Fundraising Guide : Fundraising Lead

Your Role: Campaign Organizer & Strategic Coordinator

As the fundraising leader, you’re responsible for orchestrating the entire campaign from planning to completion. We have put together a comprehensive guide below to ensure your success!

📋 Before the Campaign

1. Partner with your Director on the following

Calculate Program Costs & Set Fundraising Goals

Use the expense categories guide to calculate all program costs
Determine per-participant fee OR total fundraising goalCreate scenarios showing different fundraising success levels

Build Your Compelling “Why” Story

Use our “Building your compelling Why” method
Document exactly how funds will be used (transparency builds trust)
Create clear connection between donations and program excellence
Prepare materials showing cost per participant without fundraising
Show how successful fundraising reduces family fees

Design Monthly Donor Club

Create unique club name and branding
Design exclusive benefits for monthly donors (11x impact vs one-time gifts)
Set up special recognition and access for club members
Create compelling messaging about ongoing support

Monthly Club Examples:

2. Plan Communication Strategy

Schedule parent meeting to present fundraising plan (2-4 weeks before launch)
Prepare FAQ document for parents about the fundraiser
- Feel free to use these examples
  - Foundation March-a-thon – Family Letter.pdf
  - Fundraiser FAQ
Create timeline and communication calendar

3. Design Incentive Structure

Use our online Incentive builder Fundraiser Incentive Template
Work with directors to create three-phase incentive plan:
- Phase 1: Kickoff incentives (raffle tickets, instant rewards, team competitions)
- Phase 2: Weekly momentum (ongoing team and individual recognition)
- Phase 3: Grand finale (major rewards for overall achievement)
Balance free incentives with low-cost options
Ensure multiple pathways for students to be rewarded
- Number of contact incentives
- Number of donations incentives
- Total raised incentives

4. Set Up Platform (not required if you have a previous campaign site)

Customize your fundraising site by filling out this RapidFundraising Site Builder

Create “About Us” paragraph
Create “Why you are raising money” paragraph
Send us your logo
If you would like a collage send us the following
- Picture of entire group performing or together
- (3-4) pictures of separate sections/teams of group
  - Brass – woodwind – guard – percussion
  - Dance companies
  - Or just pictures of 2-3 participants together
Setup payment processor

Test your fundraising platform
Learn to use reporting dashboard

5. Send out parent and student documentation

Send out Parent/Guardian fundraiser guide
- This explains the why to parents and students
- Includes instructions for families to create a contact list.
- Send out incentive to parents to motivate and inspire
Re-enforce “inform contacts of date & time participants will be reaching out to them” to parents as the BEST method to increase donation rates

6. Prepare for the kickoff

Share the QR code with participants for them to create accounts
Ensure participants create accounts prior to kickoff
Modify the participant “Script” for your program
Print “Script” for students for kickoff
Prepare for the kickoff using this documentation 🚀 Kickoff Prep
Share the Pledge Tracker link
Share the Pledge Reporter link to who is running the computer to show progress at kickoff
Ensure you have the admin BackStage link to see donation reporting in real-time

🚀 During the Campaign

Daily Responsibilities

Have FUN!
Use the backstage reporting to monitor fundraising progress

Track participation rates across all teams/section
Coordinate with directors on daily recognition
Support families having technical difficulties

Promote monthly donor club throughout campaign
Promote company match donations throughout campaign

Weekly Tasks

Have FUN!
Communicate progress to all stakeholders
Coordinate weekly incentive rewards
Analyze which teams/individuals need additional support
For students not participating have the director ask if they need any help

Share success stories and momentum updates
Follow up with inactive participants

Campaign Events

Host engaging kickoff event with students and parents
Coordinate incentive delivery and recognition ceremonies
Support director punishments and team rewards
Document campaign highlights for future reference

🎯 After the Campaign

Immediate Wrap-Up (First Week)

Distribute final incentives and rewards
Host celebration event recognizing achievements
Process final donations and calculate totals

Results Communication

Share final fundraising results with organization
Report exact fee reduction per participant
Thank all donors and participants
Document lessons learned for next campaign

Follow-Up Actions

Transition monthly donors to ongoing stewardship
Plan appreciation events for top supporters
Archive campaign materials and data for future use

🔑 Critical Success Factors

Participation is Everything

Remember: The more students who participate, the more money the organization will raise. The more contacts each student has will bring success and allow students to earn more incentives.

Focus Areas for Maximum Impact:

Contact Quality Over Quantity: Help families identify potential donors who care about the student
Corporate Matching: Promote this in all communications – can double donations instantly
Monthly Club Recruitment: Turn one-time givers into ongoing supporters
Daily Engagement: Work with directors to maintain energy throughout campaign

📊 Tools & Resources

Planning Tools:

Fundraising Calculator – Project campaign potential
Incentive Template Builder – Design custom reward system
Building Your “Why” Guide – Craft compelling messages

Success Metrics to Track:

Participation rate (% of students actively fundraising)
Contacts per participant
Count of donations per participant
Monthly donor sign-up rate
Total funds raised vs. goal

💡 Pro Tips for Campaign Success

Before Launch:

Get director buy-in on all incentives before announcing
Create excitement with countdown and preview materials
Train parent volunteers to support families during campaign

During Campaign:

Celebrate early wins to build momentum
Use social media to share progress and success stories
Keep incentives visible and achievable
Maintain daily communication with directors

After Campaign:

Survey participants for feedback and improvements
Plan ahead for next year’s campaign
Keep monthly donors engaged with regular updates

🤝 Working with Other Roles

Support Directors by:

Providing progress reports
Coordinating incentive logistics
Handling parent questions about platform/technical issues

Help Parents by:

Offering platform training and support
Providing contact creation template (make it your own if you wish)
Provide student scripts for them to easily understand what to say and text to potential donors.
Sharing success stories and progress updates

Encourage Students by:

Recognizing efforts in addition to results
Creating multiple opportunities to win and succeed
Maintaining visible progress tracking and celebration

Your leadership makes the difference between a good fundraising campaign and an exceptional one that transforms your program’s financial future!