and get started with Ashley Farms today! 

Show Your Volunteers that you Care!

Ideas for Volunteer Appreciation

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to give back to your community and to also help others who are in need. There are numerous ways one can volunteer: they can help out at a food shelter, pick up trash in a park or ditch, take care of animals at an animal shelter, or serve food to the homeless at a local church or community center. Even taking a moment to help your elderly neighbor rake the leaves or shovel the snow goes a long way. The options and opportunities are there every day.

Volunteers are a huge part of achieving our community goals, without them giving their time, skills, and energy it would be difficult to keep the community we live in the place it is today. If you are part of a volunteer organization and would like to show your thanks to these dedicated volunteers, here are a few ways you can do just that:

Get Creative with Food or Treats!

This is a great way to show your appreciation for your volunteers because it gives them a little treat to snack on and it also lets them know that you are thankful for all of the hard work they have put in.

Sometimes it’s the Small Things that Count!

Even the smallest gift can send a big message. If you personalize a pack of gum, a stick of chapstick, or a scented candle, that is something that your volunteer will always remember.

Get Crafty!

If you would like to give them a unique gift that will save you a little money, show them you care by creating a gift for them! This will show your appreciation because the volunteer(s) will see how much thought and effort you put into each gift. 

                    

Here at Ashley Farm’s we truly appreciate everything that our volunteers do each and every day, and we find that it is very important to let these individuals know how much they mean to us. If you do not currently volunteer, we highly recommend it because it is one of the best things you can do not only for your community, but also for yourself. Just remember that even a little bit can go a long way.

8 Tips to Follow When Fundraising

When it comes to fundraising, some struggle with where to start. If you are looking for a little guidance, here are eight essential tips to follow that will ease your stress and help you increase your sales. 

1. Publicize Early and Often

Getting the word out early enough is key. If you promote your fundraiser early enough, more people will become aware of it through word of mouth and by exposure to the promotion sources. One popular way of getting the word out is by having your school do an “email blast” through the PTO/Parent Organization school/group website to all of the parents telling them when and where the fundraiser is taking place. Other popular sources of promotion are newsletters, websites, outdoor signs, and the local newspaper.

2. Limit the Number of Fundraisers

More products aren’t necessarily a good thing. Some parents believe it can get to be too much and will eventually walk away from the sale. If you focus on having fewer fundraising products, people will be more apt to buy.

3. Promote the Product as a Gift

Market a product as being a great gift to a friend, loved one, or family member. Individuals prefer this because they are supporting a good cause and also buying a gift for a special someone. Our Gourmet cheesecakes, pies, and cookie dough are always great options because who doesn’t love a sweet treat every now and then?

4. Personalize the Product

Putting a slogan on your product might be helpful when it comes to selling. Adding images helps if you can add it to the slogan. It also engages the sellers and gets the parents and teachers involved.

5. Try a New Product

Try selling one of the new items in the fundraising brochure. There are many things that would strike someone’s interest in our brochures including our new products for 2014. Finding fresh, new things to sell makes a world of difference instead of focusing on selling the same items each fundraiser.

6. Switch the Timing of Your Fundraiser

Timing is everything; individuals who have changed their sale to November or early fall have seen tremendous success. It helps to have your fundraiser when others aren’t going on at the same time. 

7. Use Creative Prize Incentives

Offering prizes for selling five to ten items will increase student participation immensely. At Ashley Farms, we like to reward students for their hard work, and we do this with our Disney World Grand Prize drawing. Having incentives makes students want to work that much harder because they can get rewarded for their efforts.

8. Rethink Your Sales Approach and Sales Territory

Having a child go to a place of business and ask around for orders is actually very effective. Going to churches and the local courthouse are good options as well. You will be amazed at what power young children possess. 

Whether you use one or all of the eight tips during your next fundraiser, we hope they help you exceed your fundraising goals!

Keep Parents Involved in School Fundraising

Getting parents and students involved is the goal in order to make fundraisers successful. According to one statistic, 77% of parents think their child’s school should fundraise and want to get involved. That’s a promising statistic, and although many parents want to help as much as they can, many aren’t consistently involved. This consistency is needed, but as life continues to become more hectic, parents have turned to helping every now and then or not at all. How can this be changed?

What really matters when it comes to parental involvement is making each parent feel connected. If a solid connection is made, parents will be more willing to continue helping with their child’s future fundraisers. To create this connection, here are some tips to follow:

Give parents hard data about previous successes and accomplishments.

A steady flow of reassuring information of what you are doing and that you are accomplishing great things is what parents need. Feeding parents hard data builds the schools credibility, gives parents confidence, and makes parents happy and satisfied.

Connect with parents often.

Send parents newsletters regarding how your fundraising efforts are going or went if the fundraiser is over. Another great idea is to send letters of thanks. Keeping communication going is extremely important for top of mind awareness for being involved in future fundraising efforts.

Be personal with parents.

You should be tracking parents’ various interests and their participation with various fundraisers. Doing this allows you to tailor mailings to parents’ specific interests, and if you are able to do this, it makes parents realize: “they know me, and they care about me.”

Make it simple.

Make it easy for parents to participate. Keep meetings short and post information about the fundraiser and upcoming events in a variety of outlets – school website, community website, Facebook (social media) and in the school bulletins whenever possible. The easier you make it for parents to get information, the more likely they will be involved.

Always communicate to parents what monies are doing.

This is extremely important! More than anything, parents want to know what their time and effort is accomplishing. Tell them before they get involved, keep them updated as the fundraiser continues with your progress, and follow up when the fundraiser is over with schools success.

Whether you use one or all of these tips, we hope that the idea of keeping parents involved is of new importance. Make 2014 the year that you spread the love and start to keep parents involved for the long run!